It Was Written

Album Intro

Nas

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

28

End

156

Internal

39

Multi

110

Slant

10

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
"Hey Nas, hey hey boy, you see what they done did to Jimmy✦ and Lee?"
"Mmmhmm. Damn, man"
"I can't take it man"
"Sho' can't"
"You think this is gonna✦ eva'✦ change?"
"Man, damn this place, man! Damn these chains! These damn chitlins every✦ damn night"
"This cotton"✦
"Shit!"
"I can't take it man"
"Harriett done left the night befo'.✦ It's time we go
Ain't no place for black folk here. Man, promise land callin'✦ me man"
"It's callin'✦ me too"
"It's time we go"
"Yeah, I'm with you!"
"Hey man, hey damn these chains, man. Damn you master,✦ you ain't my master,✦ man!
"You ain't nothin',✦ you ain't nothin'"✦
"Hey Bandit,✦ Bandit,✦ get the dogs! Get the hounds, we gonna✦
Have ourselves a hangin'✦ tonight!"
1996!
Back up in this nigga✦
The right way, though, you know?
(Double-tre son, you know ain't nothin'✦ coincidental✦ or accidental,✦ dunn)
No doubt!
(You know how it's goin' down, man)
It was all written✦
(No question,✦ I'm sayin' man, I mean, how we playin' man
You know what I'm sayin', they dealt us in, son
They playin' with a 54 deck, you see with the jokers in and everything, you know what I'm saying?)
Son, I'm playin' with the 52
(You wanna✦ stress on how I used to play, that's how I playin')
But, yo, they takin'✦ us into✦ this next millennium, right now
(I'm sayin' law, you know what I'm sayin' we gotta✦ lay the law
Cause without law ain't no order,✦ you know what I'm sayin'
That's why these cats are slippin' through, you know what I'm sayin? They got the rules✦ missin'✦ though)
True
(Yo, word up, though, you know what I mean?)
Son, these niggas✦ look faker✦ than the new hundred dollars, son
(Yeah, you see that they look Monopoly money,✦ right?)
Word, with the big ass face on it
(Yo, what I'm sayin', we see through all that, though
You know what I'm sayin?)
No question✦
(All eyes seein', son, you know it was written,✦ no question)✦
Yo, no doubt. In the Qu'ran✦ it says Nas, the men
Nesa's✦ the woman,✦ you know? It was written✦

Technical Breakdown

8.1
Multisyllabic Rhymes7.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes9.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres5.0

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm9.0

Flow variation and timing (data-driven)

Vocabulary Complexity6.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control8.5

Performance and control

Computed Score8.05

Production

— Nas, Trackmasters

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Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

The verse functions as a cinematic prologue rather than a technical lyrical exercise, using dialect and historical roleplay to establish a thematic foundation for the album.

A
7.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
9
Cadence / Flow
6
Vocabulary
5
Wordplay
8.5
Delivery
Cinematic Skit FramingHistorical Narrative PacingDialectal AuthenticityThematic Juxtaposition
Rhyme Architecture: Primarily prose-based dialogue with loose, conversational internal slant rhymes, prioritizing the cadence of southern slave dialect over traditional AABB/ABAB structures.
Verified Doubles & Entendres

"Damn these chains"

① Physical shackles used in slavery② The systemic, metaphorical constraints placed upon Black identity in the 1990s

Exceptional atmosphere building through vocal performance

Bold conceptual risk in placing a historical escape narrative as an album intro

Strong use of tension and release in the dialogue pacing

Minimal traditional wordplay or dense lyrical density

Relies heavily on the skit format rather than poetic bars

Lacks the sustained rhyme-schemes expected of 'verse' analysis

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