Thug Life Army Records

The Thug Life Army Records record label is a division of Star Sound Group International, based in Hollywood, California, formed in 2007 by President and CEO Frank Miranda.

Thug Life Army Records is a member of the Universal Music group of music labels and covers the genres of Hip Hop, Rap and Rhythm and blues.

Thug Life Army Records has set out and is accomplishing a positive change in hip hop music, by putting out meaningful hip hop music with a message for today’s youth.

The latest project from Thug Life Army Records is titled ‘In the Shadow of an Icon’. It is a collaboration of artists who all learned and grew out of the words and teachings of the late hip hop Icon Tupac Shakur (2Pac). Thru this collaboration they are bringing all the coasts together to put to rest the myth of a ‘west coast’ – ‘east coast’ rivalry.

This project contains no music by Tupac (2Pac), but it does reveal artists who grew out of the ‘shadow’ of the hip hop Icon.

As Tupac did in his short life, Thug Life Army Records looked for hip hop and rap artists who could use a ‘hand up’ to get their talent noticed. The VP of Thug Life Army Records, Robert says “We hope this project will do just that. Our hope is this project will bring ‘light’ to those artists who have participated out of love for Tupac and what they learned from his lyrics and deeds. Hip Hop is not ‘Dead’ as many people believe; most people are just not looking in the right places.”

When asked about the direction the music takes on this project, Robert explains “The various sides and teachings of the ‘man’, Tupac Amaru Shakur are represented on this CD - from his street side, to his political side, to his deep inner self. A total look is taken at the course Tupac had traveled in his short life. A picture of Tupac’s life is a picture of many of our lives. His up’s and down’s are roads many of us have shared along the way. That is why Tupac gained the respect of almost everyone in the hip hop community - we could feel his pain and joys, as he felt ours. His words and teachings remain relevant today because the situation has not changed since Pac first started exposing the real truth of hood life, and the artists on this project continue with Pac’s message of ‘keeping it real’ thru real talk. No spinning rims or drinking in the club, just solid true about the reality of being raised in a society that does not understand you or your situation.”

“Violence has touched many in this country, not only the hip hop community. This is not only a requiem for the life of Tupac and for all the fallen ‘souljahs’ who have died needlessly or have found themselves in situations they cannot control, but it also emphasizes why the lyrics that Tupac spit and the knowledge he put forth is still relevant today; because nothing has really changed over the last 11 years since Tupac was murdered, and the artists on this project came together to put out a hip hop album with a ‘meaningful message’.”

With over 25 different artists participating in the project, there are many backgrounds and each artist has their own region where they rep from and their own experiences in life; making this a project with a national appeal.

Artists from the west coast, east coast, down south and even Canada appear on this project; that is one reason that many different Hip Hop organizations have endorsed it and are currently backing what this label is doing.

This label has come very far for a ‘grass roots’ label and the direction they are leading hip hop in is not being overlooked.

This current project is Vol. 1, leaving the door open for a ‘trilogy’ of
‘Shadow’ projects among the other projects they have undertook.

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