Life After Death
You're Nobody (Til Somebody Kills You)
The Notorious B.I.G.
Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis
36
End
163
Internal
75
Multi
134
Slant
15
Chain
Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Chorus: The Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans & (Puff Daddy)]
You're nobody✦ 'til somebody✦ kills you
(I don't wanna✦ die, God tell me why)
You're nobody✦ 'til somebody,✦ kills you
(I don't wanna✦ die, God tell me why)
[Verse 2: The Notorious B.I.G.]
Uh, uh, watch Casino✦
I'm the hip-hop version of Nicky✦ Tarantino, ask Nino✦
He know, green with envy,✦ the green tempts me
To make the rich the enemy,✦ and take their cheese
Take their spots, take their keys
Make my faculty live happily ever✦ after✦ in laughter
Hah, never✦ seen Cristal✦ pour faster✦
And tell them bastards, knuckleheads squeeze lead
Three of mine dead, nothin'✦ left to do
But tear they ass to shreds, leave 'em in bloodshed
Incidents like this, I take trips
Lay up in Miami✦ with Tamika✦ and Tammy✦ (Huh)
Some Creole C-O bitches✦ I met on tour
Push a peach Legend Coupe, gold teeth galore✦ (Say what?)
Told me meet 'em in the future✦ later✦
They'll take me shoppin', buy me lavender and fuschia Gators
Introduce me to player haters and heavy✦ weighters
Rich bitch shit, drinkin' Cristal✦ 'til they piss the shit, uhh
Thorough✦ bitches,✦ adapt to any✦ borough✦ bitches✦
Be in spots where they were no bitches,✦ you feel me
Reminisce on dead friends too
You're nobody✦ 'til somebody✦ kills you
[Chorus: The Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans & (Puff Daddy)]
You're nobody✦ 'til somebody✦ kills you
(I don't wanna✦ die, God tell me why)
You're nobody✦ 'til somebody,✦ kills you
(I don't wanna✦ die, God tell me why)
You're nobody✦ 'til somebody✦ kills you
(I don't wanna✦ die, God tell me why)
You're nobody✦ 'til somebody,✦ kills you
(I don't wanna✦ die, God tell me why)
Uhh, uhh
[Verse 3: The Notorious B.I.G.]
You can be the shit, flash the fattest five (That's right)
Have the biggest dick, but when your shell get hit
You ain't worth spit (Uh-huh),✦ just a memory✦
Remember✦ he used✦ to push the champagne Range (I don't remember✦ that)
Silly✦ cat, wore suede in the rain
Swear he put the G in game, had the Gucci✦ frame
Before✦ Dana✦ Dane, thought he ran with Payne
I can't recall his name (What was his name?)
You mean that kid that nearly✦ lost half his brain over✦ two bricks of cocaine?✦
Gettin'✦ his dick sucked✦ by Crackhead Lorraine?✦
A fuckin'✦ shame, duke's a lame, what's his name? (What's his name?)
Dark-skin Jermaine,✦ see what I mean?
[Chorus: The Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans & (Puff Daddy)]
You're nobody✦ 'til somebody✦ kills you
(I don't wanna✦ die, God tell me why)
You're nobody✦ 'til somebody,✦ kills you
(I don't wanna✦ die, God tell me why)
You're nobody✦ 'til somebody✦ kills you
(I don't wanna✦ die, God tell me why)
You're nobody✦ 'til somebody,✦ kills you
(I don't wanna✦ die, God tell me why)
Technical Breakdown
9.0
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 / Rhythm10.0
Flow variation and timing (data-driven)
Vocabulary Complexity6.0
Range and depth of words used (data-driven)
Delivery / Breath Control9.0
Performance and control
Computed Score8.98
Production
— Puff Daddy, Stevie J, DJ Enuff, Jiv PosBe the first to rate the production
Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™
Biggie utilizes an exceptional 'conversational grit' delivery style that masks complex, dense internal rhyme structures behind a relaxed, seemingly effortless flow.
A+
9.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
10
Cadence / Flow
6
Vocabulary
7.5
Wordplay
9
Delivery
multi-syllabic rhymingenjambmentinternal rhyme clustersassonance-driven cadence
Rhyme Architecture: The verse relies on a loose, fluid AABB-adjacent structure that frequently breaks for internal rhyme chains, utilizing near-rhymes to maintain momentum across multisyllabic ends.
Verified Doubles & Entendres
"the green tempts me / To make the rich the enemy, and take their cheese"
① The color green refers to U.S. currency (money).② The green refers to the emotion of envy, which Biggie acknowledges is driving his criminal intent.
"heavy weighters"
① A play on 'heavyweights,' denoting powerful or influential people in the industry or underworld.② A direct reference to the drug trade, specifically individuals who handle and sell large quantities (weights) of narcotics.
Extraordinary command of internal rhyme density
Exceptional rhythmic elasticity that feels conversational yet precise
Strong narrative world-building within a brief bar-count
Vocabulary breadth is standard for the genre
Occasional reliance on genre-typical tropes (luxury lifestyle)