Released: 1996 • Features: Richie Rich
“Ratha Be Ya Nigga” by 2Pac with Richie Rich is an audacious exploration of inner-city life and relationships. It’s a bold declaration from a man asserting himself as more than just a friend or lover, but as a partner who’s in it with her, sharing her struggles and desires, and living the same ‘thug life’.
In the first verse, ‘Pac opens up about the raw dynamics of relationships in urban settings. He talks about being confident, assertive (“You fucking with niggas that’s insecure /Watered down, my shit is pure”). He’s not begging for anything, just proposing a mutually beneficial relationship, highlighted by physical intimacy and an understanding of street life (“Dripping wet, as we experiment in sweaty sex”). The subtle bravado is clear in his invitation to a woman who’s apparently held back by societal expectations (“You want a nigga, but think that you can’t have a nigga”).
The chorus continues the mantra of preferring a raw, real connection over a connection plagued by pretension or deception. 2Pac would rather be her N-I-G-G-A (neighbour or ally), so they can enjoy life’s simple pleasures together without judgement, without expectations, without pretension (“So we can get drunk and smoke weed all day”). He insists that the substitute of a ‘thug’ over a ‘buster’ (a term used to describe a fake or phony person) would bring more authenticity to her life.
The second verse by Richie Rich carries forward ‘Pac’s motifs of being her confidant (‘Nigga’), offering her a different, more fulfilling kind of companionship, where she might find a balance between opulence and the grit of street life. The ‘drop top, 500 Benz and plenty cash’ signify wealth and success, things that Richie Rich’s persona can provide but with a raw honesty that ‘the man’ or ‘buster’ couldn’t.
The third verse by 2Pac speaks to intimacy, bedroom politics, and power dynamics that echo the broader society. It’s a sexual dimension of the ‘Thug Life’, where 2Pac again asserts himself to be a better fit for her, with an ability to satisfy her physically and emotionally, but also reflecting the power play of the streets (“If it’s all mine, then let me know”).
The final part of the song revolves around the refrain of ‘I’d rather be ya N-I-G-G-A’, reemphasizing the entire theme of the song, that being a ‘Nigga’ who lives the thug life with her is better than being a ‘buster’. The song ends on a note of candid assertiveness, asserting that ‘These busters ain’t loving you right’.
