Life Is Good

Reach Out

Nas

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

15

End

90

Internal

41

Multi

126

Slant

8

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Chorus: Mary J. Blige]
This kind of love is a once in a lifetime✦ groove
Reach out and touch the love that I have for you, aww baby✦
I see you standing✦ there
So lost and all alone✦
I wanna✦ take you in my arms
And tell you that you’re home
I look into✦ your eyes
I said I know you very✦ well
I see a mirror✦ of my life
A reflection✦ of myself✦
[Verse 2: Nas]
Yeah, what y'all know about✦ this...?
Yo, beautiful life, often✦ I dream that I can bring my niggas
Conservatives don’t understand slang linguistics
The 'burbs talking like the hood, will change with quickness✦
Love the skinny✦ model chicks, but I prefer✦ the thickness✦
So what I rap about✦ my riches✦ and I'm ostentatious?
Get out a gangsta's business, seems to me your thoughts are basic
Try to compare what you live to the life I master✦
See the fly shit I wear, you try to rock it after✦
Big bracelets, golden✦ Egyptian faces✦
White wine spritzers and Switzerland on vacation✦
The strip club scene favors Josephine Baker✦
Dope fiend neighbors
Growing up, I seen paper✦
I describe it, hope you can visualize it
This is reminiscent to all the parks in the project
When my British Knights can rival your Foamposites
Don’t make me pull my Lottos out the closet✦
Ha ha ha
[Chorus: Mary J. Blige]
This kind of love is a once in a lifetime✦ groove
Reach out and touch the love that I have for you, aww baby✦
I see you standing✦ there
So lost and all alone✦
I wanna✦ take you in my arms
And tell you that you’re home
I look into✦ your eyes
I said I know you very✦ well
I see a mirror✦ of my life
A reflection✦ of myself✦
[Outro: Mary J. Blige]
You remind✦ me, ohhhhhhhhhh
Yes it's true, baby,✦ ahh, yeah
Oh, baby,✦ oh, baby,✦ you remind...✦

Technical Breakdown

8.3
Multisyllabic Rhymes8.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes9.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres7.0

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm8.5

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 Score8.27

Production

— Salaam Remi, Rodney Jerkins

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Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Nas demonstrates a sophisticated transition from societal commentary to luxury-rap, utilizing internal multisyllabic rhyme chains to bridge the gap between his origins and his current status.

A
8.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
8.5
Cadence / Flow
8
Vocabulary
7
Wordplay
8
Delivery
Multisyllabic internal rhyme chainsSociopolitical juxtapositionAssonance-heavy multi-syllabic end-rhymingCultural signaling
Rhyme Architecture: The verse relies on a series of AAAA-style multi-syllabic couplets (linguistics/quickness/thickness/ostentatious/basic/master/after/faces/vacation/Baker), showcasing Nas's signature ability to pivot rhyme sounds while maintaining a consistent internal rhythmic pocket.
Verified Doubles & Entendres

"slang linguistics"

① The study of street-derived language as a formal, complex system.② A meta-commentary on his own craft as a lyricist, positioning his street rap as an academic-level discipline.

"Get out a gangsta's business"

① A warning to critics or media to stop monitoring his private affairs.② A double-entendre referring to the 'business' of survival in the hood versus the literal 'business' of a successful rapper.

"Josephine Baker"

① Historical reference to the famous dancer/activist, establishing an aesthetic of high-culture elegance.② A clever rhyme anchor for 'vacation' and 'faces', serving both as a cultural signifier and a rhythmic utility.

High density of internal rhyming

Clear, authoritative vocal presence

Effective use of contrast to challenge listener perceptions

Sophisticated vocabulary choices relative to the era

Occasional reliance on simple list-making to demonstrate opulence

Lacks a singular, high-impact 'breakthrough' line that defines the entire verse

Slightly disjointed narrative progression between bars 3 and 7

User Scores