Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life

Money Ain't a Thang

Jay-Z

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

End

266

Internal

101

Multi

237

Slant

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight

[Chorus: Jermaine Dupri and Jay-Z]

In the Ferrari^✦ or Jaguar,^✦ switchin'^✦ four lanes^✦

With the top down screamin'^✦ out, "Money^✦ ain't a thang"

Bubble hard in the double R, flashing^✦ the rings

With the window^✦ cracked,^✦ holla^✦ back, money^✦ ain't a thang

Jigga,^✦ I don't like it if it don't gleam-gleam^✦ (Yeah, ugh)

And to hell with the price 'cause the money^✦ ain't a thang (Ugh, ugh)

Put it down hard for my dogs that's locked^✦ in the bing

When you hit the bricks, new whips, money^✦ ain't a thang

[Bridge: Jay-Z & Jermaine Dupri]

Y'all wanna^✦ floss with us (Yeah)

'Cause all across^✦ the board, we burn it up (Ha)

Drop a little paper,^✦ baby,^✦ toss it up

Slacking^✦ on your pimpin',^✦ turn it up (Yeah)

See, the money^✦ ain't a thang

[Verse 2: Jermaine Dupri]

My cake thick, I live the life

Eating^✦ crab, watching bitches shake shit all night

I make the big moves^✦ (Moves),^✦ do the big things (Things)

Take small groups, turn them into^✦ big names^✦

The big dog with the big chain, frostbit bracelet to match

Cats say I'm the shit, man (Yeah)

Type of nigga^✦ that you need in yo' crew

Type of dude that will do shit you won't do, can't do

Get more burn than a candle

Too hot to hold, too much to handle

In the black C-low, he know

If she look, she go bye-bye with da-da^✦

And I ain't gotta^✦ say no more

I'm The Truth like A.I. (Yeah), got the proof and stay fly

In the safest shit you could never^✦ buy—know why?

'Cause I write the songs that the whole world sing (Uh-huh)^✦

I don't know about^✦ y'all, but every^✦ night, I swing (Uh-huh,^✦ uh-huh)^✦

[Chorus: Jermaine Dupri and Jay-Z]

In the Ferrari^✦ or Jaguar,^✦ switchin'^✦ four lanes^✦

With the top down screamin'^✦ out, "Money^✦ ain't a thang"

Bubble hard in the double R, flashing^✦ the rings

With the window^✦ cracked,^✦ holla^✦ back, money^✦ ain't a thang

Jigga,^✦ I don't like it if it don't gleam-gleam^✦ (Yeah, ugh)

And to hell with the price 'cause the money^✦ ain't a thang (Ugh, ugh)

Put it down hard for my dogs that's locked^✦ in the bing

When you hit the bricks, new whips, money^✦ ain't a thang

[Bridge: Jermaine Dupri & Jay-Z]

Y'all wanna^✦ floss with us (Uh-huh)^✦

'Cause all across^✦ the board, we burn it up (What)

Drop a little paper,^✦ baby,^✦ toss it up (Ugh, yeah)

Slacking^✦ on your pimpin'^✦ (Ugh), turn it up

See, the money^✦ ain't a thang

[Verse 3: Jay-Z & Jermaine Dupri]

Y'all, shit ain't for real till y'all ship a mil'

And ya hit a R&B chick and she fit the bill (What)

Said she loved^✦ my necklace (Yeah), started relaxing, and that's what the fuck I call a chain reaction (Whoa)

Went from wholesome^✦ to "Jigga,^✦ you awe-some"^✦ (Ugh)

Baby,^✦ I don't play all my jewelry is light grey (Hahaha)^✦

Platinum,^✦ spend your whole life in the day

What's down is a bet, roll the dice, yeah, yeah, let's play

So, what, you went gold and rock a Rollie with the ice bezel?^✦

It's gon' take a lot more to see my level^✦ (Uh-huh)^✦

Where I'm at—your^✦ check, you better^✦ double that (Double that)

And personally, your raps is where the trouble at

I'm a Benz bubble cat, leather with the wood grain (Ugh)

In the platinum^✦ frame (Screaming)^✦ "It's not a game!"

(Gleaming)^✦ From ear to ear, wrist to wrist, ring and chain (Even)^✦

Me and Jay-Z got it locked,^✦ crazy^✦

[Chorus: Jermaine Dupri and Jay-Z]

In the Ferrari^✦ or Jaguar,^✦ switchin'^✦ four lanes^✦

With the top down screamin'^✦ out, money^✦ ain't a thang

Bubble hard in the double R, flashin' the rings

With the window^✦ cracked,^✦ holla^✦ back, money^✦ ain't a thang

Jigga,^✦ I don't like it if it don't gleam-gleam^✦

And to hell with the price 'cause the money^✦ ain't a thang (Ugh, ugh)

Put it down hard for my dogs that's locked^✦ in the bing

When you hit the bricks, new whips, money^✦ ain't a thang

[Bridge: Jermaine Dupri, Jay-Z & Both]

Y'all wanna^✦ floss with us (Uh-huh)^✦

'Cause all across^✦ the board, we burn it up (What, ugh)

Drop a little paper,^✦ baby,^✦ toss it up (Yeah)

Slackin on your pimpin',^✦ turn it up

See, the money^✦ ain't a thang

[Outro: Jermaine Dupri]

So So Def

Roc-A-Fella

Collabo

You know

All we do is...

Rock, rock on

Rock, rock on...

Technical Breakdown

8.0

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 / Rhythm10.0

Flow variation and timing (data-driven)

Vocabulary Complexity6.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control6.0

Performance and control

Computed Score7.99

Production

— Jermaine Dupri

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Critic Analysis

RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

The verse functions as a quintessential late-90s status-symbol anthem, prioritizing rhythmic simplicity and thematic consistency over complex lyrical density.

B+

9.5

Multisyllabic

9.5

Internal Rhymes

Cadence / Flow

Vocabulary

Wordplay

Delivery

Repetitive phrasing for cadence reinforcementCall and responseInternal rhyme clustersAABB rhyme scheme anchoring

Rhyme Architecture: Predominantly AABB or AAAA end-rhyme structures with heavy internal rhyming utilized to maintain the bounce of the West-meets-South production style.

Verified Doubles & Entendres

"My cake thick"

① Slang for possessing a substantial amount of money.② A direct reference to the literal density/size of his assets.

"frostbit bracelet"

① Physical coldness associated with ice/diamonds.② Hyperbole regarding the blinding aesthetic quality of the jewelry.

Excellent rhythmic pocket

Consistent thematic delivery

Effective use of onomatopoeia and cadence variation

Low metaphorical density

Reliance on genre tropes (luxury rap clichés)

Limited linguistic complexity

User Scores

Notes

Jay-Z and Jermaine Dupri's flex anthem. Jermaine Dupri's production is at its bounciest and best