The Master

No. 1 with a Bullet

Rakim

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

End

496

Internal

212

Multi

719

Slant

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight

[Chorus]

(to the tune of Charli^✦ XCX's Vroom Vroom)

'Cause I'm beginnin'^✦ to feel like a Rap God, Rap God

All my people from the front to the back nod, back nod

(to the tune of They Might Be Giants' Ana^✦ Ng) Now, who thinks their arms are long enough^✦ to slap box, slap box?

Let me show you maintainin' this shit ain't that hard, that hard

(to the tune of Mastodon's The Wolf is Loose) Everybody^✦ want the key and the secret^✦ to rap immortality^✦ like Ι have got

[Verse 2]

(to the tune of The Strokes' The Adults Are Talking)

Well, to be truthful^✦ the blueprint's

Simply^✦ rage and youthful^✦ exuberance^✦

Everybody^✦ loves^✦ to root for a nuisance^✦

Hit the Earth like an asteroid

Did nothing but shoot for the Moon since (Pew!)

(to the tune of Billie Eilish's You Should See Me In a Crown) MCs get taken^✦ to school with this music^✦

'Cause I use it as a vehicle to "bus the rhyme"

Now I lead a new school full of students

Me? (to the tune of Battles' My Machines)^✦ I'm a product of Rakim^✦

Lakim^✦ Shabazz, 2Pac, N.W.A, Cube, hey Doc, Ren

Yella,^✦ Eazy,^✦ thank you, they got Slim

(to the tune of The National's I'll Still Destroy You) Inspired enough^✦ to one day grow up, blow up and be in a position^✦

To meet Run–D.M.C., and induct them

Into^✦ the motherfuckin'^✦ (to the tune of Lightning Bolt's Dracula Mountain)^✦ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Even^✦ though I'll walk in the church and burst in a ball of flames^✦

Only^✦ Hall of Fame I'll be inducted in is the alcohol of fame

On the wall of shame

(to the tune of Chelsea Wolfe's^✦ Carrion^✦ Flowers)

You fags think it's all a game, 'til I walk a flock of flames^✦

Off a plank and, tell me what in the fuck are you thinkin'?

(to the tune of Yves^✦ Tumor's Lifetime)^✦ Little gay-lookin' boy

So gay I can barely^✦ say it with a straight face, lookin'^✦ boy (Ha-ha!)^✦

You're witnessin' a mass-occur

Like you're watching a church gathering take place, lookin'^✦ boy

(to the tune of Theory^✦ of a Deadman's Bad Girlfriend)

"Oy vey, that boy's gay!"—that's all they say, lookin'^✦ boy

You get a thumbs up, pat on the back

And a "way to go" from your label^✦ every^✦ day, lookin'^✦ boy

(to the tune of Eminem's White America) Hey, lookin'^✦ boy! What you say, lookin'^✦ boy?

I get a "hell yeah" from Dre, lookin'^✦ boy

I'ma^✦ work for everything^✦ I have, never^✦ asked^✦ nobody^✦ for shit

Get outta^✦ my face, lookin'^✦ boy!

(to the tune of Dream Theater's The Dance of Eternity)^✦

Basically, boy, you're never^✦ gonna^✦ be capable

Of keepin'^✦ up with the same pace, lookin'^✦ boy, 'cause—

[Chorus]

(to the tune of Aphex Twin's Come to Daddy)^✦ I'm beginnin'^✦ to feel like a Rap God, Rap God

All my people from the front to the back nod, back nod

(to the tune of Creed's Higher)^✦ The way I'm racin'^✦ around^✦ the track, call me NASCAR,^✦ NASCAR^✦

Dale Earnhardt of the trailer park, the White Trash God

(to the tune of Phil Collins' In The Air Tonight) Kneel before^✦ General Zod

This planet's Krypton—no, Asgard,^✦ Asgard^✦

[Verse 3]

(to the tune of the Curb Your Enthusiasm theme) So you'll be Thor and I'll be Odin^✦

You rodent,^✦ I'm omnipotent

Let off, then I'm reloadin'

Immediately with these bombs I'm totin'^✦

(to the tune of Funkadelic's Can You Get to That) And I should not be woken^✦

I'm the walkin'^✦ dead, but I'm just a talkin'^✦ head, a zombie floatin'^✦

But I got your mom deep-throatin'^✦

(to the tune of the Dropkick Murphy's I'm Shipping Up to Boston)^✦ I'm out my Ramen^✦ Noodle

