The Ecstatic
Auditorium
Yasiin Bey (Mos Def)
Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis
10
End
123
Internal
29
Multi
161
Slant
6
Chain
Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Chorus: Yasiin Bey]
What it is
You know, they know what it is
We know, y'all know what it is
Ecstatic,✦ there it is
Huh, what it is
You know, we know what it is
They know, y'all know what it is
You don't know? Here it is
What it is
You know, we know what it is
They know, y'all know what it is
You don't know? Here it is
[Interlude: Yasiin Bey]
Ecstatic✦
En punto
Ha, ba-da-da-da-da
Peace, power✦ (Ba-da-ba-da-ba)
Fantastic
Original, and always on time (Jeweler)
And rockin'✦ your mind, just like (Ruler)✦
[Verse 2: Slick Rick]
Sit and come relax, riddle of the mack
It's the patch, I'm a soldier in the middle of Iraq (Uh-huh)✦
Well, say, about✦ noon-ish, comin'✦ out the whip, and
Lookin'✦ at me curious,✦ a young Iraqi kid ("Huh")
Carryin' laundry, "What's wrong, G? Hungry?"✦
"No, gimme my oil or get [fuck] out my country"
And in Arabian barkin'✦ other✦ stuff ("Jihad,✦ Muhammad, Jihad,✦ Mahmood")
'Til his moms come grab him and they walk off in a rush
Distrust, feelin'✦ like I's pissed✦ upon✦ wound
I'm like, "Shorty,✦ hope that we can fix our differences soon" (Bye)
Buyin' apples, I'm breakin' on
"You take everything, why not just take the damn food, black bastard?"
I don't understand it, on another planet?✦ (Uh-huh)✦
Fifteen months of this stuff, how I'm gonna manage?✦
And increasin' this sentiment
Gentlemen gettin'✦ down on their Middle Eastern instruments
Realized trapped in this crap (Uh-huh)✦
Walk over,✦ kicked✦ one of my fabulous✦ raps ("La-Di-Da-Di")
Arabs jaws-dropped, they well wish, they glad rap
Now the kid considered like an Elvis✦ of Baghdad
[Bridge: Yasiin Bey]
What it is
هذه ماتربحش وهذه ماتربحش، هذه ماتربحش
هذه تربح، هذه تربح، الآس
هذه ماتربحش وهذه ماتربحش، ديم و الآس
What it is
عمر: العباد عندهم زوج وجوه واحد يضحك و واحد يبكي
علي: نتا هو لي بعتوك؟
عمر: ايه أنا لي بعتوني، هاك
[Chorus: Yasiin Bey]
What it is, you know, they know
What it is, we know, y'all know
What it is, Ecstatic,✦ there it is
Huh, what it is, you know, we know
What it is, they know, y'all know
What it is, you don't know? Here it is
What it is, you know, we know
What it is, they know, y'all know
What it is, you know, here it is
Technical Breakdown
7.8
Multisyllabic Rhymes6.5
Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)
Internal Rhymes9.5
Rhymes within a line (data-driven)
Wordplay / Double Entendres7.5
Clever language, metaphors, punchlines
Cadence / Rhythm7.5
Flow variation and timing (data-driven)
Vocabulary Complexity7.0
Range and depth of words used (data-driven)
Delivery / Breath Control8.5
Performance and control
Computed Score7.80
Production
— Madlib, Yasiin BeyBe the first to rate the production
Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™
Slick Rick demonstrates legendary pocket placement and phonetic precision, prioritizing rhythmic clarity over dense lyricism, while using the verse to establish his authoritative persona.
B+
6.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
7.5
Cadence / Flow
7
Vocabulary
7.5
Wordplay
8.5
Delivery
internal rhymingphonetic stackingrhythmic syncopationvocal persona projection
Rhyme Architecture: A focused A-A-B-B style configuration utilizing multi-syllabic linkage between 'relax/riddle of the mack' and 'patch/middle of Iraq', maintaining a consistent, locked-in rhythmic grid.
Verified Doubles & Entendres
"riddle of the mack"
① a play on the term 'riddle' implying he is a complex, mysterious figure in hip-hop culture② a phonetic setup to establish the flow and sound aesthetic for the subsequent rhymes
"patch/middle of Iraq"
① literal reference to the military setting or a soldier's deployment② a metaphorical assertion of being in the heart of the conflict or the 'front lines' of the music industry
exceptional pocket placement
authoritative vocal delivery
tight, percussive phonetic coupling
conversational flow integration
limited scope in this specific excerpt
minimal thematic complexity compared to high-concept wordplay