Nastradamus

Shoot 'Em Up

Nas

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

18

End

86

Internal

27

Multi

122

Slant

7

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Verse 2]
Driving through the roads, Suburban Chevrolet
Six tinted✦ windows, and I'm on my way
To get up with my hoes, I pull up to they house
Not a freak to be heard, nobody✦ came out
Ringing the bell, where in the hell could they be at?
I'm about✦ to leave stepping slow, where my truck was at
Who the fuck is that? Could it be a jack?
Now pull my strap, it's my man and we have the same plan
There them bitches go, Civic '94
Looking funny✦ though, open✦ up the car door, funny✦ smile
Fuck two already, third ass was heavy✦
"Nas, this is Sherry,✦ Sherry,✦ this is Nas and his man, ready?"✦
Walked✦ in the house, snatched off they clothes
Ran through them hoes, plenty✦ ice, that they all seemed✦ to like
Can't find my man, heard a blam-blam
Now I'm wondering,✦ "In this scam, do I even✦ stand a chance?"
He killed✦ the hoes, took all they dough
Fire in his eyes, higher than the sky, coming✦ down the stairs
Now he wanting mine, reaching for my nine
Aiming✦ with our guns at each others face, at the same time
My nine on his lips, his fifth on my chin, I start whispering✦
"Put your gun down, we can skip town"
Rocked✦ him to sleep, pushed✦ back his meat
Lift off his chain, took his shit, emptied out close range
[Chorus]
Shoot 'em up, just shoot 'em up, what?
(Kill-kill-kill,✦ murder-murder-murder)✦
Shoot 'em up, just shoot 'em up, what?
(Kill-kill-kill,✦ murder-murder-murder)✦
Shoot 'em up, just shoot 'em up, what?
Shoot 'em up, just shoot 'em up, what?
(Kill-kill-kill,✦ murder-murder-murder)✦

Technical Breakdown

7.4
Multisyllabic Rhymes7.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes9.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres4.5

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm8.0

Flow variation and timing (data-driven)

Vocabulary Complexity6.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control7.5

Performance and control

Computed Score7.41

Production

— Havoc

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Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Nas utilizes a narrative-driven flow that prioritizes cinematic pacing and suspenseful storytelling over complex lyrical density, effectively using a shifting rhyme scheme to mirror the tension of a betrayal scene.

B+
7.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
8
Cadence / Flow
6
Vocabulary
4.5
Wordplay
7.5
Delivery
Narrative arc constructionCinematic suspense buildingDynamic cadence shift during climaxConversational flow
Rhyme Architecture: Predominantly AABB and AAAA couplets and quatrains, featuring tight internal rhymes within the lines to maintain momentum while shifting into a more fragmented, frantic flow during the standoff scene.
Verified Doubles & Entendres

"Higher than the sky"

① Physical elevation (staircase imagery)② State of intoxication or frenzied mental state

"Rocked him to sleep"

① A colloquialism for knocking someone out or killing them② A literal subversion of a lullaby/nurturing action, turning it into a lethal finality

Excellent narrative progression that builds from a casual tone to a high-tension climax

Effective use of internal rhyme to bridge phrases and maintain the beat

Strong command of cadence that creates a cinematic feeling

Wordplay is functional rather than complex, lacking high-level multi-layered metaphors

The concluding imagery, while evocative, relies more on grit than lyrical innovation

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