Light-Years

N.Y. State of Mind Pt. 3

Nas

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

19

End

108

Internal

41

Multi

139

Slant

10

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Chorus: Billy Joel & Nas]
Some folks like to get away✦ (Part three, three times✦ for NYC)
Take a holiday✦ from the neighborhood✦
Hop a flight to Miami✦ Beach or to Hollywood✦ (What a city)✦
But I'm taking✦ a Greyhound✦
(Knicks, Mets, Yanks, Jets, Nets, Giants, Islanders, Rangers)
On the Hudson✦ River✦ line
I'm in a New York state of mind (The world)
[Verse 2: Nas]
And we got fit, jumpin'✦ up
Hittin'✦ pull-ups and dips on scaffoldings
Potholes✦ still be hard in our whips
Never✦ ending✦ night life, supermodels, events, some art galleries
I can name some clubs that no longer✦ exist
The Limelight, the Tunnel, and the Palladium
All night, we stayed in them fly
Wave in the sky if you was made in N.Y
And wouldn't trade it to the day that you die
The most hated✦ and I think we know why, now
Rappers we know as legends drift and float to Heaven✦
Some are living✦ in present-day,✦ I miss '87
In Queens, was a teen then, a kid with a chain
Holdin'✦ a pen and wrote pain, we'll never✦ see this again,✦ so
I let Ring replace the peepholes✦
I'm suited✦ in boutique clothes, we're just inclined✦ to defeat✦ foes
The five boroughs where real life is defined,✦ y'all know the time
When I'm in the New York state of mind
[Chorus: Billy Joel & Nas]
Some folks like to get away✦
(Opposition tease walk in The Garden,✦ mockingly rockin'✦ Timbs and a Nas tee)
Take a holiday✦ from the neighborhood✦
Hop a flight to Miami✦ Beach or to Hollywood✦
(They only✦ trollin' and that's fine, 'cause we outside for the third time, that New York State of Mind)
But I'm taking✦ a Greyhound✦
On the Hudson✦ River✦ line
(Wipe your feet when you step in my house, though, ha-ha-ha-ha)
I'm in a New York state of mind (Let 'em know, yeah)
[Outro: Rakim]
New York State of Mind
New York State of Mind
New York State of Mind
New York State of Mind
New York State of Mind
New York State of Mind
New York State of Mind

Technical Breakdown

8.5
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 Complexity8.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control8.0

Performance and control

Computed Score8.50

Production

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Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Nas demonstrates a mature, retrospective technicality, utilizing internal rhyme density and socio-spatial references to bridge the gap between 1987 street-level nostalgia and his current status as a cultural documentarian.

A
8.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
9
Cadence / Flow
8
Vocabulary
7.5
Wordplay
8
Delivery
Internal rhyme chainingMultisyllabic enjambmentCultural indexingNostalgic narrative arc
Rhyme Architecture: The verse employs a complex internal rhyme scheme that frequently bridges lines through multisyllabic clusters (e.g., 'scaffoldings/galleries' and 'Limelight/Tunnel/Palladium'), creating a dense, percussive flow that centers on long A-vowel sounds.
Verified Doubles & Entendres

"I let Ring replace the peepholes"

① A literal reference to the Ring doorbell camera system replacing traditional analog peepholes.② A metaphor for the shift in 'vision' and security—moving from street-level watchfulness to high-tech, remote observation.

"Wave in the sky if you was made in N.Y"

① A call for NYC natives to show pride/presence.② A grim subtext referring to the 'wave' of casualties and the 'sky' as the destination for those lost to the streets of New York.

Expert integration of NYC cultural history into a cohesive narrative

High density of internal rhymes that drive the rhythm

Sophisticated use of memory as a lyrical anchor

Some internal rhymes are highly localized, potentially limiting the audience connection

The concluding line is a strong narrative pivot but slightly abrupt in terms of closure

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