Hip Hop Is Dead
Blunt Ashes
Nas
Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis
5
End
134
Internal
62
Multi
168
Slant
2
Chain
Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Verse 2]
Sam trusted Womack✦ with his main lady✦
He tossing in the grave like, "This is how you repay✦ me?!"
"'A Change Gon' Come' – wish you didn't trust me so much"
Marvin✦ said "No mountain's high enough" – fly stuff
David✦ Ruffin✦ was punchin' Tammi✦ Terrell, gave her concussions✦
While the Funk Brothers was laying down the percussions✦
When Flo from the Supremes died, Diana✦ Ross cried
Many✦ people said that she was laughing inside✦
[Hook]
As the blunt ash falls into✦ the ashtray✦
I could see my whole life fly past me
Did I? Did I keep it gangsta,✦ or keep it classy?✦
And will the money✦ and fame outlast✦ me?
The blunts ash falls down in the ashtray✦
Well, I see my whole life fly past me
I'm asking,✦ did I keep it gangsta✦ or keep it classy?✦
Did I? Anything✦ else you wanna✦ know, just ask me
[Verse 3]
John F. Kennedy's enemies dealt with treachery✦ – it interests me
Judy✦ Campbell in Gucci✦ sandals – she's what a temptress be
The death of Ennis✦ Cosby,✦ what a mystery!✦
Or the Chicagoan Harold✦ Washington
Someone is sabotaging 'em
Watch out for the traps
Larry✦ Troutman✦ killed✦ his brother Roger✦ Troutman✦
Then he killed✦ himself, that's the end of Zapp
And I wouldn't change a thing, mistakes of the greats
This is what came from their pain
From their hurt, we gain – an unfair✦ exchange
[Hook]
As the blunt ash falls into✦ the ashtray✦
I could see my whole life fly past me
Did I? Did I keep it gangsta,✦ or keep it classy?✦
And will the money✦ and fame outlast✦ me?
The blunts ash falls down in the ashtray✦
Well, I see my whole life fly past me
I'm asking,✦ did I keep it gangsta✦ or keep it classy?✦
Did I? Anything✦ else you wanna✦ know, just ask me
[Outro]
I could smell old Bogey✦ cigars
Lauren✦ Bacall's perfumes, smelling just as sweet, haha✦
Me and my wife K, flying in a drop-top
Like Ruby✦ and Ossie Davis,✦ baby✦ – know what I mean?
Yo, man, I get smoked✦ out, and start thinking 'bout –
Hattie McDaniels got a Oscar
For playing Mammy✦ in 'Gone With The Wind'
And she didn't get allowed–wasn't even✦ allowed to go to the premiere✦
Believe that? Couldn't go to the premiere✦ to her joint
Man, you know they were strong back then, man
Blunt from my ashtray,✦ nothing gon' to live past me... yeah
Technical Breakdown
7.2
Multisyllabic Rhymes9.5
Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)
Internal Rhymes9.5
Rhymes within a line (data-driven)
Wordplay / Double Entendres7.5
Clever language, metaphors, punchlines
Cadence / Rhythm5.5
Flow variation and timing (data-driven)
Vocabulary Complexity8.0
Range and depth of words used (data-driven)
Delivery / Breath Control7.2
Performance and control
Computed Score7.21
Production
— Chris Webber [2, 3, 4]Be the first to rate the production
Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™
Nas utilizes historical and cultural references to establish a melancholic, retrospective narrative that juxtaposes his own success against the fragility of legacy.
B+
9.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
5.5
Cadence / Flow
8
Vocabulary
7.5
Wordplay
7.2
Delivery
AllusionHistorical narrative synthesisMultisyllabic internal rhyme chainsCyclical structure
Rhyme Architecture: Dense internal multisyllabic rhyming integrated with a flexible end-rhyme structure that favors rhythmic momentum over rigid AABB patterns.
Verified Doubles & Entendres
"I could see my whole life fly past me"
① A literal observation of the life flashing before his eyes as he reflects on his own mortality.② A metaphor for his success and the 'fame' (money, status) moving so quickly it feels like a fleeting event outside of his control.
"keep it gangsta, or keep it classy"
① A binary choice between his street origins and his later status as a sophisticated mogul.② A reflection on the moral tension of his career, questioning if the values he adopted compromised his integrity.
High density of cultural information
Strong narrative coherence
Effective integration of historical subject matter into personal reflection
Cadence feels slightly restrained by the sheer density of the name-dropping
Delivery lacks the high-intensity dynamic shifts found in his earlier work