The Master

Strong Island

Rakim

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

3

End

41

Internal

18

Multi

74

Slant

2

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Chorus]
Rough enough✦ to break New York from Long Island✦
[Verse 3]
Grew up in Wyndanch, formerly known as Crime-Danch
Me and my mans we travel lands to find jams
Where violence usually ends in sirens
By all means, we all fiend for finance
We make cash on the street called✦ straight path
We take class, build with the Gods with great math
Everyday true to the street, and never✦ fronted
Along✦ the way, learned from the best that ever✦ done it
Bein exposed to life's highs and lows
Got my flows ready✦ for shows, I'm ready✦ for the pros
I put it on a tape and then the city✦ I tested✦
Then on the radio the R's requested
Now the whole world's whylin,✦ all the girls smilin✦
You know, it's on, soon as they let the crowd in
The rhyme that I'm stylin,✦ smooth as a violin✦
Rough enough✦ to break New York from Long Island✦
[Chorus]
Rough enough✦ to break New York from Long Island✦

Technical Breakdown

7.3
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 / Rhythm5.5

Flow variation and timing (data-driven)

Vocabulary Complexity8.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control8.0

Performance and control

Computed Score7.30

Production

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Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Rakim utilizes internal vowel heavy assonance and complex multi-syllabic chaining to bridge the gap between street storytelling and lyrical sophistication, setting the standard for mid-90s technical flow.

B+
8.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
5.5
Cadence / Flow
8
Vocabulary
7.5
Wordplay
8
Delivery
Multi-syllabic chainingInternal rhyme densityAssonant vowel repetitionGeographic storytelling
Rhyme Architecture: The verse relies on a highly consistent AAAA-style multi-syllabic scheme (Wyndanch/Crime-Danch/lands/jams/sirens/finance) utilizing feminine rhymes that sustain the rhythmic momentum across the line ends.
Verified Doubles & Entendres

"Wyndanch, formerly known as Crime-Danch"

① A play on the phonetic similarity between the geographic name Wyndanch and the descriptor 'crime'.② A socio-economic critique characterizing the environment as synonymous with illicit activity.

"take class, build with the Gods with great math"

① Referring to the literal act of learning through the Five-Percent Nation's 'Supreme Mathematics'.② Metaphorical reference to calculating one's path to success and financial stability.

Exceptional rhythmic consistency

Sophisticated use of internal assonance

Strong sense of place and narrative progression

Lack of complex metaphorical abstraction compared to his later work

Reliance on predictable 'crowd' tropes in the concluding lines

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