The Master

When I B on tha Mic

Rakim

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

End

128

Internal

Multi

186

Slant

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight

[Chorus]

Hardcore!^✦ Real ill niggas!^✦

I'm internationally^✦ known when I be on the mic

Hardcore!^✦ Real ill niggas!^✦

I'm internationally^✦ known, yo

Hardcore!^✦ Real ill niggas!^✦

I'm internationally^✦ known when I be on the mic

Hardcore!^✦ Real ill niggas!^✦

So all hail the honorable^✦

[Verse 2]

How about^✦ some hardcore?^✦ Yeah, we like it raw for sure

Broads on the floor, wall to wall

There's more at the door, players ball to score

‘Cause this right here is for all of y'all

Rakim and Preemo^✦ — yo, I got what you need, bro

You go see a show, smokin'^✦ El Niño

And DJs play hits with hard bass kicks

And then they display tricks like The Matrix^✦

Make the record fly, undetected by the naked^✦ eye

So just feel the vibe, ‘cause your ears never lie

Nowadays, DJs bags of tricks-graphic

On some behind-the-back shit, catch it and scratch it

Blast it! This kid got his craft mastered

Hands is mad quick like he mix with magic^✦

Spin it back and forth and grab it

And know just where it is—there it is!

[Chorus]

Hardcore!^✦ Real ill niggas!^✦

I'm internationally^✦ known when I be on the mic

Hardcore!^✦ Real ill niggas!^✦

I'm internationally^✦ known, yo

Hardcore!^✦ Real ill niggas!^✦

I'm internationally^✦ known when I be on the mic

Hardcore!^✦ Real ill niggas!^✦

So all hail the honorable^✦

[Verse 3]

To my elite^✦ peeps with the murderous^✦ mystiques

I hit the street with beats and they critique^✦ for weeks

They be like, "How that kid Ra reach the peak?"

Pull out the heat and use my technique^✦ to speak

It's dangerous,^✦ sit calm and explain to kids

What part of the game this is in foreign languages

They hold Ra's events in different continents

Put my lyrical contents in monuments

In ghetto^✦ garments, I rock a towel^✦ like a pharaoh

Mind travel,^✦ design^✦ style like apparel

My fashions last long as a lifetime

‘Cause I can see the future^✦ when the god write rhyme

They're mad ‘cause I managed to reign so long

Like their chance to get money^✦ done came and gone

This is strictly for my listeners on the corners at night

And the sisters that be keepin'^✦ us right, when I be on the mic

[Chorus]

Hardcore!^✦ Real ill niggas!^✦

I'm internationally^✦ known when I be on the mic

Hardcore!^✦ Real ill niggas!^✦

I'm internationally^✦ known, yo

Hardcore!^✦ Real ill niggas!^✦

I'm internationally^✦ known when I be on the mic

Hardcore!^✦ Real ill niggas!^✦

So all hail the honorable^✦

Technical Breakdown

8.6

Multisyllabic Rhymes8.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes9.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres7.5

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm9.0

Flow variation and timing (data-driven)

Vocabulary Complexity7.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control9.0

Performance and control

Computed Score8.64

Production

— DJ Premier

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Critic Analysis

RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Rakim utilizes rhythmic displacement and high-density internal rhyme schemes to modernize his flow, effectively transitioning from his classic steady cadence to a more percussive, syncopated delivery that mirrors the DJ's technical prowess.

8.5

Multisyllabic

9.5

Internal Rhymes

Cadence / Flow

Vocabulary

7.5

Wordplay

Delivery

multisyllabic internal rhyme chainsrhythmic syncopationalliterationconsonanceenjambment

Rhyme Architecture: Rakim employs an AAAA-BBBB-CCCC rhyme scheme variation characterized by consistent terminal rhymes combined with dense, cascading internal vowel matching that accelerates the verse's momentum.

Verified Doubles & Entendres

"Rakim and Preemo — yo, I got what you need, bro"

① A direct reference to the collaborator DJ Premier.② A play on 'Preemo' as 'Primo' (slang for premium/high-quality cannabis or product).

"Make the record fly, undetected by the naked eye"

① Describing the physical speed and blur of the vinyl during a high-speed scratch routine.② A metaphorical reference to the technical precision that transcends superficial observation.

"DJs bags of tricks-graphic"

① A reference to the DJ's collection of techniques.② A neologism linking 'bag of tricks' to the 'graphic' visual nature of turntablism.

Exceptional rhythmic pocket and breath control

Sophisticated use of multi-syllabic end-rhymes (e.g., 'raw for sure' / 'wall to wall' / 'all of y'all')

Seamless integration of technical DJ references with lyrical performance

Strong structural arc from descriptive setup to performance climax

Vocabulary remains centered on conventional hip-hop tropes rather than complex abstraction

The narrative focus is somewhat limited to the 'DJ/MC' dynamic

When I B on tha Mic

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

Technical Breakdown

Production

User Scores