King's Disease II

Death Row East

Nas

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

10

End

116

Internal

42

Multi

184

Slant

2

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Chorus]
High on life, drunk off dark liquor✦
Shit gettin'✦ eerie like I threw on Thriller
Bitch, I'm a hard hitter,✦ Rolex clocks and killers
Holdin'✦ the order,✦ I'm prayin' God delivers
I had run-ins✦ with Suge, niggas✦ would've been shook
At the height of the beef, they started Death Row East
Damn, I even✦ saw they tees on some of my Gs
Notorious✦ label, the story✦ was made in the streets
[Interlude]
History lessons, keep it on record
[Verse 2]
Let's talk about✦ it
'Cause when you got a story✦ real as mine, you can't leave nothin'✦ out it
Let’s take you back to '96
Diamonds and MAC-10s, lookin'✦ through a fresh lens
Everything I knew now, wish I knew back then
Like it was only✦ so much time left
Before✦ Makaveli the Don left
Booked✦ a flight, flying out West
We was tryna✦ squash the whole shit in Vegas✦
No media✦ to eat it up and leak it in the papers
Eric B, Big D, and 'Preme was affiliated
Peace to E.D.I., Napoleon and all the innovators
We had respect✦ before✦ we was ever✦ some entertainers
See Suge, he was a dangerous✦ threat
M.O.B almost turned✦ half of New York red
Brothers I grew up with threw up they sets
Some even✦ had them Death Row chains hang off their necks
There's✦ a rumor✦ that spread I'd like to address
Pac was never✦ set up by Stretch (Let it rest)
I stepped to him at Bryant Park so we could speak direct
He didn’t disrespect,✦ we planned to reconnect
[Interlude]
I flew to Vegas✦ to shoot the "Street Dreams" video and link with 2Pac. Tried to squash the East Coast/West Coast beef. We didn’t talk, but he was still alive✦ in the hospital. And it rained✦ that day in Vegas.✦ Rest In Power✦
[Outro: Ed Lover]
Chill out, chill out, yo, hold on. This is my nigga✦ Nas and we both got one thing in common.✦ We both, we both represent Queens to the fullest, aight? This brother was good enough to stop his show. And I want everybody✦ in here, everybody✦ stand up on their feet. First and foremost, please. At 7:03 PM New York time; 4:03 PM Las Vegas✦ time, 2Pac Shakur passed✦ away,✦ y'all. Give me a moment of silence

Technical Breakdown

7.1
Multisyllabic Rhymes9.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes9.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres6.5

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 Control7.0

Performance and control

Computed Score7.06

Production

— Hit-Boy, Dustin James Corbett, Joshua Strange, Garren T. Edwards

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Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Nas utilizes narrative nostalgia to bridge historical context with current wisdom, relying more on clear, rhythmic storytelling than dense metaphor.

B
9.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
5.5
Cadence / Flow
8
Vocabulary
6.5
Wordplay
7
Delivery
Narrative anchoringHistorical allusionInternal multisyllabic rhymingConversational cadence
Rhyme Architecture: Predominantly AABB/CCDD coupled with consistent internal multisyllabic chain links, utilizing rhythmic pauses to create a conversational yet urgent tone.
Verified Doubles & Entendres

"Everything I knew now, wish I knew back then"

① The perspective and maturity gained through the passage of time.② The literal knowledge of impending tragedies (Tupac's death) that could have been prevented.

"No media to eat it up and leak it in the papers"

① The literal lack of 24-hour social media cycle in 1996.② A meta-commentary on how public discourse and gossip amplify interpersonal violence.

Exceptional narrative clarity

Effective use of historical tension as a creative engine

Strong rhythmic consistency

Authentic, grounded delivery style

Lack of complex, multi-layered wordplay

Literal storytelling limits the opportunity for abstraction

Predictable ending to some rhyme sequences

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