Exodus

Hood Blues (featuring Westside Gunn, Benny the Butcher and Conway the Machine)

DMX

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

End

250

Internal

118

Multi

295

Slant

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight

[Verse 2: Benny the Butcher & DMX]

The Butcher^✦ comin',^✦ nigga^✦ (Yo, uh, come on)

You know how I rock, six figures off Zaza^✦ (Uh-huh)^✦

Come and spend at my shop (Uh-huh),^✦ I turn your hood to a hotspot (Uh-huh)^✦

Every^✦ game I feel like I'm Dame, without a stopwatch (Uh-huh)^✦

Shootin', before^✦ the shot clock, Griselda got the top spot (Ah)

Locked^✦ down like a pawn shop, nigga^✦ (Yeah), I'm thinkin', "Why not?" (Uh-huh)^✦

I gave my life to the game, but, what do I got?

Father^✦ these niggas,^✦ how? I don't even^✦ know my pops (Ayy, ayy, ayy)

This flip phone that I got don't connect to the Wi-Fi^✦ (What?)

Uh-huh,^✦ this new foreign shit with the wood on the door (Rrr)

Got me beefin'^✦ with some niggas^✦ I could've put on (Rrr, that's fucked^✦ up)

They make up lies and put 'em in songs (They do, yeah)

I pull up to lots, cop, and down the block hear me pull in the yard (Skrrt)

Yeah, prayin' with my dirty^✦ hands (With my dirty^✦ hands)

I did dirt and scammed, I'm askin'^✦ God "Do I deserve^✦ these bands?" (Do I deserve^✦ these bands?)

And we from murder^✦ land, Eastside^✦ shit (Yeah)

Jeans PURPLE BRAND (Ah), ridin'^✦ in the GLE, the turtle van (Talk to 'em, ah)

[Verse 3: Conway the Machine & DMX]

Ah, look, you throwin' shots? You better^✦ be precise (Uh-huh)^✦

If I only^✦ squeeze it twice, that's me bein' polite^✦ (Okay,^✦ facts)

We was in the trenches, nigga,^✦ four chicken wings and rice (Yeah)

The shooter fourteen (Yeah), can't read or write, but he gon' squeeze his pipe (What?)

We was tryna^✦ sell a ki' a night

'Cause Nas said a G at night wasn't good enough, and he was right (Come on! Talk to 'em)

They mad I'm rich, the same niggas^✦ that wouldn't see my plight (Spit that shit)

The Nets playin', I'm ridin'^✦ to the game with KD tonight, yeah (What up, my nigga?^✦ Rrr)

Machine,^✦ bitch, every^✦ beat I body^✦ (Ah)

My nigga^✦ on his way home, he just beat a body^✦ (Beat a body,^✦ cap)

Every^✦ time I leave the house, I got the steamer by me (I got it on me, uh, uh, uh)

My jacket^✦ a one of none, you never^✦ seen it probably (Woo, hah)

I took some cheddar out the vault to pay the lawyer^✦ for my man

Weapon^✦ possession and felony^✦ assault (You good, nigga^✦ What?)

Whippin' up at Unc house, he keep the resi'^✦ off the fork (Keep that)

I'm Kyrie, hittin'^✦ niggas^✦ with the Hesi'^✦ on the court, look (Woo)

I reached the point niggas^✦ never^✦ would've thought (Ah)

'Cause every^✦ time I drop somethin' I don't never^✦ get support, fuck 'em (Ayy, ayy, ayy, ayy, ayy, hahahaha)^✦

FN, MAC shots severin' your corpse

You never^✦ could extort me, my heart cold as February 4th (What? Talk to 'em)

They hate to see me win, I'm not surprised^✦ (Ayy, ayy, ayy, ayy)

Nigga,^✦ I'm fuckin^✦ the bitches,^✦ them bum bitches^✦ you fucks idolize (Hahahaha)^✦

I'm in Harlem^✦ at Lighthouse eatin'^✦ lobster^✦ fries (Rrr)

V & Shoota^✦ with me, I got mobster^✦ ties (Uh-huh)^✦

Machine,^✦ bitch (What?)

