Ready to Die
Things Done Changed
The Notorious B.I.G.
Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis
60
End
206
Internal
88
Multi
226
Slant
21
Chain
Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Chorus]
Back in the day
Things done changed✦ on this side
Remember✦ they used✦ to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed✦ on this side
Remember✦ they used✦ to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed✦ on this side
Remember✦ they used✦ to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed✦ on this side
Remember✦ they used✦ to thump, but now they blast, right?
[Verse 2]
No more coco-levio one, two, three
One, two, three, all it is to me is a mystery
I hear you motherfuckers✦ talk about✦ it
But I stay seeing bodies✦ with the motherfuckin' chalk around✦ it
And I'm down with the shit, too
For the stupid motherfuckers✦ want to try to use Kung-Fu✦
Instead of a MAC-10, he tried scrappin'
Slugs in his back and that's what the fuck happens
When you sleep on the street
Little motherfuckers✦ with heat wanna✦ leave a nigga✦ six feet deep
And we coming✦ to the wake
To make sure the crying and commotion ain't a motherfucking✦ fake
Back in the days our parents used✦ to take care of us
Look at 'em now, they even✦ fuckin'✦ scared✦ of us
Calling the city✦ for help because✦ they can't maintain
Damn, shit done changed✦
[Chorus]
Back in the day
Things done changed✦ on this side
Remember✦ they used✦ to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed✦ on this side
Remember✦ they used✦ to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed✦ on this side
Remember✦ they used✦ to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed✦ on this side
Remember✦ they used✦ to thump, but now they blast, right?
[Verse 3]
If I wasn't in the rap game
I'd probably have a ki, knee-deep in the crack game
Because✦ the streets is a short stop
Either✦ you're slingin' crack rock or you got a wicked✦ jump shot
Shit, it's hard being young from the slums
Eatin'✦ five cent gums, not knowing✦ where your meal's coming✦ from
And now the shit's getting crazier and major
Kids younger than me, they got the Sky brand pagers
Goin' out of town, blowing✦ up
Six months later,✦ all the dead bodies✦ showing✦ up
It make me wanna✦ grab the nine and the shotty✦
But I gotta✦ go identify the body✦
Damn, what happened to the summertime cookouts?
Every✦ time I turn around,✦ a nigga✦ gettin'✦ took out
Shit, my mama✦ got cancer✦ in her breast
Don't ask me why I'm motherfucking✦ stressed, things done changed✦
[Chorus]
Back in the day
Things done changed✦ on this side
Remember✦ they used✦ to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed✦ on this side
Remember✦ they used✦ to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed✦ on this side
Remember✦ they used✦ to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed✦ on this side
Remember✦ they used✦ to thump, but now they blast, right?
[Outro]
Back in the day
Things done changed✦ on this side
Remember✦ they used✦ to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed✦ on this side
Remember✦ they used✦ to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed✦ on this side
Remember✦ they used✦ to thump, but now they blast, right?
Back in the day
Things done changed✦ on this side
Remember✦ they used✦ to thump, but now they blast, right?
Technical Breakdown
8.9
Multisyllabic Rhymes8.5
Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)
Internal Rhymes9.5
Rhymes within a line (data-driven)
Wordplay / Double Entendres7.0
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 Control9.5
Performance and control
Computed Score8.95
Production
— Darnell ScottBe the first to rate the production
Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™
Biggie utilizes an exceptional 'conversational grit' delivery style that prioritizes narrative immersion over complex lyrical abstraction, perfectly capturing the shift from physical street combat to firearm-dominated violence in early 90s NYC.
A+
8.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
10
Cadence / Flow
6
Vocabulary
7
Wordplay
9.5
Delivery
Assonant internal rhymingPercussive cadence shiftingStaccato deliveryNarrative framing
Rhyme Architecture: Predominantly AABB with dense internal multi-syllabic clusters (e.g., 'coco-levio', 'mystery', 'chalk around it', 'Kung-Fu', 'scrappin', 'happen').
Verified Doubles & Entendres
"chalk around it"
① The physical substance used by police to outline a body at a crime scene② A symbol of the inevitable lethal outcome of the 'talk' mentioned in the previous bar
"sleep on the street"
① To literally spend the night on the pavement (homelessness or exhaustion)② To underestimate the danger or alertness required to survive in the neighborhood
Incredible rhythmic placement and pocket mastery
Evocative storytelling that sets the scene for the 1994 era
Commanding vocal presence that feels visceral and authentic
Vocabulary breadth is limited by the colloquial, ground-level focus of the narrative
Wordplay is functional rather than abstract or highly layered