Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

Knowing

Outkast

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

8

End

92

Internal

74

Multi

165

Slant

2

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Chorus: André 3000]
Brothers✦ on the block knowing✦
(From this point on, it only✦ gets rougher)✦
Sisters✦ at the crib knowing✦
(From this point on, it only✦ gets rougher)✦
Preachers✦ at the church knowing,✦ but still get by
(From this point on, it only✦ gets rougher)✦
Teachers✦ at the school knowing✦
(From this point on, it only✦ gets rougher)✦
Babies✦ on the bottle knowing✦
(From this point on, it only✦ gets rougher)✦
Junkies✦ on the corner✦ knowing,✦ but still get high
(From this point on, it only✦ gets rougher)✦
[Verse 2: Big Boi]
Even though things started falling apart
Wanda✦ went and bought a Honda,✦ now she's out of a job
She would slob on a knob for a little less than a yard
A massage, you could drill her like a sarge'
She would charge and rob, pick through your pockets
She got the trick's watch and the silver✦ locket✦
That he bought for his wife but Wanda✦ left her license
On the nightstand fuckin'✦ with this white man
She met in a little red Corvette, paid for sex
Made a deal that she would never✦ forget,✦ you can bet
Every✦ action has a positive and equal✦ reaction✦
Therefore everything that goes around✦ comes✦ around✦ in that fashion✦
Fast and furiously
There was a knock on the sliding glass door, "Bitch, it's me
You thought you was slick the way you hit me for that lick
But you slipped, now I'm gettin'✦ in your shit"
[Chorus: André 3000]
Brothers✦ on the block knowing✦
(From this point on, it only✦ gets rougher)✦
Sisters✦ at the crib knowing✦
(From this point on, it only✦ gets rougher)✦
Preachers✦ at the church knowing,✦ but still get by
(From this point on, it only✦ gets rougher)✦
Teachers✦ at the school knowing✦
(From this point on, it only✦ gets rougher)✦
Babies✦ on the bottle knowing✦
(From this point on, it only✦ gets rougher)✦
Junkies✦ on the corner✦ knowing,✦ but still get high
(From this point on, it only✦ gets rougher)✦
(From this point on, it only✦ gets rougher)✦
(From this point on, it only✦ gets rougher)✦
(From this point on, it only✦ gets rougher)✦
(From this point on, it only✦ gets rougher)✦

Technical Breakdown

6.6
Multisyllabic Rhymes9.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes9.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres5.0

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm5.5

Flow variation and timing (data-driven)

Vocabulary Complexity6.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control6.5

Performance and control

Computed Score6.57

Production

— Mr. DJ[1][3][5]

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Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Big Boi provides a gritty, narrative-driven verse that pivots from the existential abstract of the chorus to a grounded, hyper-specific street vignette, demonstrating strong rhythmic pocket control despite a reliance on linear storytelling over dense lyrical metaphors.

B
9.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
5.5
Cadence / Flow
6
Vocabulary
5
Wordplay
6.5
Delivery
Internal multi-syllabic chainingNarrative enjambmentPercussive consonantsSituational irony
Rhyme Architecture: The verse utilizes an aggressive, AAAA-style rhyme scheme focused on the 'ah' and 'ot' sounds (apart, Honda, job, knob, yard, sarge, charge, rob, pockets, locket, license, man), effectively locking the listener into a driving, relentless cadence.
Verified Doubles & Entendres

"drill her like a sarge"

① A sexual act performed with mechanical, repetitive intensity② A drill sergeant commanding a recruit with strict, authoritative discipline

"left her license"

① A literal piece of identification left at the crime scene② A symbolic relinquishing of agency and moral standing through the act of infidelity

Exceptional rhythmic consistency within the pocket

Strong character work that anchors the abstract hook

Effective use of internal rhyme clusters to drive momentum

Relies on somewhat dated or shock-value-adjacent tropes regarding the subject 'Wanda'

Limited usage of higher-order linguistic devices like complex similes or layered metaphors

The rhyme scheme occasionally forces word choice over thematic depth

User Scores