[Verse 4: DMX]

I grew up at the dark side, apartheid

Where goin' against the grain'll get you kidnapped and hogtied (Uh, what?)

X the illest nigga,^✦ realest nigga^✦

Never^✦ been scared^✦ (Uh), I'm a fearless nigga^✦ (Come on, woo)

I got that cannon^✦ that'll remove^✦ your head and shoulders (Nigga)^✦

Cats that play in the street (man), get ran over^✦ (Rrr)

I'ma^✦ make you hand over,^✦ everything you got

I'm not the average (Motherfucker) do damage^✦ 'cause I'm a savage^✦

Sometimes I can't manage^✦ all the shit in my head (Man)

I was promised^✦ the world but I got the dirt instead (Hey)

Turn the light, I was bred, to shed, blood (Uh, uh, uh)

It's always gon' be "Fuck you, nigga,^✦ what?" (What?)

Built for war, raw, this .44 will hit you through the door

You exist no more (C'mon, get it, c'mon)

I done punk'd more niggas^✦ than Ashton^✦ Kutcher^✦ (C'mon, c'mon)

It's Westside,^✦ Conway,^✦ X, and Benny^✦ the Butcher,^✦ nigga^✦

[Outro: DMX]

Get it like you live, nigga^✦

Get it how you fuckin'^✦ live, nigga^✦

You know what the fuck it is (Rrr)

You know what the fuck it is, nigga^✦

I ain't fifty^✦ years old for nothin',^✦ aight?

I'm not fifty^✦ years old for nothin'^✦ (We active,^✦ nigga,^✦ we active,^✦ we active)^✦

Fuck outta^✦ here, pussy^✦ ass niggas^✦

I'm from a small town called^✦ "Wish a Nigga^✦ Would"

And I wish a nigga^✦ would

Outta^✦ here, arf

Technical Breakdown

8.0

Multisyllabic Rhymes9.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes9.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres6.5

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm8.0

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 Score7.95

Production

— Avenue Beatz, Swizz Beatz

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Critic Analysis

RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

The verse excels in rhythmic consistency and thematic cohesion, using street-level imagery and aggressive, punch-heavy delivery that effectively bridges the contrasting styles of Benny the Butcher and Conway the Machine.

B+

9.5

Multisyllabic

9.5

Internal Rhymes

Cadence / Flow

Vocabulary

6.5

Wordplay

Delivery

Multisyllabic internal rhyme stringsStaccato cadenceAABB rhyme scheme extensionsThematic parallelism

Rhyme Architecture: The verse utilizes a rigid, propulsive AAAA-style rhyme structure, heavily relying on single-syllable masculine rhymes (Zaza, shop, hotspot, stopwatch, shot clock) to create a relentless percussive drive characteristic of Griselda’s aesthetic.

Verified Doubles & Entendres

"Every game I feel like I'm Dame, without a stopwatch"

① Reference to Damian Lillard ('Dame Time'), known for late-game clutch shooting.② Self-referential pride in his consistency that requires no artificial time pressure or 'shot clock' to perform.

"Locked down like a pawn shop"

① The literal business practice of securing inventory in a pawn shop.② A metaphor for the neighborhood being under tight control or surveillance, often implying the inability to escape (trapped).

"If I only squeeze it twice, that's me bein' polite"

① A reference to the restraint shown by only firing a weapon twice.② The implication that 'politeness' in his environment is ironically characterized by minimal violence rather than non-violence.

High density of internal rhymes that maintain the energy throughout

Aggressive and confident vocal delivery that suits the production

Consistent thematic focus on street struggle and rags-to-riches success

Effective use of the 'setup and release' rhythm in the first 8 bars

Vocabulary choices remain within a standard trap/street-rap lexicon

Some punchlines rely on established tropes (e.g., flipping product, being the 'father' of peers)

Lack of significant narrative progression between the two featured artists

Hood Blues (featuring Westside Gunn, Benny the Butcher and Conway the Machine)

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

Technical Breakdown

Production

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