Under Construction
Can You Hear Me
Missy Elliott
Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis
33
End
191
Internal
51
Multi
223
Slant
14
Chain
Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Verse 2: Chilli]
I know you're in real good hands
With God but damn I miss you
Aaliyah✦ if you see Left Eye
Will you
Tell her me and 'Boz miss her too
Cuz no one's✦ gonna✦ fill her space (Uh-uh)
T-C, L not replaced
All the reasons we learned to love (Love)
Fly high wit' your 22 doves✦
[Chorus 2: TLC & Missy]
One day we'll see her again✦
With the same ol' beautiful✦ smile
Crazy✦ but sexy✦ cool
And she'll be rappin'✦ them same ol' songs
Lisa✦ can you hear me
We hope that you're proud of us
TLC has come a long way
But its never✦ been the same since you had to go
Cuz the healin'✦ process will be long and slow
Yeah
[Verse 3: Missy Elliott, Chilli]
Aaliyah;✦ I know you're in a safer✦ place
You're face to face with the creator and our maker✦
And if you and Left Eye happen✦ to chat
Tell her me and Tionne we know she's much safer✦
If you see Biggie smalls up in the clouds
Tell him he's still the illest✦ emcee we had around
2Pac there is only✦ one, Big Pun R.I.P
We say one (One, yeah, yeah)
[Chorus 3: Missy & TLC]
One day we'll see y'all again✦
With the same ol' beautiful✦ smiles✦
All styles✦ so many✦ styles✦
And y'all be doin' the same old things
The last time we seen ya
We hope y'all can change the world (Change the world)
Let 'em see how short life be
It will never✦ be the same since ya had to go
To the music✦ world y'all are incredible (Yeah)
[Outro: Chili]
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah
[Skit: Missy Elliott]
This is the end
Bye, motherfucker, nah, I'm just playin'
Anyway,✦ uh, you know, once again,✦ I hope y'all enjoyed what y'all heard
You know, I know somebody✦ gon' walk through the door who say they still don't feel me
They, you know, don't like my album or maybe somebody✦ just shitted in your corn flakes,✦ so maybe somethin'✦ stink
But, far as I'm concerned, I do what I do the best way I can
So hopefully you felt some old school flavor✦ in there
You, you may not feel like I'm, I'm a real hip-hop✦ artist, but
I don't have to be, I grew up on hip-hop✦ and that's what motivated me to do music✦
Uh, beef back then wasn't death threats between two artists
Beefs was, you know, uh, who had the realest skills, who was the dopest✦ on the mic
So magazine, radio✦ folks, whomever, you know, this shit is kinda✦ in your court
I know sometimes✦ you want the best stories✦ and you gotta✦ eat too just like everybody✦ else
But sometimes✦ we gotta✦ sacrifice and say the best stories✦ don't have to be somethin'✦ negative
Let's not wait 'til we lose another important emcee in the rap game to start sayin' chill out with the dumb shit
And all of that, you know, um
We could all stand for goin' under✦ a lil' construction
So right now, I ain't gon' turn into✦ Reverend Elliott on y'all
I just love music✦ and if you don't like it, I don't give a shit
Aight, basically, I love ya, God bless, goodnight
Technical Breakdown
8.3
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 / Rhythm10.0
Flow variation and timing (data-driven)
Vocabulary Complexity6.0
Range and depth of words used (data-driven)
Delivery / Breath Control8.0
Performance and control
Computed Score8.27
Production
— Missy Elliott, Craig Brockman, Nisan StewartBe the first to rate the production
Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™
The verse functions as a poignant, rhythmically steady eulogy that prioritizes emotional sincerity and cadence-driven delivery over complex lyrical acrobatics, effectively anchoring the track's memorial theme.
A
7.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
10
Cadence / Flow
6
Vocabulary
5
Wordplay
8
Delivery
AABB-adjacent emotive rhyme schemeInternal rhythmic syncopationDirect address (apostrophe)Cadence-based emotional resonance
Rhyme Architecture: The verse employs a consistent, mostly end-stopped AABB rhyme structure ('hands/damn', 'you/too', 'space/replaced', 'love/doves'). The rhythm is kept smooth to maintain the solemnity of the tribute, with internal rhyming used to reinforce the flow rather than complicate the delivery.
Verified Doubles & Entendres
"Fly high wit' your 22 doves"
① A literal reference to releasing doves as a symbol of peace and transcendence in a memorial context.② A numerical reference to Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes' age (22) at the time of a significant career milestone or symbolic representation of her youth.
"T-C, L not replaced"
① A declarative statement that the group TLC is incomplete and their chemistry is irreplaceable.② An auditory mnemonic device that spells out the acronym 'TLC' while simultaneously confirming the 'L' (Left Eye) is permanently absent from the ensemble.
Strong command of emotional pacing and breath control
Coherent thematic progression from personal grief to collective tribute
Effective use of the 'T-C-L' motif to establish group identity despite loss
Limited reliance on figurative complexity or high-level wordplay
Heavy reliance on familiar tropes for mourning
Stanza structure is predictable and lacks radical rhythmic shifts