Stillmatic

You're da Man

Nas

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

26

End

130

Internal

32

Multi

160

Slant

12

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Chorus]
You're the man, you're the man
You're the man, you're the man
You're the man, you're the man
You're the man, you're the man
You're the man, you're the man
[Verse 2]
Now wait a sec', give me time to explain, women✦ and fast cars
And diamond rings can poison✦ a rap star
Was suicidal, high, smoking so much lye
I saw a dead bird flying through a broken✦ sky
Wish I could flap wings and fly away✦
To where black kings in Ghana✦ stay
So I could get old, my flesh rot away✦
But that'll be the day when it's peace
When my gat don't need to spray
When these streets are safe to play
Sex with death, indulge in these women✦
Vision✦ my own skeleton swimming in eternal fire
Broads play with pentagrams in they vagina✦
Like the Exorcist, then they gave birth to my seeds
I beg for God's help, why they love hurting me?
I'm your disciple, a thug certainly
I'm the N, the A to the S-I-R
If I wasn't, I must've been Escobar
.45 in my waist, staring at my reflection✦
In the mirror, sitting still in the chair like Mike Concepcion✦
When everything around✦ me got cloudy✦
The chair became✦ a king's throne, my destiny found me
It was clear why the struggle was so painful
Metamorphosis, this is what I changed to
And God, I'm so thankful
[Chorus]
You're the man, you're the man
You're the man, you're the man
You're the man, you're the man
You're the man, you're the man
You're the man, you're the man
You're the man, you're the man
You're the man
[Interlude]
Yo, ugh, look, look, ugh, that's that bitch Wiz was fuckin'✦ (Haha)✦
Damn, that's fucked✦ up
Nigga,✦ let's get high, nigga✦ (Roll them dice, nigga,✦ hurry✦ up)
Highest to the sky, it's four hundred in here, nigga✦
What the fuck is you niggas✦ talkin'✦ 'bout, nigga?✦
One, one, one, all around✦ the bar
Come on, let's get high, nigga,✦ oh, shit, oh (Oh)
Four fifty-six, nigga,✦ shut the fuck up
Fuck y'all niggas,✦ run my fuckin'✦ money✦ (Run that back)
Run that back, man (Bust it back)
I gotta✦ get high, man, you got weed? (Run that back)
Run it back? Alright, run it back, c'mon

Technical Breakdown

8.7
Multisyllabic Rhymes7.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes9.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres8.0

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm10.0

Flow variation and timing (data-driven)

Vocabulary Complexity5.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control9.0

Performance and control

Computed Score8.72

Production

— Large Professor

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Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Nas utilizes bleak, surrealist imagery and internal rhyme saturation to anchor a meditation on fame-induced paranoia, distinguishing this verse from the period's standard braggadocio.

A
7.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
10
Cadence / Flow
5
Vocabulary
8
Wordplay
9
Delivery
Surrealist imageryInternal rhyme densityAssonance-heavy multi-syllabicsEnjambment for narrative tension
Rhyme Architecture: Predominantly AAAA, BBBB, CCCC with heavy internal slant rhymes (e.g., 'explain', 'fast cars', 'rap star', 'suicidal', 'lye', 'sky'). The scheme is defined by vowel chain linkages that prioritize flow over end-stop symmetry.
Verified Doubles & Entendres

"I'm the N, the A to the S-I-R"

① A stylistic spelling of his moniker 'NASIR'.② A play on 'SIR', elevating his status to aristocracy while simultaneously deconstructing the identity through spelling.

"Sex with death"

① A literal engagement with dangerous, life-threatening behaviors and illicit relationships.② A metaphor for the nihilism of his lifestyle, where sexual intimacy is inextricably linked to mortality.

"I saw a dead bird flying through a broken sky"

① A surreal hallucination induced by substance use.② A symbolic representation of innocence (the bird) being destroyed by a corrupted, shattered reality (the sky).

Atmospheric cohesion

Exceptional rhythmic pocket maintenance

Visceral, non-cliché lyrical imagery

Sophisticated transition from internal struggle to external paranoia

Occasional abruptness in narrative shifts

Vocabulary TTR is functional rather than ornate, though fitting for the grim tone

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