We have nothin'^✦ in common,^✦ poodle

I'm a Doberman, pinch yourself^✦ in the arm and pay homage,^✦ pupil^✦

(to the tune of Delia^✦ Derbyshire's Ziwzih^✦ Ziwzih^✦ OO-OO-OO) It's me, my honesty's brutal^✦

But it's honestly futile^✦ if I don't utilize what I do though

(to the tune of Rush's YYZ) For good at least once in a while

So I wanna^✦ make sure somewhere in this chicken scratch I scribble and doodle (to the tune of Deftones' My Own Summer^✦ (Shove It)) enough^✦ rhymes^✦

To maybe try to help get some people through tough times^✦

But I gotta^✦ keep a few punchlines^✦

Just in case 'cause even^✦ you unsigned

(to the tune of Motorhead's Ace of Spades)^✦ Rappers are hungry^✦ lookin'^✦ at me like it's lunchtime^✦

I know there was a time where once I

Was king of the underground^✦

But I still rap like I'm on my Pharoahe (to the tune of WatchMojo Background^✦ music)^✦ Monch grind

So I crunch rhymes,^✦ but sometimes when you combine^✦

Appeal^✦ with the skin color^✦ of mine

You get too big and here they come tryin'

(to the tune of Nine Inch Nails' The Day the World Went Away)^✦ To censor^✦ you like that one line

I said on "I'm Back" from The Mathers^✦ LP 1 when I

Tried to say I'll take seven^✦ kids from Columbine^✦

(to the tune of Slipknot's My Plague) Put 'em all in a line, add an AK-47, a revolver and a 9

See if I get away^✦ with it now that I ain't as big as I was, but I'm

(to the tune of Modest Mouse's^✦ Dashboard) Morphin' into^✦ an immortal, comin'^✦ through the portal^✦

You're stuck in a time warp from 2004 though

And I don't know what the fuck that you rhyme for

(to the tune of The Shaggs' My Pal Foot-Foot) You're pointless as Rapunzel with fuckin'^✦ cornrows

You write normal?^✦ Fuck being normal!^✦

And I just bought a new (to the tune of Captain^✦ Beefheart and his Magic^✦ Band's Frownland) raygun from the future^✦

Just to come and shoot ya, like when Fabolous^✦ made Ray J mad

'Cause Fab said he looked^✦ like a fag at Mayweather's^✦ pad

Singin'^✦ to a man while he played piano^✦

(to the tune of Clown Core's^✦ Flat Earth) Man, oh man, that was a 24/7 special on the cable channel

So Ray J went straight to the radio^✦ station^✦

The very^✦ next day, "Hey Fab, I'ma^✦ kill you!"

(to the tune of Napalm Death's You Suffer)^✦ Lyrics comin'^✦ at you at (to the tune of Hechizeros Band's El Sonidito) supersonic speed (J.J. Fad)

Uh, summa-lumma,^✦ dooma-lumma,^✦ you assumin' I'm a human^✦

What I gotta^✦ do to get it through to you? I'm superhuman

Innovative and I'm made of rubber^✦ so that anything^✦ you say is ricochetin' off of me and it'll glue to you and

(to the tune of Boots Randolph's Yakety^✦ Sax) I'm devastating,^✦ more than ever^✦ demonstrating^✦

How to give a motherfuckin'^✦ audience a feeling like it's levitating^✦

Never^✦ fading,^✦ and I know the haters are forever waiting

For the day that they can say I fell off, they'll be celebrating^✦

(to the tune of Linkin^✦ Park's Papercut) 'Cause I know the way to get 'em motivated

I make elevating^✦ music,^✦ you make elevator music^✦

"Oh, he's too mainstream."

Well, that's what they do when they get jealous,^✦ they confuse^✦ it

(to the tune of Kanye West's POWER)^✦

"It's not hip-hop, it's pop,"—'cause^✦ I found a hella^✦ way to fuse it

With rock, shock rap with Doc

Throw on "Lose Yourself"^✦ and make 'em lose it

(to the tune of Outkast's SpottieOttieDopaliscious)^✦

"I don't know how to make songs like that

I don't know what words to use."

