King's Disease

Ultra Black

Nas

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

18

End

71

Internal

39

Multi

105

Slant

10

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Chorus]
We goin' ultra✦ black, I gotta✦ toast to that
We don't fold or crack (Nas, Nas)
Occasion,✦ we rose to that, fuck goin' postal✦
We goin' ultra✦ black
Watchin'✦ the global✦ change, hop in the coldest✦ Range
Hit-Boy✦ on the beat, this shit 'posed✦ to slap
We goin' ultra✦ black (Yeah)
We goin' (We goin', we goin')
[Verse 2]
We goin' ultra✦ black
Raiders, Oakland hat, I smoke to that
Pre-rolls and 'gnac, what's the results to that?
C-notes✦ and bags (Uh)
She knows I'm classy✦ like I'm Billy✦ Dee Williams (Smooth)
Go ultra✦ black (Uh), Isaac✦ Kennedy films, Penitentiary II
Black like out in the Lou', black don't crack
It's like the fountain of youth, the culture's black
Like Iman, she beautiful,✦ goin' ultra✦ black
To Africa,✦ you say, "Go back"
I stay pro-black, my Amex black (Ah)
Black like cornrows, afros
Black like Kaep' blackballed from the Super✦ Bowl (Colin)✦
Hall & Oates,✦ I can't go for that
Motown Museum, Detroit, I'm ultra✦ black
This for New York and all the map
No matter✦ your race, to me, we all are black
[Chorus]
We goin' ultra✦ black, I gotta✦ toast to that
We don't fold or crack (We don't fold or crack)
Occasion,✦ we rose to that, fuck goin' postal✦ (This a celebration)✦
We goin' ultra✦ black
Watchin'✦ the global✦ change, hop in the coldest✦ Range
Hit-Boy✦ on the beat, this shit 'posed✦ to slap
We goin' ultra✦ black (Black is beautiful)✦
We goin' (Black is beautiful)✦
[Outro]
Nas, Nas (Nas)

Technical Breakdown

8.4
Multisyllabic Rhymes8.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes9.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres7.5

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm9.0

Flow variation and timing (data-driven)

Vocabulary Complexity7.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control8.0

Performance and control

Computed Score8.39

Production

— Hit-Boy, Audio Anthem

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Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Nas utilizes a masterclass in thematic consistency, anchoring his technical prowess in cultural signifiers that elevate the 'Ultra Black' mantra beyond simple repetition into a cohesive sociopolitical manifesto.

A
8.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
9
Cadence / Flow
7
Vocabulary
7.5
Wordplay
8
Delivery
Assonance-heavy internal rhyme chainsCultural shorthand referencingPhonetic play with 'black'Call-and-response cadence
Rhyme Architecture: Predominantly AAAA mono-rhyme structure focused on the 'ack' sound, augmented by complex internal chains using slant rhymes like 'gnac', 'bags', 'classy', and 'trashy' variations, providing a tight, percussive pocket.
Verified Doubles & Entendres

"black don't crack"

① A common idiom referring to Black skin aging slower and maintaining elasticity.② A socio-economic critique of systemic attempts to break or destabilize the Black community.

"my Amex black"

① The physical object: The exclusive American Express Black Card denoting extreme financial wealth.② The symbolic: A subversion of capitalist status symbols, where the 'Black' identity is the ultimate source of value/currency.

"I can't go for that"

① A refusal to participate in the aforementioned anti-Black sentiment or systemic injustice.② A direct musical allusion to the Hall & Oates hit 'I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)', utilizing the title as an emphatic negative response to prejudice.

Exceptional thematic cohesion

Commanding, effortless vocal presence

High-density internal rhyme placement

Strategic use of cultural referents

Reliance on a singular, repetitive rhyme end-sound

Vocabulary breadth is limited by the constraint of the 'black' theme

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