The Master
When I B on tha Mic (Remix)
Rakim
Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis
25
End
137
Internal
51
Multi
232
Slant
6
Chain
Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[DJ Premier scratches hook]
(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)
It's to my real ill niggas,✦ heavyweight hitters✦
Dough getters, fifty✦ ways to make figures
My niggas,✦ that come on the spot to feel sisters✦
Like they hear real spitters✦ and kids on the zigga-ziggas
When it's ugly,✦ then the club is lovely✦
Thugs be sipping Henessey and bubbly✦
To my comrades that keep it flaming hot
On dangerous✦ blocks, claiming spots
Where the goal is to be one of the top-ranked soldiers
Forty-five holders, one of the high rollers
Get respect in the hood, credit✦ is good
Knock it down lumberjack style, baby,✦ extra wood
Rock it all night long, the bang-a-thon baby✦
Keep hanging on, we like it with the lights on
Don't have to blow twenty✦ thou' to get to know honey's✦ style
Show her the town, steal her heart, no money✦ down
[Hook]
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 Primo,✦ yo I got what you need bro
You go see a show, smoke an L, mean yo
And deejays✦ 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✦ deejays✦ bags of tricks, graphic
On some behind✦ the back shit, catch it and scratch it
Classic, 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
[Hook]
To my elite✦ peeps with the murderous✦ mystiques
I hit the streets 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 and 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 rhymes✦
They're mad cause I managed to reign so long
Like their chance to make money✦ done came and gone
This is strictly for my listeners on the corners at night
And the sisters✦ that be keeping this right, when I be on the mic
[Hook]
Technical Breakdown
8.2
Multisyllabic Rhymes7.5
Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)
Internal Rhymes9.5
Rhymes within a line (data-driven)
Wordplay / Double Entendres7.5
Clever language, metaphors, punchlines
Cadence / Rhythm8.0
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 Score8.17
Production
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Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™
Rakim elevates the 'street anthem' trope through a masterful command of internal rhyme density and rhythmic displacement, setting a standard for flow-state lyricism that prioritizes cadence over mere content complexity.
A
7.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
8
Cadence / Flow
8
Vocabulary
7.5
Wordplay
8.5
Delivery
Multi-syllabic internal rhymingRhythmic syncopationOnomatopoeic flowDynamic cadence shifts
Rhyme Architecture: Predominantly AABB/CCDD structure heavily augmented by internal AAAA-style multi-syllabic chains that bridge the gaps between end-rhyme anchors, creating a seamless, rolling rhythmic texture.
Verified Doubles & Entendres
"Knock it down lumberjack style, baby, extra wood"
① A metaphorical boast of sexual prowess or dominance, referencing the act of felling trees as a metaphor for sexual activity.② A direct allusion to the raw, rugged nature of his delivery and the 'building' of his legacy, equating his impact to the physical clearing of a forest.
"The bang-a-thon baby"
① A reference to the physical volume and impact of the music in a club setting.② A clever linguistic play on 'marathon', implying his lyrical endurance and the long-lasting nature of his impact on the microphone.
Exceptional rhythmic consistency
Sophisticated internal rhyme placement
Commanding vocal presence that emphasizes the 'pocket'
High-level structural cohesion
Lyrical content leans heavily on established hip-hop tropes (thug life, money, respect)
Occasional reliance on fillers (e.g., 'zigga-ziggas') to maintain the rhythmic flow