Nastradamus

The Outcome

Nas

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

23

End

82

Internal

48

Multi

160

Slant

14

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
Global✦ warming between✦ my legs, screams against✦ the waves✦
Gave birth to thirteen✦ daughters, so now we never✦ run out of water✦
My skin layered in diamonds and sage
Left alone✦ in confused forest's, enslaved by days
Time keeps on whoring✦ us
Ghetto✦ saviors can't keep ignoring✦ us
Flowers and flames✦ flew from her fingers
Rifles✦ pointed from her sac
Or was it simply✦ a bag of sticks and stones✦
Either✦ way, she wore a compass on her head
Rains don't stop the grass from turning red
Her hair was half permed,✦ half dread
We gave up walking in a past-life and so we danced✦
Arms wrapped around my breath and choked✦ me back to life
A new world wife, reflecting the sun and rolling dice
Symbol of the drama yet to come – too late to run
Time travelling was late
Watching was a blind man's mistake
All his assets melted✦ right in front of his face
His right leg drabbed with demon✦ pace
Shoes stayed angel laced✦
Never✦ count your blessings with haste
Even a prophet✦ can catch a case
Didn't realize how sweet the future✦ might taste
Telepathically cutting through mental✦ gates✦
Words were weapons against✦ their hate
Shepherds search for stars in her hair
Her chest grew fermented like yeast
She broke her body✦ like aged✦ bread
He gave her truth from all the books he'd read
She wrote her poems inside✦ the mud
Sacrificed her cervix✦ to fix the future✦
Named✦ their poison,✦ spit truth inside✦ his mouth
Read warm prophet,✦ writing twisted scriptures inside✦ her belly✦
Resurrected from bones✦ and dirt
She made hard niggas smile
Left her seeds inside✦ the Earth
Gave hustlers and killers life's✦ worth
This is the life we chose, remember who was here first
Find a reason✦ why you curse
Gold rushed✦ tongues by dreams too loose
Sporting electronic nooses✦
Hoeing humanity love takes✦ over✦ lust
Despite the damage✦ to destiny
You can't take the best of me, in God we still trust

Technical Breakdown

8.9
Multisyllabic Rhymes8.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes8.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres7.5

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm10.0

Flow variation and timing (data-driven)

Vocabulary Complexity8.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control8.5

Performance and control

Computed Score8.86

Production

— Rich Nice

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Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Nas employs surrealist, stream-of-consciousness imagery to pivot from macro-environmental metaphors to personal existential struggle, utilizing a non-linear narrative structure that defies traditional rap storytelling conventions of its era.

A+
8.5
Multisyllabic
8.5
Internal Rhymes
10
Cadence / Flow
8
Vocabulary
7.5
Wordplay
8.5
Delivery
Surrealist imageryInternal multisyllabic rhymingEnjambmentExistential wordplay
Rhyme Architecture: The verse utilizes a sophisticated, dense scheme relying heavily on internal assonance and slant rhymes, shifting between end-stopped lines and enjambed thoughts to create a fluid, dream-like cadence.
Verified Doubles & Entendres

"Shoes stayed angel laced"

① Physical description of high-quality or pristine footwear styling.② A moral or spiritual state of being 'laced' or protected by divine influence despite demonic surroundings.

"Time keeps on whoring us"

① Time exploits humanity, using us for its own fleeting purposes.② A play on the 'Time keeps on slippin'' idiom, suggesting a loss of purity and value as the clock forces human compromise.

"Rains don't stop the grass from turning red"

① A literal observation of seasonal or environmental changes.② A symbolic reference to bloodshed or violence (red grass) that continues despite attempts to 'wash' or cleanse the situation (rain).

Exceptional rhythmic variation and cadence

High-level thematic cohesion in abstract storytelling

Innovative use of metaphorical juxtaposition

Literal narrative can become obscure due to high density of abstractions

Some metaphors lack immediate accessibility for the casual listener

User Scores