Section.80

Ab-Soul's Outro

Kendrick Lamar

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

21

End

136

Internal

79

Multi

194

Slant

9

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Chorus: Kendrick Lamar & Alori Joh]
Life is a traffic✦ jam, life is a traffic✦ jam
(Life is a traffic✦ jam)
Life is a traffic✦ jam, life is a traffic✦ jam
Life is a traffic✦ jam, life is a traffic✦ jam
(I'm ready✦ to go, ready✦ to go)
Life is a traffic✦ jam, life is a traffic✦ jam
(Ready✦ to go, ready✦ to go)
Life is a traffic✦ jam
Life...
[Verse 2: Kendrick Lamar & Ab-Soul]
I wrote this because✦ I was ordered✦ to
People say I speak for generation✦ Y
Why lie? I do, Section.80✦
Your son'll play me if radio✦ won't
Daughters that just turn one 'til twenty-one listen✦ to Kendrick✦
For instance
What's your life about?✦ Enlighten✦ me
Is you gon' live on your knees or die on your feet?
Take out that student loan, and pay off your college degree
And do exactly what you see on TV
True story✦
Hmm
Can you repeat✦ that for me, Soul?
What's your life about?✦ Enlighten✦ me
Is you gon' live on your knees or die on your feet?
Is you gon' plead the fifth or sound the horn?
The time is now, my child, come on
See, a lot of y'all don't understand Kendrick✦ Lamar✦
Because✦ you wonder✦ how I could talk about✦ money,✦ hoes, clothes,✦ God, and history✦ all in the same sentence✦
You know what all them things have in common?✦
Only✦ half of the truth, if you tell it
See I spent twenty-three years on this earth searching✦ for answers✦
'Til one day I realized I had to come up with my own
I'm not on the outside looking✦ in
I'm not on the inside✦ looking✦ out
I'm in the dead fucking center,✦ looking✦ around✦
You ever✦ seen a newborn baby✦ kill a grown man?
That's an analogy for the way the world make me react
My innocence✦ been dead
So, the next time I talk about✦ money,✦ hoes, clothes,✦ God, and history✦ all in the same sentence✦
Just know I meant it, and you felt it
'Cause you too are searching✦ for answers✦
I'm not the next pop star, I'm not the next socially-aware rapper✦
I am a human✦ motherfuckin' being over✦ dope-ass instrumentation✦
Kendrick✦ Lamar✦
Now fuck 'em up, Terrace
(Soul)
[Instrumental Solo: Terrace Martin]
[Outro: Kendrick Lamar]
I watch this fire that we’re gathered✦ around✦
And see that it burns similar to the fire that’s inside✦ you
Section.80✦
Section.80✦ babies✦
A generation✦ of bliss and disobedience✦
No, they can't control✦ us
No, they can't control✦ you
No, they can't control✦ us
But we can control✦ each other✦
We build our own world
If you don't leave with nothing else tonight
You will leave with knowing✦ yourself
You will leave knowing✦ that you represent something that's bigger✦ than all of us
Our family✦
Heart, honor, and respect
This is you
This is me
And we are HiiiPower

Technical Breakdown

8.3
Multisyllabic Rhymes9.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes9.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres7.5

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm8.5

Flow variation and timing (data-driven)

Vocabulary Complexity7.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control8.0

Performance and control

Computed Score8.33

Production

— Terrace Martin

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Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Kendrick utilizes high-density internal rhyme structures and socio-political commentary to bridge generational disillusionment, serving as a defining manifesto for the early 2010s 'conscious' resurgence.

A
9.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
8.5
Cadence / Flow
7
Vocabulary
7.5
Wordplay
8
Delivery
multisyllabic internal rhyme clustersphonetic wordplay (generation Y/Why)sociological rhetorical questioningrhythmic cadence variation
Rhyme Architecture: The verse employs a sophisticated AABB-adjacent structure fused with heavy internal poly-syllabic chaining (e.g., 'ordered to/generation Y/Why lie/Section.80'). It leans into conversational syntax while anchoring the end-rhymes on heavy downbeats to emphasize the didactic tone.
Verified Doubles & Entendres

"generation Y / Why lie?"

① Refers to the demographic cohort born roughly 1981-1996.② A rhetorical shift using the homophone 'Why' to transition into a candid admission of his role as a voice for the youth.

"live on your knees or die on your feet"

① A subversion of the common idiom 'die on your feet/live on your knees' regarding cowardice vs. martyrdom.② A direct critique of consumerist cycle: 'living on knees' representing subservience to debt and societal expectations vs. the 'death' of the individual spirit.

strong thematic cohesion with the preceding project concept

expert use of phonetic play to bridge disparate concepts

authoritative and measured vocal delivery that underscores the gravity of the lyrics

rhythmic stability despite dense syllabic arrangements

some didactic phrasing borders on conventional moralizing rather than poetic subversion

limited range of complex metaphor usage in favor of direct address

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