King's Disease III

Don't Shoot

Nas

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

13

End

70

Internal

36

Multi

105

Slant

5

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Chorus]
Don't shoot gangster✦
Don't shoot gangster✦
Don't shoot (Give me some)
Don't shoot gangster✦
You are him, and he is you
Don't kill the messenger✦ (Give me some)
[Verse 2]
Pop, pop a bottle in my Nautica✦
Bill Russell jersey,✦ solid and sturdy,✦ Stevie's✦ harmonica✦
In my head
With a Wilhelmina model tucked✦
The Benz is red, blue one that's Javi's shit
It's obvious these
Emotional rollercoaster ass niggas, please
And most of these guys are supposed to have male tendencies✦
I endlessly speak vengeance on MP3's
Percocet addiction✦ that could be your E-N-D
Your mindset is your vaccine✦ for every✦ disease✦
Illness, affliction,✦ sneeze
The pollen✦ has got in your body's✦ diaphragm
Chest, eye exam
The disease✦ king's get, we see it like a MRI scan
I show you how to move when these dudes✦ be lyin'
The coupe's✦ flyin', the suits fire the crew full of riders, loophole finders
Don't kill the messenger✦
[Outro]
Shorty,✦ don't shoot (The messenger)✦
Look in the mirror
You got a big life ahead✦ of you
You are your own cure for your King's Disease✦
You gotta look inside✦ to cure that
You got all the answers
Imagine✦ no man shot for the next ten years
No man killed✦ for the next thirty✦ years
Think about✦ how much we will attain✦
And no I do not really✦ know the police✦ commissioner
But shit, I'll talk to anybody about✦ saving lives✦

Technical Breakdown

7.2
Multisyllabic Rhymes8.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes9.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres6.5

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm6.5

Flow variation and timing (data-driven)

Vocabulary Complexity7.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control7.0

Performance and control

Computed Score7.19

Production

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Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Nas balances high-density internal rhyming with a deliberate, stoic delivery, utilizing medical metaphors to anchor his critique of street culture's self-destructive nature.

B
8.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
6.5
Cadence / Flow
7
Vocabulary
6.5
Wordplay
7
Delivery
Multi-syllabic end-rhyme chainsAssonance-heavy internal schemesExtended metaphorical framing (medical/disease)Enjambment for rhythmic tension
Rhyme Architecture: The verse employs a complex internal rhyme scheme that frequently bridges across line breaks, transitioning from lifestyle imagery ('Nautica', 'harmonica') to clinical/anatomical vocabulary ('diaphragm', 'MRI scan').
Verified Doubles & Entendres

"Percocet addiction that could be your E-N-D"

① A direct warning that drug dependency leads to death or the end of one's life.② A literal spelling out of the word 'end', highlighting the finality of the lifestyle choices being critiqued.

"Your mindset is your vaccine for every disease"

① A metaphorical assertion that changing one's mental state acts as a preventative measure against negative environmental influences.② A play on the medical motif of the verse, framing the 'disease' of street violence as something that can be immunised against through psychological discipline.

High density of internal sonic connectivity

Sophisticated vocabulary choice

Effective use of enjambment to propel flow

Clear thematic cohesion around the 'disease/cure' metaphor

Some phrasing feels forced to accommodate specific rhyme sounds

Punchline impact is dampened by abstract delivery

Flow occasionally shifts abruptly between relaxed and urgent tones

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