Cover art for Soldier Like Me [a/k/a Return Of The Soulja] by 2Pac

Soldier Like Me [a/k/a Return Of The Soulja]

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Soldier Like Me [a/k/a Return Of The Soulja] Lyrics

[Intro: 2Pac]
So what I'm gonna do, hopefully, is
I wanna be— (A straight soldier)
I'm—, I—, I—, not I wanna be, I am Tupac Shakur

Tupac 2005
Guess who's back
G—Guess who's back
G—G—Guess who's back
G—G—G—Guess who's back
,
Everywhere I see, a soldier, a soldier
Everywhere I see, a soldier like me
Everywhere I see, a soldier, a soldier
Everywhere I see, a soldier like me
Everywhere I see, a soldier, a soldier
Everywhere I see, a soldier like me
Everywhere I see, a soldier like me
Everywhere I see, a soldier, a soldier


[Verse 1: 2Pac]
Posse deep as I roll through the streets
Motherfuck the police, as we creep in our Jeeps
Layin' so low you'd think I'm asleep
But at the slightest beef, I'm robbin' niggas of they teeth
And OPD can get the dick if they play toughy
Last time them niggas rushed me
I ain't bust, but now I'm touchy, trust me
Ain't nothin' jumpin' but these buckshots
A nigga's got enough knocks, I'm poppin' at corrupt cops
Them motherfuckers catch a hot one
You wanted to start a problem
Now you coward cops have got one

And there's no prison that can hold a
Motherfuckin' soldier, ready to roll and take control
So now I jack 'em while they sleepin'
Roll to the door, throw a grenade in the precinct
Some people panic, brothers bugged out
I had to keep poppin', 'cause there's no stoppin' till they rubbed out
And they vests don't protect from the head wounds
Reload ammunition's and them bitches will be dead soon
Smoke risin' from the barrel of my shotty
I finally got revenge, now count the bodies
Twenty cops, one for every year in jail
Tryna keep a nigga down, but shit fails

Before I let you take me, I told you
Fuck bein' trapped, I'm a soldier

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About

Genius Annotation

The opening track for Loyal to the Game sets the tone for the album, kicking off with an impassioned vocal clip of 2Pac speaking. It jumps right into a slow tempo beat produced for the (then) modern times of 2005.

The two verses we hear are actually lifted from two separate songs (produced by Big D the Impossible and Stretch) that were scrapped sometime between Tupac’s debut and being signed to Death Row Records. One of said songs, “Judgement Day” was originally intended to be a Thug Life track.

Despite the hard gangsta' lyrics, Eminem takes this opportunity on the chorus to make it clear that he is not a thug and never has been. Instead he asserts that, like ‘Pac, he’s been able to muster up the courage to live a life of honesty, never pretending to be anything other than exactly who he is.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did 2Pac say about "Soldier Like Me [a/k/a Return Of The Soulja]"?
Genius Answer

Eminem was given the a Capella vocal files for 2pac’s verses. Em' then stretched and rearranged those vocals to fit the beat he had made, added his own vocals for the hook, and handed the track over to Brian Gardner to put the final touches on it.

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Release Date
December 12, 2004
Soldier Like Me [a/k/a Return Of The Soulja] Is A Remix Of
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