Ready to Die

Unbelievable

The Notorious B.I.G.

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

12

End

99

Internal

71

Multi

133

Slant

4

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Chorus: The Notorious B.I.G. & R. Kelly]
It's unbelievable✦
Biggie Smalls is the illest✦
It's unbelievable✦ (Uh)
Biggie-Biggie-Biggie✦ Smalls is the illest✦ (Uh)
It's unbelievable✦
Biggie-Biggie-Biggie✦ Smalls is the illest✦ (What, what)
It's unbelievable✦
Biggie-Biggie-Biggie✦ Smalls is the illest✦
[Verse 2: The Notorious B.I.G.]
B-I-G, G-I-E, A-K-A, B-I-G
Get it? Biggie
Also✦ known as the bon appétit
Rappers✦ can't sleep need sleepin'✦
B.I.G. keep creepin'✦
Bullets heat-seekin', casualties✦ need treatin'
Dumb rappers✦ need teachin'
Lesson✦ A: Don't fuck with B-I
That's that "Oh I, thought he was wack"
Oh, come, come now, why y'all so dumb now?
Hunt me or be hunted✦
I got three hundred and fifty-seven ways
To simmer✦ sauté, I'm the winner✦ all day
Lights get dimmer✦ down Biggie's✦ hallway
My forte causes✦ Caucasians to say
"He sounds demented"✦
Car weed scented,✦ if I said it, I meant it
Bite my tongue for no one
Call me evil, or unbelievable✦
[Chorus: The Notorious B.I.G. & R. Kelly]
It's unbelievable✦
Biggie Smalls is the illest✦
It's unbelievable✦
Biggie-Biggie-Biggie✦ Smalls is the illest✦ (Uh)
It's unbelievable✦ (What, uh)
Biggie Smalls is the illest✦ (Uh)
It's unbelievable✦
Biggie-Biggie-Biggie✦ Smalls is the illest✦
[Verse 3: The Notorious B.I.G.]
Buck shots out the sun roof of Lexus coupes✦
Leave no witnesses, what you think this is?
Ain't no amateurs here
I damage✦ and tear, MCs fear me
They too near not to hear me
Clearly, I'm the triple beam dream
One thousand grams of uncut✦ to the gut
It seems fucked✦ up, the way I touched up the grill
Tryin' to play gorilla when you ain't no killer✦
The gat's by your liver,✦ your upper✦ lip quiver✦
Get ready✦ to die, tell God I said hi
And throw down some ice for the nicest✦ MC
Niggas know the steelo,✦ unbelievable✦
[Chorus: The Notorious B.I.G. & R. Kelly]
It's unbelievable✦
Biggie Smalls is the illest✦
It's unbelievable✦
Biggie-Biggie-Biggie✦ Smalls is the illest✦
It's unbelievable✦
Biggie-Biggie-Biggie✦ Smalls is the illest✦
It's unbelie-believe-believable✦
Biggie-Biggie-Biggie✦ Smalls is the illest✦
[Outro: The Notorious B.I.G. & R. Kelly]
'B-belie-ie-ie-ie—
Biggie-Biggie-Biggie✦ Smalls is the illest✦
'Be-be-be-be—
Biggie-Biggie-Biggie✦ Smalls is the illest✦
'Be-be-believable✦
Biggie-Biggie-Biggie✦ Smalls is the illest✦
Biggie Smalls-Biggie-Biggie-Biggie✦ Smalls—
'Be-be-believable✦
Biggie-Biggie-Biggie✦ Smalls is the illest✦

Technical Breakdown

7.6
Multisyllabic Rhymes8.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes8.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres7.5

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm6.5

Flow variation and timing (data-driven)

Vocabulary Complexity6.5

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control9.0

Performance and control

Computed Score7.63

Production

— DJ Premier

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Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Biggie utilizes heavy phonetic play and internal rhyme chains to establish dominance, using a rhythmic cadence that emphasizes the harshness of his persona within the 1994 landscape.

B+
8.5
Multisyllabic
8.5
Internal Rhymes
6.5
Cadence / Flow
6.5
Vocabulary
7.5
Wordplay
9
Delivery
Multisyllabic internal rhymingPhonetic name breakdownStaccato deliveryAggressive enunciation
Rhyme Architecture: The verse relies on AAAA cluster rhyming with heavy internal connectivity, particularly the -in rhyme scheme (sleepin, creepin, seekin, treatin, teachin) which creates a persistent, driving momentum.
Verified Doubles & Entendres

"bon appétit"

① The literal French phrase implying a good meal, positioning Biggie as the predator.② A phonetic play on 'Biggie' (B-I-G / Bon) playing off the previous line's spelling breakdown.

"three hundred and fifty-seven ways / To simmer sauté"

① Reference to the .357 Magnum firearm.② Metaphorical culinary imagery describing the violent 'cooking' or finishing of his competition.

Exceptional rhythmic placement of syllables

Authoritative vocal projection

Effective use of assonance to link disparate phrases

Strong structural cohesion

Some punchlines rely more on delivery than dense metaphorical layers

Vocabulary breadth is focused on persona maintenance rather than complex abstraction

User Scores