God's Son
Last Real Nigga Alive
Nas
Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis
24
End
161
Internal
71
Multi
194
Slant
4
Chain
Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
Uhh, uhh, uhh...
[Chorus]
Lord have mercy,✦ Jesus✦ Christ
He's just nice, he just slice like a Ginsu✦
Look at the life that I've been through
I'm the last real nigga✦ alive–that's✦ official✦
Lord have mercy,✦ Jesus✦ Christ
He's just nice, he just slice like a Ginsu✦ (Uhh)
Look at the life that I've been through (Yeah)
I'm the last real nigga✦ alive–that's✦ official✦
[Verse 2]
Rap became✦ a version of Malcolm and Martin✦
Rest in peace, Will – Queensbridge live on
There's✦ some ghetto✦ secrets I can't rhyme in this song
There's✦ some missing pieces✦ I had to leave out
Had lost trust for Steve Stoute
At some point, 'til I got to know him
We old friends – but what's loyal?
Puff soaked✦ Interscope offices with champagne bottles on Steve
And Steve thought the drama's✦ on me
'Cause previously it would've been–against whoever,✦ friends forever✦
However–I learned,✦ with some niggas,✦ it's all business
But I'm a street dude with morals
Then, this nigga's✦ with Jigga✦ too much
He used✦ to say Jay wanted✦ my spot
I laughed, stayed home, never✦ hung a lot
A quiet man, who used✦ to be alone,✦ plannin'
Baby✦ moms thought I was too quiet, couldn't stand it
She hit the streets – later✦ on, she hittin'✦ the sheets
With a rapper✦ who wanted✦ me on his songs, thinkin' he strong
I taught her how to watch for cars who might follow✦
Taught her street shit that I know, her weakness was shine, yo
But that's her – I ain't mad, baby✦
It made me stronger, now I get my paper✦ longer✦
"Illmatic" – I was boss, "It Was Written" – I flossed
One of the most creative LP's ever✦ to hit stores✦
In The Firm I learned✦ "I Am..." "Nastradamus"
"QB's Finest",✦ "Oochie Wally"✦ faced✦ more problems
I gave it all up, so I could chill at home with Mama✦
She was gettin'✦ old and sick, so I stayed beside✦ her
We had the best times,✦ she asked✦ would I make more songs
I told her not 'til I see her health get more strong
In the middle of that, Jay tried to sneak attack
Assassinate my character, degrade my hood
'Cause in order✦ for him to be the Don, Nas had to go
The Gam-B-I-N-O rules,✦ I understood
What y'all want, see, I already had
"The Gift and The Curse"?
Fuck that shit – the first shall be last
I'm the man's man, a rapper's rapper✦
G-O-D, S-O-N – there'll be none after✦
I was Scarface, Jay was Manolo✦
It hurt me when I had to kill him, and his whole squad for dolo✦ (For solo,✦ for dolo..)✦
Uhh, uhh, uhh...
[Chorus]
Lord have mercy,✦ Jesus✦ Christ
He's just nice, he just slice like a Ginsu✦
Look at the life that I've been through
I'm the last real nigga✦ alive–that's✦ official✦
Lord have mercy,✦ Jesus✦ Christ
He's just nice, he just slice like a Ginsu✦
Look at the life that I've been through
I'm the last real nigga✦ alive–that's✦ official✦
Technical Breakdown
7.8
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 / Rhythm7.0
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 Score7.81
Production
— Ron BrowzBe the first to rate the production
Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™
Nas balances journalistic narrative precision with high-level internal rhyme density, effectively grounding his industry grievances in the lived reality of Queensbridge.
B+
8.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
7
Cadence / Flow
8
Vocabulary
7.5
Wordplay
8
Delivery
Conversational stream-of-consciousnessMultisyllabic enjambmentNarrative non-fiction rapInternal slant-rhyme clusters
Rhyme Architecture: The verse utilizes a complex AABB-adjacent structure heavily supported by multisyllabic internal rhyming, particularly the 'Martin/on/song/out' chain, which provides a cohesive rhythmic foundation for the storytelling.
Verified Doubles & Entendres
"Rap became a version of Malcolm and Martin"
① A reference to the public feud between himself and Jay-Z mirroring historical leadership conflicts.② A commentary on the commercialization of hip-hop where revolutionary figures (Malcolm/Martin) are reduced to marketable aesthetic tropes.
"Puff soaked Interscope offices with champagne bottles on Steve"
① A literal description of a violent/chaotic industry altercation.② A metaphor for the volatile nature of industry gatekeepers who use status and 'celebration' (champagne) as a weapon of intimidation.
Exceptional narrative clarity amidst dense internal rhyming
Authentic industry reporting that feels journalistic rather than gossipy
Masterful use of pacing to dictate emotional weight
Punchline density is sacrificed for the sake of long-form narrative coherence
Some phrasing feels intentionally understated to maintain a 'street' tone rather than showcasing lyricism