My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Gorgeous

Kanye West

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

End

294

Internal

126

Multi

370

Slant

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight

[Produced by Kanye West, Mike Dean & No I.D.]

[Chorus: Kid Cudi]

Ain't no question^✦ if I want it, I need it

I can feel it slowly^✦ drifting^✦ away^✦ from me

I'm on the edge, so why you playing? I'm saying

I will never^✦ ever^✦ let you live this down, down, down

Not for nothing,^✦ I've foreseen^✦ it, I dreamed^✦ it

I can feel it slowly^✦ drifting^✦ away^✦ from me

No more chances,^✦ if you blow this, you bogus^✦

I will never^✦ ever^✦ let you live this down, down, down

[Verse 1: Kanye West]

Penitentiary chances,^✦ the devil^✦ dances^✦

And eventually answers to the call of autumn

All them fallin'^✦ for the love of ballin'^✦

Got caught with thirty^✦ rocks, the cop look like Alec Baldwin

Inter-century anthems based^✦ off inner-city tantrums

Based^✦ off the way we was branded

Face it, Jerome^✦ get more time than Brandon

And at the airport, they check all through my bag

And tell me that it's random

But we stay winning^✦

This week has been a bad massage, I need a happy^✦ ending^✦

And a new beginning^✦ and a new fitted^✦

And some job opportunities that's lucrative

This the real world, homie, school finished

They done stole your dreams, you don't know who did it

I treat the cash the way the government treats AIDS

I won't be satisfied 'til all my niggas^✦ get it, get it?

[Chorus: Kid Cudi]

Ain't no question^✦ if I want it, I need it

I can feel it slowly^✦ drifting^✦ away^✦ from me

I'm on the edge, so why you playing? I'm saying

I will never^✦ ever^✦ let you live this down, down, down

[Verse 2: Kanye West]

Is hip-hop^✦ just a euphemism for a new religion?^✦

The soul music of the slaves^✦ that the youth is missing

But this is more than just my road to redemption^✦

Malcolm West had the whole nation standing at attention^✦

As long as I'm in Polo^✦ smiling, they think they got me

But they'd try to crack me if they ever^✦ see a Black me

I thought I chose a field where they couldn't sack me

If a nigga^✦ ain't shootin' a jumpshot, runnin'^✦ a track meet

But this pimp is at the top of Mount Olympus

Ready^✦ for the world's games,^✦ this is my Olympics

We make 'em say ho 'cause the game is so pimpish

Choke a South Park writer^✦ with a fishstick

I insisted^✦ to get up off of this dick

And these drugs, niggas^✦ can't resist it

Remind me when they tried to have Ali^✦ enlisted^✦

If I ever^✦ wasn't the greatest, nigga,^✦ I must have missed^✦ it

[Chorus: Kid Cudi]

Ain't no question^✦ if I want it, I need it

I can feel it slowly^✦ drifting^✦ away^✦ from me

I'm on the edge, so why you playing? I'm saying

I will never^✦ ever^✦ let you live this down, down, down

[Verse 3: Kanye West]

I need more drinks and less lights

And that American Apparel girl in just tights

She told the director she tryna^✦ get in a school

He said, "Take them glasses^✦ off and get in the pool"

It's been a while since I watched^✦ the tube

'Cause like a Crip set, I got way too many^✦ blues for any^✦ more bad news

I was looking^✦ at my resume,^✦ feeling real fresh today^✦

They rewrite history, I don't believe in yesterday

And what's a Black Beatle anyway,^✦ a fuckin'^✦ roach?

I guess that's why they got me sitting in fuckin'^✦ coach

My guy said I need a different^✦ approach

'Cause people is looking^✦ at me like I'm sniffin' coke

It's not funny^✦ anymore, try different^✦ jokes^✦

Tell 'em hug and kiss my ass, X and O

And kiss the ring while they at it, do my thing while I got it

Play strings for the dramatic ending^✦ of that wack shit

Act like I ain't had a belt in two classes^✦

I ain't got it, I'm coming^✦ after^✦ whoever^✦ who has it

I'm coming^✦ after^✦ whoever,^✦ who has it?