Let me know when it occurs to you

While I'm rippin'^✦ any^✦ one of these verses^✦ that versus^✦ you

(to the tune of James^✦ Tenney's Collage #1) It's curtains, I'm inadvertently hurtin'^✦ you

How many^✦ verses^✦ I gotta^✦ murder^✦ to

Prove that if you were half as nice, your songs you could sacrifice virgins too?!

(to the tune of J Dilla's Last Donut^✦ of the Night) Ugh, school flunky,^✦ pill junkie

But look at the accolades these skills brung me

Full of myself,^✦ but still hungry^✦

(to the tune of Britney Spears' Toxic)^✦

I bully^✦ myself^✦ 'cause I make me do what I put my mind to

And I'm a million^✦ leagues^✦ above^✦ you

Ill when I speak in tongues,^✦ (to the tune of DAMN BOI HE THICK) but it's still tongue-in-cheek, fuck you

I'm drunk, so, Satan,^✦ take the fucking wheel

I'ma^✦ sleep in the front seat

Bumpin'^✦ Heavy^✦ D and the Boyz, (to the tune of Scott Joplin's The Entertainer) still "Chunky^✦ but Funky"^✦

But in my head there's^✦ something I can feel tugging and struggling

Angels fight with devils^✦ (to the tune of the "That Was Easy"^✦ button)^✦ and here's^✦ what they want from me

(to the tune of 100 gecs' xXXi_wud_nvrstøp_ÜXXx) They're askin'^✦ me to eliminate some of the women^✦ hate

But if you take into^✦ consideration^✦ the bitter^✦ hatred^✦

I have, then you may be a little patient

And more sympathetic to the situation^✦

(to the tune of the iPhone^✦ 6 Marimba Ringtone) And understand the discrimination^✦

But fuck it, life's^✦ handin'^✦ you lemons? Make lemonade then!

But if I can't batter^✦ the women^✦

How the fuck am I (to the tune of My Chemical Romance's Welcome to the Black Parade)^✦ supposed to bake 'em a cake then?

Don't mistake^✦ him for Satan^✦

It's a fatal^✦ mistake^✦ if you think I need to be overseas and take a vacation^✦

To trip a broad, (to the tune of the THX Deep Note) and make her fall on her face and

Don't be a retard—be a king? Think not

Why be a king when you can be a god?

Technical Breakdown

9.2

Multisyllabic Rhymes9.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes9.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres8.0

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm10.0

Flow variation and timing (data-driven)

Vocabulary Complexity8.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control9.0

Performance and control

Computed Score9.24

Production

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Critic Analysis

RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

The verse functions as a sophisticated meta-commentary on lineage, using poly-rhythmic shifts and rapid-fire cadence to bridge disparate musical influences while maintaining the technical precision of a golden-era architect.

A+

9.5

Multisyllabic

9.5

Internal Rhymes

Cadence / Flow

Vocabulary

Wordplay

Delivery

Intertextual layeringPolyrhythmic shiftsMultisyllabic internal rhyme chainsMeta-allusionSyncopated cadences

Rhyme Architecture: The verse utilizes an aggressive, tight-knit internal rhyme structure that relies on assonance and multis, particularly during the lists of influences, shifting between rigid 4/4 time and erratic, high-velocity triplet flows.

Verified Doubles & Entendres

"bus the rhyme"

① A colloquialism for executing a rhythmic rap sequence (busting a rhyme).② A literal reference to the 'vehicle' metaphor preceding the phrase, suggesting his music is a bus transporting students/MCs to school.

"I'll walk in the church and burst in a ball of flames"

① The literal, blasphemous hyperbole of a rap artist being too 'hot' or 'demonic' for the sanctified space of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.② A meta-commentary on how the 'sacred' institution of the Hall of Fame changes once hip-hop culture fully integrates into it, essentially burning down the traditional rock-centric definition of the church.

Exceptional command of rhythmic density

High-level historical synthesis of rap lineage

Technical mastery of cadence shifts

Clear, authoritative vocal presence

Density of allusions may alienate casual listeners

Relies heavily on external musical referents for structural coherence

Potential for uneven flow transitions between disparate stylistic sections

No. 1 with a Bullet

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

Technical Breakdown

Production

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