The Black Album

Threat

Jay-Z

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

23

End

170

Internal

56

Multi

189

Slant

8

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Chorus: Jay-Z]
I make 'em wait for you 'til five in the mornin'✦
Put your smarts on the side of your garment✦
Nigga,✦ stop fuckin'✦ with me
R... I... P...
[Interlude: Cedric the Entertainer]
That's right there, nigga✦ I'm, nigga,✦ I'm wild
Nigga,✦ I keep trash bags with me
Never✦ know when you gotta✦ dump a nigga✦ out
This sincere,✦ this some sincere✦ shit right here!
[Verse 2: Jay-Z]
Grown man, I put hands on you
I dig a hole in the desert, then build the Sands on you
Lay out blueprint plans on you
We Rat Pack niggas,✦ let Sam tap dance on you
Then I Sinatra, shot ya, goddamn you
I put the boy in the box, like David Blaine
Let the audience watch, it ain't a thang
Y'all wish I was frontin', I George Bush the button
For the oil in your car, lift up your hood, nigga,✦ run it
Then lift up your whole hood, like you got oil under✦ it
Your boy got the goods, y'all don't want nothin'✦ of it
Like, castor✦ oil, I'll Castor✦ Troy you
Change your face, or the bullets'll change all that for you
Y'all niggas✦ is targets, y'all garages for bullets
Please don't make me park it in your upper✦ level
Valet✦ a couple strays from the .38 special, nigga✦
God bless you
[Chorus: Jay-Z]
I make 'em wait for you 'til five in the mornin'✦
Put your smarts on the side of your garment✦
Nigga,✦ stop fuckin'✦ with me
R... I... P...
[Interlude: Cedric the Entertainer]
Yeah, I'm threatenin'✦ ya, yeah! I'm threatenin'✦ ya!
Who you thank you dealin'✦ with?
They call me Threats, nigga✦
I been makin'✦ threats since I been in kindergarten, nigga!✦
Huh, ask about✦ me, see if you ain't heard
[Verse 3: Jay-Z]
When the gun is tucked, untucked, nigga,✦ you dies
Like nunchucks held by the Jet L-I
I'm the one, thus meaning, no one must try
No two, no three, no four—know why?
Because one's✦ four-five might blow yo' high
You ain't gotta✦ go to church to get to know yo' God
It's a match made in Heaven✦ when I—{*blaow!*}—'splay the 7
Put you on "The Nigga✦ News," UPN at 11
Where you been? You ain't heard?
Got the word that I'm—{*pew-pew!*}—that I'm so sincer'?✦
I'm especially Joe Pesci with it, friend
I will kill you, commit✦ suicide, and kill you again✦
That's right
[Chorus: Jay-Z]
I make 'em wait for you 'til five in the mornin'✦
Put your smarts on the side of your garment✦
Nigga,✦ stop fuckin'✦ with me
R... I... P...
[Outro: Cedric the Entertainer]
Whattup? Motherfucker, I keep three motherfuckers, what?
Nigga,✦ I'll throw a Molotov cocktail
Through your momma's✦ momma's✦ house
Nigga,✦ what the, where everybody live!
Undercover, nigga,✦ take your teeth out your mouth, nigga✦
Chew your food up and put the shit back in your mouth, nigga✦
And help you swallow
Nigga,✦ I take a mop handle off, nigga✦
And sweep, nigga,✦ hold on, I'll be, nigga,✦ what?

Technical Breakdown

8.5
Multisyllabic Rhymes8.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes9.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres8.5

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm8.5

Flow variation and timing (data-driven)

Vocabulary Complexity6.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control9.0

Performance and control

Computed Score8.47

Production

— 9th Wonder, Jay-Z

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Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Jay-Z utilizes a sophisticated 'Rat Pack' thematic conceit to weave together violent imagery and high-culture references, demonstrating an elite ability to pivot between literal threats and metaphoric layers.

A
8.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
8.5
Cadence / Flow
6
Vocabulary
8.5
Wordplay
9
Delivery
ParonomasiaMultisyllabic enjambmentThematic extended metaphorInternal rhyme densityHomophonic wordplay
Rhyme Architecture: A dense, multi-layered AABB-style structure with heavy internal multisyllabic rhyming, relying on 'ans' and 'on' vowel sounds (hands/Sands/plans/dance/chance/Blaine/thang).
Verified Doubles & Entendres

"I Sinatra, shot ya"

① Reference to Frank Sinatra, a member of the Rat Pack, aligning with the verse's theme.② A direct phonetic pun where 'Sinatra' mimics the sound of 'shot ya', explicitly detailing the act of violence.

"I George Bush the button"

① A reference to the political perception of George W. Bush as a war-monger prone to using military power.② A double-entendre regarding the 'nuclear button' or 'trigger' of a firearm, linking political oil-war rhetoric to street-level violence.

"I'll Castor Troy you"

① A reference to the villain in the film 'Face/Off' who undergoes reconstructive surgery.② A threat of extreme bodily harm so severe it would necessitate surgical reconstruction or effectively eliminate the victim's identity.

Superior command of phonetic connectivity

High-level contextual integration of pop culture icons (Sinatra, Blaine, Bush, Face/Off)

Exceptional rhythmic cadence that dictates the aggression of the verse

Occasional reliance on violent tropes common to the genre

Slightly dense imagery may pass over listeners not attuned to the Sinatra/Rat Pack references

User Scores

Notes

Jay's most lyrical performance on the album. Rick Rubin's production and Jay's complex flows make this a standout