Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US black) a ghetto black male; thus thug life n., the accompanying lifestyle.

1992		UGK ‘Short Texas’ 🎵 Short Short Texas watch them hard thugs work it.
2003		Dizzee Rascal in Vice Mag. at Hyperdub.com 🌐 Everything’s glamorised. America… the thug life, it looks glamorous.
2000		Ebonics Primer at www.dolemite.com 🌐 thug Definition: a black male who chills in da ghetto. Example: Da thugs be ballin’ tonight.
2001		D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 189/1: thug (also outlaw thug) n. an inmate aged 17 - 25 years, commonly of Mori or Pacific Island ethnicity, who identifies strongly with African-American street culture [...] 189/2: thuglife n. the lifestyle or ideology of a thug.
2014		Stormzy ‘Shut Up’ 🎵 I can't run when my enemies show / Walk in the club with all of my tugs.

2. attrib. use of sense 1.

2004		J.A. Juarez Brotherhood of Corruption 48: ‘There’s Li’l Mickey, a fuckin’ thug lowlife from the Disciples’.
2010		A. Steinberg Running the Books 6: Inmates exchange intrixcate handshakes and formal titles: OG, young G, boo, bro, baby boy, brutha, dude, cuz, dawg, P, G, daddy, pimpin’, nigga, man, thug thizzle, my boy, my man, homie.
2021		S.A. Crosby Razorblade Tears 167: ‘[A] wife who had to work three jobs to take care of our son while I was on some old thug-life shit’.