Life After Death

Miss U

The Notorious B.I.G.

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

65

End

197

Internal

63

Multi

214

Slant

16

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Verse 1: The Notorious B.I.G.]
I remember sellin'✦ three bricks of straight flour
Got my man a beat down to the third power✦
He didn't care, spent the money✦ in a half hour
Got some fishscale, reigned on competition like a shower✦
Got the coke cooked✦ up, a crackhead Kevin✦
In '88 when Kane ruled✦ with Half Steppin'
A .38, a lot of mouth was our only✦ weapon✦
We was kings 'til the D's crept in and now I'm missin'✦ him
[Chorus: 112]
Ooh, I'm missin'✦ you (I'm missin'✦ you)
Tell me why the road turns, why it turns
Ooh, I'm missin'✦ you (Missin'✦ you)
Nah nah nah nah nah
Oh tell me why why why why (Uhh)
[Verse 2: The Notorious B.I.G.]
We work all week, weekends we play the movies
We rocked✦ flattops, our girls rocked✦ doobies✦
Made a killin'✦ even✦ though the D's knew me
Eventually, you know they try to do me, fuck it!
Fed up, my nigga✦ want to take it down South
Sick of cops coming, sick of throwing jacks in his mouth
Gave him half my paper,✦ told him, "Go that route!"
Few months, he got his brains blown out, now I'm stressed
His baby's✦ mother,✦ she trippin', blamin'✦ me
And his older✦ brothers understand the game it be
Kind of topsy-turvy; you win some, you lose some
Damn, they lost a brother, their mother✦ lost a son
Fuck, why my nigga✦ couldn't stay in N.Y.?
I'm a thug, but I swear for three days I cried
I look in the sky and ask God why
Can't look his baby✦ girls in the eye – damn, I'm missin'✦ him
[Chorus: 112]
Ooh, I'm missin'✦ you (I'm missin'✦ you)
Tell me why the road turns, why it turns
(Tell me, tell me why)
Ooh, I'm missin'✦ you (I'm missin'✦ you)
Nah nah nah nah nah
Oh tell me why why
(Tell me, tell me why) why why
[Verse 3: The Notorious B.I.G.]
There was this girl around✦ the way that made cats drool
Her name Drew, played fools out their money✦ in pool
People swore we was fuckin',✦ but we was just cool
She used✦ to hang while I slang my drugs after✦ school
She watched my bomb, help my moms with the groceries✦
My little sister,✦ the girl was kind of close to me
A little closer✦ than the average girl's supposed to be
Far from a lover,✦ my girl was jealous of her
Then she started messin'✦ with some major✦ players
Handled ki's, niggas called✦ them the Bricklayers✦
A dread kid, had a baby✦ 'fore that bitch Taya
Found out her baby's✦ father✦ cheating, now Drew, she got to slay her
One night, across from the corner✦ store
Taya ran around✦ the block with a chrome .44
Squeezed all six shots in the passenger door
The dude lived✦ – what my baby✦ had to die for? I'm missin'✦ her
[Chorus: 112]
Ooh, I'm missin'✦ you (I'm missin'✦ you)
Tell me why the road turns, why it turns
(Tell me, tell me why, ooh)
Ooh, I'm missin'✦ you (I'm missin'✦ you)
Nah nah nah nah nah
Oh tell me why why why why (Oh God tell me why)
Ooh, I'm missin'✦ you (Tell me, tell me why)
Tell me why the road turns, why it turns (Ooh ooh)
Ooh, I'm missin'✦ you (Missin'✦ you)
Nah nah nah nah nah
Oh tell me why why why why
Ooh, I'm missin'✦ you
Tell me why the road turns, why it turns
Ooh, I'm missin'✦ you

Technical Breakdown

8.8
Multisyllabic Rhymes8.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes9.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres7.5

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm10.0

Flow variation and timing (data-driven)

Vocabulary Complexity6.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control8.5

Performance and control

Computed Score8.75

Production

— Kay Gee

Be the first to rate the production

Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Biggie utilizes a narrative-driven flow that balances nostalgic '80s cultural signifiers with the grim reality of the crack era, grounding his wordplay in period-accurate slang and historical context.

A
8.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
10
Cadence / Flow
6
Vocabulary
7.5
Wordplay
8.5
Delivery
Historical period anchoringInternal multi-syllabic rhymingNarrative arc constructionColloquial imagery
Rhyme Architecture: Predominantly AAAA, BBBB, CCCC with heavy reliance on multi-syllabic internal chains that link the beginning, middle, and end of the bars, creating a cohesive, rhythmic 'swing' in the pocket.
Verified Doubles & Entendres

"beat down to the third power"

① A violent physical assault.② A play on the mathematical concept of a cube (third power), suggesting the magnitude or intensity of the beating was exponential.

"reigned on competition like a shower"

① Dominating the market through sales volume.② A double-meaning on 'reigned' (ruling) and 'rained' (a metaphor for bullets or product falling down upon rivals).

"throwing jacks"

① Committing robberies (jackings).② A play on the 'jack' (a tool for lifting a car), implying the aggressive, physical nature of the street lifestyle.

Superior structural pacing of the narrative

Vivid, era-specific cultural references (flattops, Kane's 'Half Steppin')

High-level command of the rhythmic pocket, consistent with the flowscore data

Emotional resonance balanced with street-hardened lyricism

Vocabulary remains relatively grounded to colloquial street dialect rather than high-concept linguistic complexity

The wordplay is largely narrative and descriptive rather than abstract or metaphorical

User Scores