Hip Hop Is Dead

Who Killed It?

Nas

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

11

End

89

Internal

26

Multi

109

Slant

8

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Break]
Well, what do ya say?
Ya see?
Ya see?
Ya see?
[Verse 2]
Look here, see, "I Know You Got Soul" you're trying to hide it
How did you "Kill A Man," out in Cypress
One Eyed Charlie, he only✦ hangs with the "Criminal Minded"✦
Says you guys did it "Doggystyle" – is he lyin'?
She says, "'Walk This Way,', I'll tell you a 'Children's Story'."✦
We hit the bodega,✦ got her a few 40's
We jumped✦ in my ride, we drove and she cried
Twisted off the cap there and opened✦ her mouth wide
Swallowed it, whole bottle's half empty✦
Drinks like a fish, now she's past tipsy✦
The truth came out, as we got to her Suave House
Chopped and screwed her mouth and sat me on the couch
I said, "It's gettin✦ late, come on, give it to me straight –
Who's ya sponsor, lady?"✦ She says, "Bill Gates"✦
"What are ya – born '77 or '78?"
She says, "Nah, it goes way to an earlier date –
Slave times,"✦ claims the slaves✦ said rhymes✦
But she fell in love with some fella✦ named✦ Clive
Who? "Clive Campbell✦ from Sedgwick Ave–
The Bronx", now she shows me the cash
I said "Who's Clive? Don't play with me, skirt!"
She said "Clive Campbell,✦ he's Kool Herc!"
[Break]
Ah-ha!✦
Ah-ha!✦
[Outro]
Listen up, sweetheart, now we gettin'✦ somewhere
As she's talking, she starts vanishing in thin air
But before✦ she drops the money✦ bag on the floor and died
She said if you really✦ love me, I'll come back alive✦
[Segue]
Hip hop is so fuckin'✦ dead

Technical Breakdown

7.7
Multisyllabic Rhymes7.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes9.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres6.0

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm8.5

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 Score7.72

Production

— will.i.am, Salaam Remi

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Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Nas adopts a noir-detective persona, using hip-hop song titles as conversational signifiers to create a meta-narrative about the genre's history, though the execution relies heavily on direct references rather than complex linguistic pivots.

B+
7.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
8.5
Cadence / Flow
7
Vocabulary
6
Wordplay
7
Delivery
Intertextual weavingStaccato storytellingHistorical allusionThematic meta-commentary
Rhyme Architecture: Predominantly AABB/CCDD couplet-based structures with dense internal rhyme clusters within the mid-verse narrative section.
Verified Doubles & Entendres

"How did you 'Kill A Man,' out in Cypress"

① A direct reference to the Cypress Hill song 'How I Could Just Kill a Man'.② A literal interrogation of a murder suspect occurring in the geographic location of Cypress.

"Says you guys did it 'Doggystyle' – is he lyin'?"

① Reference to the Snoop Dogg album title/sexual position.② An inquiry into the modus operandi of the crime committed by the suspects.

"Chopped and screwed her mouth"

① The physical act of the woman performing oral sex.② Reference to the Houston-based 'Chopped and Screwed' DJing technique pioneered by DJ Screw.

Excellent integration of classic hip-hop track titles as natural conversational markers

Strong narrative control and pacing

Effective use of noir atmosphere to ground the experimental concept

Heavy reliance on title-dropping which occasionally feels gimmicky rather than profound

Some punchlines (e.g., 'Bill Gates') lack the depth of the earlier cultural allusions

The narrative resolution regarding 'Clive' is somewhat abrupt

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