Black on Both Sides

Do It Now

Mos Def

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

100

End

299

Internal

98

Multi

382

Slant

21

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
Back up, back up, back up, back up
Back up, back up, back up, back up ease off
This goes out to all area✦ crew (yes, yes, yes)
This to my BK crew, to my QB crew
My LI crew, my Shaolin crew
My Dirty✦ South crew
(What y'all niggas✦ about✦ the Dirty✦ South?)
Atlanta, North Cakalak'
For all my fam, all area✦ crew
Yea, man
Yes, the first cut should be the deepest
To penetrate✦ beyond the muscle wall's inner✦ regions
First you was icing✦ me, connect with the staring✦ at the speakers✦
Heard the rhyme, head high with ya staring✦ at ya sneakers✦
You shy now, got a lot of things on your mind now
You don't feel fly now, you hunting the exit✦ sign down
Fuck what you heard 'cause I snatch the grapevine✦ down (yeah, yeah)
Don't understand✦ how I ran the line down, rewind✦ now
Yo, we be the most magnetic,✦ so athletic✦
Leave your peeps on the side so they can watch you and your mans get it
Take the arch rivalry stance up on the podium✦
And give the flavor to niggas✦ but keep it low on sodium✦
Possess shit that got you wondering how we holding 'em
Things that'll lay you out like a piece of linoleum
Bring who-ever you want, we 'bout to bug son and bounce
Down to Henry✦ Hudson,✦ after✦ I bust one
Yo, Mos Def
Alright, okay✦
How you feel?
Feeling✦ great
What ya want?
I wan' do it to death, what's up wit' you?
You know my steez
True indeed✦
Say it loud
Black and proud
Ain't no time to hesitate✦ at the gate
Do it now
Bust-a-bus✦
What a gwan?
How you feel?
Feeling✦ great
What you want?
I want to do it to death, what up with you?
You know my steez
True indeed✦
Say it loud
Black and proud
Ain't no time to hesitate✦ at the gate
Do it now
Hay dios mio, me and Bustarimo muy peligro
The hottest Negroes en Los Estados Unidos✦
Hotter✦ than Reno✦ when discovered by Bugsy✦ Siegal✦
I'm black like Don Cheadle shouting,✦ "Power✦ to the people"
My rhymes✦ dipping like the lifeline✦ on the e-boat✦
The raw sugar✦ cane, NutraSweet, never✦ Equal✦
If you in a Benzito or your mother's Buick Regal✦
I get up like Chino✦ shouting,✦ "Power✦ to the people"
Yo, me and the Mighty✦ Mos shine like a light post
Live nigga✦ shit be straight fucking up the white folks
That's why they with it now because niggas✦ like me and you
We did it now, brought it to that level✦ so they get it now
We graduated,✦ saturated✦ the game now
Infatuated✦ with the fame now, let me explain how
We doing this at any✦ time or any✦ place ready✦ willing and able
Let's get the dough, secure✦ the food on the table
Ayy, Mos Def
Oh my God
How you feel?
Feeling✦ great
What ya want?
Wanna✦ do it to death, what's up wit' you?
You know my steez
True indeed✦
Say it loud
Black and proud
Ain't no time to hesitate✦ at the gate
Do it now
Bust-a-bus✦
Rhymes✦ galore✦
What's the deal?
Feeling✦ great
What you want?
I want to do it to death, what up with you?
You know my steez
True indeed✦
Say it loud
Black and proud
Ain't no time to hesitate✦ at the gate
Do it now
From east, west, north and south, I got joints for all of those
Heavy✦ aquatic water✦ flows, keepin' them on they toes
Tell them thugs that wanna✦ be CEO's to be derobed
'Fore I wear your little dumb ass out like Easter✦ clothes
Yo, yo-yo (yo-yo)
It's like a freak show, soon as my heat blow
Sometime I speak slow so people understand✦ my street flow
And while we keep it hot
We got the most shine up in this whole shit
Me and Mos spit and blow the show quick
Watch out, yuh pussy✦ sound get box out
Mos and Busta✦ Rhymes,✦ two bad man ah shuck out
Watch out, give a damn what fancy✦ car ya hop out
Shut down your game like the NBA lockout
You betta✦ watch out, I'm 'bout to black on niggas✦
Like I'm blowing✦ a sax, blowing✦ my gats on niggas✦
Blowing✦ my raps on niggas,✦ now let me mash out
We fatter✦ than the biggest ass chicks poking✦ they ass out
Hey, Mos Def
Magnetism
How you feel?
Feeling✦ great
What ya want?
Me wan' do it to death, what's up wit' you?
Yo, you know my steez
True indeed✦
Say it loud
Black and proud
Ain't no time to hesitate✦ at the gate
Do it now
Bust-a-bus✦
Woo-hah✦
How you feel?
Feeling✦ great
What you want?
I want to do it to death, what up wit' you?
You know my steez
True indeed✦
Say it loud
Black and proud
Ain't no time to hesitate✦ at the gate
Do it now
What? What?
We got to do it, do it
We got to do it, do it
Make me do it, do it, what?
Wha-wha-what? We got to do it, do it
Make me do it, do it
Do it, do it, do it now
What? What? We got to do it, do it
Said we do it, do it, do it, a-do✦ it now
What? We got to do it, do it
Got to do it, do it (ahh)
Do it now

Technical Breakdown

8.6
Multisyllabic Rhymes7.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes9.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres7.0

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm10.0

Flow variation and timing (data-driven)

Vocabulary Complexity6.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control8.5

Performance and control

Computed Score8.60

Production

— A. Dillon

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Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Mos Def exhibits exceptional rhythmic precision, utilizing a rapid-fire internal rhyme structure that relies on internal vowel matching rather than just end-rhymes to maintain momentum, effectively serving as an anchor for the late-90s boom-bap aesthetic.

A
7.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
10
Cadence / Flow
6
Vocabulary
7
Wordplay
8.5
Delivery
Internal multi-syllabic rhymingAssonance-heavy cadencesRhythmic syncopationStaccato vocal delivery
Rhyme Architecture: The verse utilizes a complex AABB-adjacent structure heavily supported by mid-line multi-syllabic chains. Mos Def weaves internal clusters (e.g., 'deepest'/'regions'/'speakers'/'sneakers') that resolve into end-rhymes, creating a dense, interlocking pattern.
Verified Doubles & Entendres

"keep it low on sodium"

① Maintaining a low-key, unpretentious demeanor while performing② A health-conscious metaphor for avoiding 'salty' or aggressive, reactive behavior

"first cut should be the deepest"

① A reference to the musical idiom regarding emotional impact② A surgical metaphor for the precision of his lyrical strike hitting the core of the opponent

"lay you out like a piece of linoleum"

① Knocking an opponent to the floor② A visual simile comparing the defeated opponent to flat, inanimate floor covering

Dynamic flow variation and rhythmic urgency

High-density internal rhyming

Commanding, confident vocal presence

Effective use of pauses to punctuate the beat

Vocabulary breadth is standard for the era

Occasional reliance on conventional battle-rap tropes

Some metaphorical imagery is functionally basic

User Scores