It Was Written
Shootouts
Nas
Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis
41
End
280
Internal
112
Multi
318
Slant
10
Chain
Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
Yo, release what's in me
Besides the Henny,✦ it's eyes that's seen plenty✦
Fiends get skinny✦ as if Queens was a Craig Jenny✦
Instead of diet plans, it's crack, 200 grams
I pump a G-pack, peepin'✦ for where the D's at
It's slow, lookin'✦ for Rambo✦
The cop who got grazed✦ back in the days
Chasin'✦ niggas✦ through my project maze
That cop, he got a death wish
He run behind✦ niggas✦ until✦ you breathless
Everyday he makin'✦ ten arrests, shit
My nigga,✦ check this, I know the bitch he rest with
I even✦ blessed it, forty-dash-ten, inspect it
(Already checked it, dunn, near his ankle you could see his gun)
Peep, he parked✦ his Jeep in the back of the slum
To check Tanisha, fat ass, real fly, with the blonde Caesar✦
Vittadini summer✦ gear, she push the two-seater
I heard she brag about✦ the way he eat her
A Irish✦ man, short, slim with a tan, they say he laced✦ her cheeba✦
She do be lookin'✦ weaker✦ now, her teeth are foul
Speakin' loud, peep her style, in and out of every✦ reefer✦ cloud
Fat ass dissolvin', like cotton✦ candy✦ in a mouth that's starvin'
Rock the same gear daily,✦ like a soldier in my squadron
I heard she let Jake investigate from her window✦
Cause she's a nympho,✦ suckin'✦ dick and coughin' up info✦
So now it's set up, her and the beast to get wet up
I know he vest up, we blazin'✦ from the neck up
(Yo, let me knock first)
Soon as he open,✦ let your Glock burst
They had the chains on, son, hit the lock first
We busted✦ in, the cop jerked,✦ Jungle popped✦ one in his shirt
I grabbed the bitch by her tits, she tried to say she Earth
We saw the cameras, tape recorders, and the monitors
They eying us (Nas, yo, he survived one from the fo'-five)✦
Pull his shades✦ down, he seen his last days now
There's✦ no way now, we can be treated just like a slave now
Two in the dome, he's laid down
Ayo, the bitch is saved✦ now
She's livin'✦ in a snitch grave now
Shootouts✦ is similar✦ to Wild West
Broad daylight,✦ face to face without✦ a vest
You know the episodes,✦ thugs camouflage✦ the spectacles✦
Please God, just save the life that the Devil✦ sold
See, It Was Written,✦ but was never✦ told
Peep the jewels,✦ black man, it's even✦ better✦ than gold
Niggas✦ roll with iron✦
Police✦ roll in hot pursuit,✦ trying to stop the loot
Fuck Jake, cock and shoot
Still on the streets with my peeps so deep
We threw a block party✦ for my man goin' up creek
To do his two-to-four, niggas✦ show love from all around✦ the board
Peace, Lord, Sony✦ Handy-Cam on record✦
Pop a bottle, 'cause when you come home we still got it sewn
We can watch the tape play back and just zone
Film all the bitches, on the benches with ill extensions
We block the streets off, only✦ crew cars can enter✦
Music✦ was loud and it was crowded
Barbecued wings, we fed the fiends
(Gamble in the back) Killa✦ shouted
And Frank tried to stop the bank, lost about✦ what a Rollie cost
Guzzled his drink, and staggered off
He's a Big Will, used✦ to slang krill, now he own the hill
Couldn't take losin'✦ his cash, and I could feel
Something in the air, yeah
Frank returned with Pierre
A gun slinger, who niggas✦ hadn't seen in a year
I usually✦ be holdin',✦ 'specially✦ this type of weekend
And everyone except for me had started reachin'
They had gats in each others✦ faces✦
With kids and grandmothers around✦
Frank's only✦ concern was his papers✦
My man Killa✦ let off, half of them fake niggas✦ jet off
Police✦ blitz quick, waitin'✦ for that to set off
Runnin'✦ the static,✦ it got me mad 'cause they a bunch of fagots
Startin' shit in my hood, I can't have it
Yo High, get the 40-cali stainless
Jake is still out, let's make it real and still make them niggas✦ famous
Dip behind✦ trees in fatigues and squeeze, dodge and weave
Hearin'✦ Jake retaliatin', and Wiz was up the alley✦ waitin'✦
We breeze, jump in the ride, heard Pierre died
Internal bleedin' inside,✦ and ain't been back since '95
Shootouts✦ is similar✦ to Wild West
Broad daylight,✦ face to face without✦ a vest
You know the episodes,✦ thugs camouflage✦ the spectacles✦
Please God, just save the life that the Devil✦ sold
See, It Was Written,✦ but was never✦ told
Peep the jewels,✦ black man, it's even✦ better✦ than gold
Niggas✦ roll with iron✦
Police✦ roll in hot pursuit,✦ trying to stop the loot
Nigga,✦ fuck Jake, cock and shoot
Technical Breakdown
8.8
Multisyllabic Rhymes9.5
Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)
Internal Rhymes9.5
Rhymes within a line (data-driven)
Wordplay / Double Entendres8.0
Clever language, metaphors, punchlines
Cadence / Rhythm9.0
Flow variation and timing (data-driven)
Vocabulary Complexity7.0
Range and depth of words used (data-driven)
Delivery / Breath Control9.0
Performance and control
Computed Score8.79
Production
— Poke and Tone, Richard PimentelBe the first to rate the production
Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™
Nas demonstrates masterful narrative pacing within a gritty street-level reportage, using specific internal detail to ground his storytelling in 1996 Queensbridge realism.
A
9.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
9
Cadence / Flow
7
Vocabulary
8
Wordplay
9
Delivery
Internal rhyme chainsCinematic narrative progressionAssonance-heavy multisReal-time observationStreet-level character study
Rhyme Architecture: The verse utilizes complex internal multisyllabic rhyming (e.g., 'Henny/plenty/Jenny', 'grams/G-pack/D's at') to create a dense, claustrophobic feel, followed by longer, conversational narrative stretches that maintain rhythmic tension.
Verified Doubles & Entendres
"Fiends get skinny as if Queens was a Craig Jenny"
① Physical starvation of drug addicts in Queensbridge② A direct comparison to the model Craig Jenny, known for his emaciated appearance in fashion media, linking local street suffering to broader pop-culture imagery.
"Fat ass dissolvin', like cotton candy in a mouth that's starvin'"
① The physical decay and weight loss of the character Tanisha② A metaphor for how quickly addiction consumes, illustrating that her substance abuse is literally 'melting' her away to nothing.
Exceptional world-building through granular details like 'Vittadini summer gear' and 'blonde Caesar'
Superior flow-pocket management that shifts between fast, technical rapping and slow, observational storytelling
Vivid characterization of the antagonist (Rambo) and his domestic surroundings
The narrative density can occasionally obscure the central conflict for a listener prioritizing punchlines over plot
Vocabulary usage is grounded in street vernacular, which provides authenticity but lacks the abstract lyrical density of later Nas works