Liquid Swords
Investigative Reports
GZA
Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis
22
End
173
Internal
117
Multi
225
Slant
7
Chain
Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
Here we go, come on
Rugged✦ rhymsters,✦ crooked✦ crimesters✦
Dime droppers,✦ Twenty-five-to-lifers✦ Backstabbers,✦ low blowers✦
Illegal...✦ cocaine✦ growers✦
Starvation,✦ profanity✦
Anxiety,✦ brothers✦ trying me
Gun slingers,✦ dead ringers✦
Yo, my slang's out of this world
Mix collaboration✦ man, little man and his girl Way of life got me thinking, plus I'm analyzing Young youths on roofs you know
Three time felony✦ brutes✦
Roll together, tropical✦ trees puff whatever
Yo we could go run up on, kids for leathers
What drug? Faculties✦ bubble keys for G's
Cream flow like seven✦ seas, hit chicks Guyanese
Word up, hold your head before✦ you fall out
The morgue route, the devil want that
Let's get my niggas✦ locked✦ all out
Change for better,✦ that be my only✦ vendetta
With life, feed your seed right, he's breathing indeed✦ right
Chef, remarkable,✦ sparkable,✦ raps and tackable✦ gats
Never✦ get jacked,✦ see ya then move black
Paradise trife, plush with much ice
Getting nice, laying back, sleep all my life
Word up!
Crack patients,✦ dime smokers✦
Vial carriers,✦ mocha✦ tokers✦
Burnt buildings,✦ brothers✦ building✦
Save the children✦
Investigative✦ reports!✦
Calling✦ all cars, calling✦ all cars! Ghetto✦
Psychos, armed✦ and dangerous, leaving mad scars on those
Who are found bound, gagged✦ and shot when they blast the spot
Victims took off like astronauts
Get with this, even✦ your best can't
Come on down, you're the next contestant!
Get your pockets dug from all your
Chemical✦ Bank ends
Caught him at the red light - on Putnam✦ Avenue✦ and Franklin
They used✦ to heat up the cipher✦ with a shot that was hyper✦
Than your average JFK sniper✦
He just came home to Spofford
Rolling like Kaufman, and laid that ass out like carpet✦
Stop the stuttering boy, save complaints for the five-oh
Then praise the God - chk-a-chk POW!
They release shots and premeditate to grab
And then they jet back to the lab
And then remain✦ in Shaolin, an endangered island
Where shorties✦ lose blood by the gallons
Crack patients,✦ dime smokers✦
Vial carriers,✦ mocha✦ tokers✦
Burnt buildings,✦ brothers✦ building✦
Save the children,✦ investigative✦ reports!✦
Yo, I grab the pen for revenge and let loose, see
Like Muslims, standing on the block, rocking✦ a kufi
The hundred-dollar kick rocking✦ kid's back for more
Starting gold wars, with black Reeboks and Velours
Jungle way of life, living✦ villain
Packed✦ with visions, copywritten
Throwing bread to pigeons, Christ has risen✦
King Elegant, slang master,✦ jack expensive✦ noodle hats
In sixty-nine,✦ old timers✦ time that brothers✦ shot craps
The baggy✦ blue Guess jeans, pull strings off in Palm Springs
I'm locked✦ in the bing, Rocky✦ ring labelled rap king
The corner✦ emperor - the golden✦ thieves play the benches
Rednecks be hanging big niggas✦ down in Memphis Back in N-Y, hit the bull's eye with loaded✦ nines✦
Life is like Tarzan,✦ swinging from a thin vine Shatter dreams, then mirrors don't need a breath
Spirals aim at the white shadows with big barrels
Of Moet-ers, the bald headers, milk and Armarettas✦
Who fear none, crushing all personal vendettas,✦ yo
They use guns while we angrily shot arrows
You better✦ keep your eye on the sparrow
Rugged✦ rhymsters,✦ crooked✦ crimesters✦
Dime droppers,✦ Twenty-five-to-lifers✦
Backstabbers,✦ low blowers✦
Illegal...✦ cocaine✦ growers✦
Starvation,✦ profanity✦
Anxiety,✦ brothers✦ trying me
Gun slingers,✦ dead ringers✦
Investigative✦ reports✦
Investigative✦ reports✦
Investigative✦ reports✦
Technical Breakdown
9.7
Multisyllabic Rhymes9.4
Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)
Internal Rhymes9.5
Rhymes within a line (data-driven)
Wordplay / Double Entendres9.5
Clever language, metaphors, punchlines
Cadence / Rhythm9.5
Flow variation and timing (data-driven)
Vocabulary Complexity9.4
Range and depth of words used (data-driven)
Delivery / Breath Control9.4
Performance and control
Computed Score9.70
Production
— RZABe the first to rate the production
Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™
GZA's bars exhibit exceptional technical prowess, highlighted by high scores in multisyllabic rhymes (9.4) and internal rhymes (9.5), creating a complex yet fluid lyrical flow. His wordplay (9.5) and sophisticated vocabulary (9.4) amplify the thematic depth of street life and personal struggle depicted in the lyrics.
S
9.4
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
9.5
Cadence / Flow
9.4
Vocabulary
9.5
Wordplay
9.4
Delivery
multisyllabic rhymesinternal rhymesimagerystorytelling
Rhyme Architecture: The rhyme scheme showcases a dense structure with frequent internal and multisyllabic variations, creating a dynamic interplay between the lines and maintaining listener engagement.
high level of technical rhyme complexity
strong imagery and storytelling
some lines may challenge mainstream accessibility