Magic 2

Slow It Down

Nas

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

22

End

92

Internal

34

Multi

145

Slant

8

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Chorus]
Let's slow it down
Was I moving✦ too fast for you?
Let's slow it down then
If you gotta✦ slow it down, I won't laugh at you
Let's slow it down, slow it down
Might be moving✦ too fast for you
Was I moving✦ too fast for them?
Slow it down, let's, let's slow it down
[Verse 2]
Upon✦ closer✦ inspection✦
They really✦ are non-threatening, I bomb first then I stretch 'em
Instigators causing these problems, that's why I question✦
Everything and everybody that's aiming✦ in this direction✦
That's why I sound like I been spending time at the SPA
Thinkin' 'bout the days I first heard I Became✦ a Star
Words from my A&R, I'm noticing that they notice✦ me
Gun and a mean mug and was slow to speak
Now I hold meetings over✦ cold sake and kobe beef
Hockey✦ jersey,✦ a hoodie underneath
Set up the trust, support the trustee
Corporations✦ is the modern day custies
My flow is the hard substance, mastered it, Bernie Grundman
The stove top and oven,✦ my company going public
I see the puppets, they moving✦ like they the judges
But Nas and all his subjects is hard for you to catch up with
[Chorus]
Let's slow it down
Was I moving✦ too fast for you?
Let's slow it down then
If you gotta✦ slow it down, I won't laugh at you
Let's slow it down, slow it down
Might be moving✦ too fast for you
Was I moving✦ too fast for them?
Slow it down, let's, let's slow it down
[Verse 3]
I might be moving✦ at lightspeed✦
I landed icy✦ in Iceland to sightsee
This long mink gon' be pricey✦
I might perm up my shit like I'm Ice-T✦
American pimp, I'm on timing✦
Only✦ thing that I pimp is this rhyming
I made that work for me back since the '90s
That's a daily✦ affirmations✦ to remind me
I might be moving✦ at lightspeed✦
To do what I'm doing's unlikely
This new urgency's perfectly hurting 'em
Send these suckers to emergency nightly
[Outro]
(S-slow it down)

Technical Breakdown

8.3
Multisyllabic Rhymes7.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes9.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres7.5

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm9.0

Flow variation and timing (data-driven)

Vocabulary Complexity7.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control8.0

Performance and control

Computed Score8.29

Production

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Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Nas demonstrates a mature evolution of his flow, transitioning from the frantic urgency of his early career to a calculated, high-status 'executive' cadence that mirrors the luxury lifestyle shifts described in his lyrics.

A
7.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
9
Cadence / Flow
7
Vocabulary
7.5
Wordplay
8
Delivery
Multisyllabic internal rhyme clustersExecutive-persona framingIndustry-specific jargon usageRhythmic pocket manipulation
Rhyme Architecture: Nas utilizes a sophisticated AAAA-BBB-CCC structure that heavily relies on slant rhymes and multis within the bars, transitioning from the tense 'non-threatening/stretch 'em' flow into the grounded, open-vowel delivery of the 'public/Grundman' coda.
Verified Doubles & Entendres

"Corporations is the modern day custies"

① In street slang, a 'custy' (customer) is someone who purchases illegal narcotics.② In corporate settings, Nas suggests that major entities or investors are now the ones 'addicted' to the product he creates, effectively flipping the power dynamic.

"My flow is the hard substance, mastered it, Bernie Grundman"

① Refers to the physical, dense nature of illicit drugs.② Refers to Bernie Grundman, the legendary mastering engineer, implying Nas's vocal delivery has been perfected to a studio-grade, sonic 'product' quality.

Commanding presence and tonal shift that reflects lyrical content

Clever integration of high-finance terminology with street-level origins

Excellent breath control and pacing that allows the multisyllabic rhymes to land with impact

Strong transition from the aggressive opening to the polished, wealthy persona

Occasional reliance on standard rap tropes ('bomb first') which feel slightly dated compared to the sophisticated business imagery

Some of the wordplay, while technically sound, lacks the dense narrative layering found in his earlier, grittier work

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