Light-Years
Writers
Nas
Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis
25
End
171
Internal
102
Multi
209
Slant
6
Chain
Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Chorus: Nas, Rakim & Bootie Brown]
Sometimes✦ at night, I would walk with a pen, with a marker,✦ or even✦ some chalk
Writin'✦ my name in graffiti✦
Yes indeedy,✦ I wrote graffiti✦
Sometimes✦ at night, I would walk with a pen, with a marker,✦ or even✦ some chalk
Yes indeedy,✦ I wrote graffiti✦
I'm hard to read like graffiti✦
[Verse 2: Nas]
Henry✦ Chalfant made Style Wars
A young Kay Slay tag was Dez, go check it out, y'all
Zephyr got a Z sprayed on his back
Sleep by the train tracks in Wild Style, straight outlaws
Zoro✦ is Lee Quiñones
Shout to Saint, Blade, Ink, Seen, Kade, Crash, and Topaz
Shoutin' out Taki✦ 183
Cornbread straight out of Philly,✦ Phase 2 out of NYC
The mic is a marker,✦ I'm taggin'✦ more names✦
Quik and Fuzz, and Kool Sphere out of Queens
Case 2, Easy,✦ Cap, Ghost, Jerms
If you into✦ art you should be concerned
These are some of the kings of the graff
And there's✦ some iconic✦ queens I should add
Charmin, Claw, Lady✦ Pink goes back
And MadC, Germany's on the map
On the west, Slick, Dream, Chaka,✦ and Hex
And international writers✦ I can't forget✦
So let's salute✦ the highly✦ gifted✦ Krylon✦ mystics✦
This is homage✦ to the ghetto✦ hieroglyphics✦
[Chorus: Nas, Rakim & Bootie Brown]
Sometimes✦ at night, I would walk with a pen, with a marker,✦ or even✦ some chalk
Writin'✦ my name in graffiti✦
Yes indeedy,✦ I wrote graffiti✦
Sometimes✦ at night, I would walk with a pen, with a marker,✦ or even✦ some chalk
Yes indeedy,✦ I wrote graffiti✦
I'm hard to read like graffiti✦
[Interlude: Nas]
Shout out to TeKay,✦ Cost and Revs, Bom 5, Peak, Reas, V.E, Jesus✦ Saves✦
Too Ill, Doze, PJ, Chino,✦ Coco✦ 144, Billy,✦ Vinny,✦ Flashbacks
J.A., XTC Crew, it's on you, what you gonna✦ do?
Baby✦ 168, 1-Up, Can 2, Bates,✦ Kel First, we get it straight
Can Control, Futura,✦ Estro,✦ On The Run
Rockin'✦ it Suckers, Eli,✦ Old Queens Boys, Mad Style Kings
Most Talked✦ About,✦ Mob Rules,✦ For the Rep, Can't Be Stopped
For the Rush, DAIM, 3D style of graff
[Verse 3: Nas]
When the cops came, they ran away,✦ then returned
Keith Haring Crack is Wack just burns into✦ my mind
It's called✦ vandalism, like a crime
They had intuition✦ 'cause gettin'✦ pinched was a given✦
Not new to the system,✦ when it's in you, it's like a religion✦
Phade was Fab 5 Freddy,✦ oh, did I mention?✦
Crack, Sent, Giz, and Poem
Sitting on the throne, it's Merk, Gnome
And Skeme, Iz the Wiz, and Shame
Trap and Vulcan,✦ Harlem✦ Hall of Fame
Ice, Ich most famous✦ for freight trains
The mic is a marker,✦ I'm taggin'✦ up names✦
Dondi,✦ Serve, Running Man, Wayne, Ecko✦ and Totem✦
Tame One, Ase One, Min One
Samo,✦ that's Basquiat, thun
Big shout out the whole Tats Cru gang, hit Scrap Yard to rack up some new paint
Made U Look, another legendary crew
How ironic✦ I made a song with that name in '02
Sane, Smith, two brothers, one passed✦
FX crew, Idea✦ and Stash
Risk, R-I-S-K, Cope, Revolt, Tracy✦ 168
Doc, TC5 crew, Part, Shy 147, it don't stop
And we all send blessings to these two, to Lou 167 and Rule
So let's salute✦ the highly✦ gifted✦ Krylon✦ mystics✦
This is homage✦ to the ghetto✦ hieroglyphics✦
[Outro: Nas]
To all the writers✦ out there that's just gettin'✦ started
Just gettin'✦ ya name out there, keep bombin'✦
Technical Breakdown
7.7
Multisyllabic Rhymes9.5
Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)
Internal Rhymes9.5
Rhymes within a line (data-driven)
Wordplay / Double Entendres6.5
Clever language, metaphors, punchlines
Cadence / Rhythm7.5
Flow variation and timing (data-driven)
Vocabulary Complexity8.0
Range and depth of words used (data-driven)
Delivery / Breath Control7.0
Performance and control
Computed Score7.74
Production
— DJ Premier, Marco PoloBe the first to rate the production
Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™
Nas functions as an archivist, utilizing a dense, rapid-fire name-dropping cadence that shifts the focus from traditional internal rhyme acrobatics to a rhythmic cataloging of graffiti history.
B+
9.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
7.5
Cadence / Flow
8
Vocabulary
6.5
Wordplay
7
Delivery
Cataloging/List rapHistorical allusionEnd-line slant rhymingMulti-syllabic historical mapping
Rhyme Architecture: The verse relies on a loose, percussive AAAA/AABB structure centered on proper nouns, utilizing the vowel sounds within the names to maintain flow while delivering historical data.
Verified Doubles & Entendres
"The mic is a marker, I'm taggin' more names"
① The literal act of writing graffiti with a marker pen on a physical surface.② The metaphorical act of using the microphone to leave a lyrical 'tag' or indelible mark on the culture by memorializing legends.
Exceptional cultural literacy and encyclopedic knowledge
Maintainance of flow despite heavy focus on name-dropping
Strong rhythmic foundation provided by proper noun placement
Limited metaphorical density as the verse prioritizes historical accuracy over complex wordplay
The delivery is relatively straightforward and lacks dynamic tonal shifts