The Low End Theory

Buggin' Out

A Tribe Called Quest

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

End

239

Internal

144

Multi

285

Slant

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight

[Verse 1: Phife Dawg & Q-Tip]

Yo, microphone^✦ check one, two, what is this?

The five foot assassin with the roughneck business

I float like gravity, never^✦ had a cavity^✦

Got more rhymes^✦ than the Winans got family^✦

No need to sweat Arsenio to gain some type of fame

No shame in my game cause I'll always^✦ be the same

Styles^✦ upon^✦ styles^✦ upon^✦ styles^✦ is what I have

You wanna^✦ diss the Phifer^✦ but you still don't know the half

I sport New Balance sneakers to avoid^✦ a narrow^✦ path

Mess around with this you catch a size eight up your ass

I never^✦ half-step 'cause I'm not a half-stepper

Drink a lot of soda^✦ so they call me Dr. Pepper^✦

Refuse^✦ to compete with BS competition^✦

Your name ain't Special Ed

So won't you seckle with the mission^✦

I never^✦ walk the street thinking it's all about^✦ me

Even^✦ though deep in my heart, it really^✦ could be

I just try my best to like go all out

Some might even^✦ say, "Yo shorty^✦ black you're buggin'^✦ out"

(Uh, uh, uh, uh)

[Verse 2: Q-Tip]

Zulu^✦ Nation,^✦ brothers'^✦ last creation^✦

Minds get flooded, ejaculation^✦

Right on the two-inch tape

The Abstract^✦ poet incognito, runs the cape

Not the best not the worst and occasionally^✦ I curse

To get my point across,^✦ so bust, the floss

As I go in between, the grit and the dirt

Listen^✦ to the mission^✦ listen^✦ Miss as I do work, umm

As I crack the monotone^✦

Children of the jazz so, get your own

Smokin^✦ R&B 'cause they try to do me

Or the best of the pack but they can't do rap

For it's Abstract,^✦ original

You can't get your own and that's pitiful

I know I'd be the man if I cold yanked^✦ the plug

On R&B, but I can't and that's bugged^✦

[Chorus]

Buggin'^✦ out, buggin'^✦ out, buggin'^✦ out, you're buggin'^✦ out

[Verse 3: Phife Dawg]

Yo, when you bug out, you usually^✦ have a reason^✦ for the action^✦

Sometimes you don't it's just for mere satisfaction^✦

People be hounding,^✦ always^✦ surrounding^✦

Pulsing, just like a migraine pounding^✦

You don't really^✦ fret, you stay in your sense

Camouflage your feeling, of absolute tense

You soar off to another^✦ world, deep in your mind

But people seem to take that, as being unkind^✦

"Oh yo he's acting^✦ stank," really^✦ on a regal?^✦

A man of the fame not a man of the people

Believe that if you wanna^✦ but I tell you this much

Riding^✦ on the train with no dough, sucks

Once again^✦ a case of your feet in my Nike's^✦

If a crowd is in my realm I'm saying, "Mic please"

Hip-hop is living,^✦ can't yank the plug

If you do the result, will end up kind of bugged^✦

[Verse 4: Q-Tip]

Yo, I am not an invalid although

I used^✦ to smoke the weed out

Ali Shaheed Muhammad used^✦ to say I had to be out

Scheming on the cookies^✦ with the crazy^✦ booming back buns

Pushing on them real hard just so we can have the big fun

When I left for road, see, I was Boulevard status

Battling an MC was when Tip was at his maddest

It was one MC after^✦ one MC

What the world could they be wanting see from little old me

Do I have the formula to save the world?

Or was it just because I used^✦ to

Swipe the women^✦ and all the girls

I'm the type of brother^✦ with the crazy^✦ extended hand, kid

Dissed^✦ by all my brothers^✦ I was all up what my man did

Supposed to be my man

But now I wonder^✦ cause you're feeble

I go out with the strongies^✦ and I separate the evils

It's your brain against my mind, for those about^✦ to boot out

All you nasty^✦ critters even^✦ though you see I bug out

[Chorus]

Buggin'^✦ out, buggin'^✦ out, buggin'^✦ out, you're buggin'^✦ out

Technical Breakdown

7.6

Multisyllabic Rhymes9.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes9.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres5.0

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm9.5

Flow variation and timing (data-driven)

Vocabulary Complexity5.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control7.0

Performance and control

Computed Score7.58

Production

— A Tribe Called Quest

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Critic Analysis

RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

The interplay between humor and confidence, showcasing a unique cultural context.

B+

9.5

Multisyllabic

9.5

Internal Rhymes

9.5

Cadence / Flow

Vocabulary

Wordplay

Delivery

multisyllabic rhymesinternal rhymescadence variationcultural references

Rhyme Architecture: Complex internal and end rhymes with multiple layers in a consistent flow.

Strong use of multisyllabic and internal rhymes

Confident delivery with a catchy flow

Cultural references that resonate with the era

Wordplay is straightforward, lacks deeper layers

Some lines come off as cliché by today's standards

User Scores

Notes

Dynamic internal rhymes and wordplay enhance the flow.