Think back to the conversation Starr and Maverick have about Tupac, his music and Khalil’s views before the shooting. Summarize their conversation. What are your thoughts about this conversation? What does the conversation reveal about Maverick?

Some of these questions ask for your opinion rather than mine. Tupac Shakur was an American actor and rapper whose rap lyrics frequently centered around the hardship of inner-city life, racism, and social oppression. The acronym Shakur created for “Thug Life”—The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody—is an important motif in the novel that also provides the title of the book. Starr and Maverick’s discussion of the meaning of "Thug Life" offers insight into their respective philosophies about what the acronym might refer to.

Khalil said that "Thug Life" refers to how the hate that society feeds its youth comes back to bite them later; Starr generalizes this to the hate that black people, minorities, poor people, and the oppressed are forced to deal with. Maverick extends Starr’s point further, explaining that so many people in Garden Heights are drug dealers because they have a lack of educational and career opportunities. The conversation is important because it further opens Starr’s eyes to the injustice all around her and makes her more determined to speak up for Khalil.