You blowin'^✦ up, that's good, fantastic

That, y'all, it's like that, y'all

I don't really^✦ give a fuck about^✦ it at all

'Cause the same people that tried to blackball me

Forgot^✦ about^✦ two things, my Black balls

[Chorus: Kid Cudi]

Ain't no question^✦ if I want it, I need it

I can feel it slowly^✦ drifting^✦ away^✦ from me

I'm on the edge, so why you playing? I'm saying

I will never^✦ ever^✦ let you live this down, down, down

[Verse 4: Raekwon]

Ayy, yo

I done copped^✦ Timbs, lived^✦ in lenses,^✦ kid

Armani^✦ suits, fresh fruits, Bally^✦ boots, and Benzes^✦

Counting up, smoking,^✦ one cuff

Live as a red Jag', a Louis bag, grabbin' a blunt, fuck it

Steam about^✦ a hundred and one L's

Kites^✦ off to jails, buyin' sweats, running up in Stetson

Nigga^✦ hat game was special

It matched^✦ every^✦ black pair of Nikes,^✦ throwing dice for decimals

The older^✦ head, bolder^✦ head, would train a soldier^✦ head

Make sure he right in the field, not a soldier^✦ dead

That meant code red, bent off the black skunk

The black Dutch, back of the old shed

If you can't live, you dying, you give or buy in

Keep it real or keep it moving,^✦ keep grinding

Keep shining, to every^✦ young man, this is a plan

Learn from others like your brothers Rae and Kanye

[Chorus: Kid Cudi]

Not for nothing,^✦ I've forseen^✦ it, I dreamed^✦ it

I can feel it slowly^✦ drifting^✦ away^✦ from me

No more chances,^✦ if you blow this, you bogus^✦

I will never^✦ ever^✦ let you live this down, down, down

Technical Breakdown

8.4

Multisyllabic Rhymes9.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes9.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres8.5

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm7.5

Flow variation and timing (data-driven)

Vocabulary Complexity8.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control9.0

Performance and control

Computed Score8.44

Production

— Kanye West, No I.D., Mike Dean

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Critic Analysis

RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Kanye utilizes dense, multi-syllabic internal rhyme clusters to anchor a critique of systemic injustice, seamlessly pivoting from personal grievance to socio-political commentary.

9.5

Multisyllabic

9.5

Internal Rhymes

7.5

Cadence / Flow

Vocabulary

8.5

Wordplay

Delivery

Multisyllabic rhyme chainsAssonant internal rhymingSocio-political metaphorSubtle double entendres

Rhyme Architecture: The verse relies on a highly technical 'A-A-A' multisyllabic structure (chances/dances/answers) that bridges into an interlocking set of half-rhymes and slant rhymes centered around the 'all' and 'an' phonetic sounds, creating a relentless forward momentum.

Verified Doubles & Entendres

"cop look like Alec Baldwin"

① Physical resemblance of a police officer to the actor Alec Baldwin.② A reference to Alec Baldwin's role in the film The Cooler, where he plays a man who manages a casino/bad luck, implying the officer is a 'bad omen' or brings misfortune ('bad luck') to the protagonist.

"Jerome get more time than Brandon"

① A commentary on racial sentencing disparities in the American legal system.② A direct critique of how systemic bias manifests in 'random' airport security checks versus sentencing outcomes.

"bad massage, I need a happy ending"

① Literal fatigue from stress (a 'bad massage' being a metaphor for a difficult week).② Euphemism for a sexual act, highlighting the dichotomy of his desires versus his public persona.

Exceptional rhythmic density

Potent social commentary woven into personal narrative

High-level usage of phonic repetition for emphasis

Commanding, conversational yet authoritative flow

Occasional reliance on pop culture name-dropping that slightly dates the cultural impact

Slight structural shift in the final bar compared to the initial intricate rhyme patterns

User Scores

Notes

A perfect blend of socially conscious themes and complex rhyme schemes.