Donda
Pure Souls
Kanye West
Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis
39
End
194
Internal
93
Multi
281
Slant
13
Chain
Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Verse 2: Kanye West & Malik Yusef]
Uh, uh, well, well, here goes
Well, here goes, but here goes
I was one of them weirdos of the pure soul
That would go to the flea market✦ to buy fake clothes
Every✦ color✦ Girbauds, every✦ Cutlass is cold
Every✦ cousin✦ that stole, every✦ summer✦ was cold
Out of all of the Moes, out of all of the Folks
After✦ all of the jokes,✦ I'm the one that was chose
All of my friends love to gangbang
How we in my car and you say we ain't in the same lane?
When we both had Pelles✦ on
And we was scammin' for the prom before✦ Chief Keef was "Bang, Bang"
Always✦ had mob ties
Stood on my six points, how could I not rise?
Love, truth, peace, freedom, justice, but I'm not five
This Southside,✦ and we outside✦
This Southside,✦ and we outside✦
This Southside,✦ and we outside✦
This Southside,✦ and we outside✦
This Southside,✦ and we outside✦
And for all the guys that went to the White House and said, "Free the old man"
Every✦ day I put my life on the line to feed the whole clan
Personal worth is not what a person✦ is worth
I can give a dollar✦ to every✦ person✦ on Earth
Man, it's gotta✦ be God's plan
Man, I swear these boys keep playin'
We gon' have to square up then
We gon' have to send it up then
We gon' have to send it up then
We gon' have to send it up then, uh
We gon' have to send it up then
We gon' have to send it up then
My favorite place to send it
[Bridge: Kanye West]
It ain't how it used✦ to be
This the new me, so get used✦ to me
It ain't how it used✦ to be
This the new me, so get used✦ to me
Lookin'✦ in the mirror,✦ it's the truth for me
Lookin'✦ at my kids, it's the proof for me
Devil✦ get behind✦ me, I'm loose, I'm free
Father,✦ Holy✦ Spirit,✦ let loose on me
Father,✦ I'm Yours exclusively✦
Devil✦ get behind✦ me, I'm loose, I'm free
Father,✦ Holy✦ Spirit,✦ let loose on me
Father,✦ I'm Yours exclusively✦
Devil✦ get behind✦ me, I'm loose, I'm free
Devil✦ get behind✦ me, I'm loose, I'm free
[Chorus: Roddy Ricch & Shenseea]
The truth is only✦ what you get away✦ with, huh
I said the truth is only✦ what you get away✦ with, huh?
Ayy, that's why a lot of these **** be fakin',✦ huh (Man, this beat is so hard)
Made it through the trials and tribulations, huh
[Outro: Shenseea]
Woah, oh, yeah-yeah
The truth the only✦ thing you get away✦ with (Can't get away)✦
Oh, no (No)
The truth the only✦ thing you get away✦ with (Woah-woah, oh)
The truth (I did it), the truth
The truth the only✦ thing you get away✦ with
Oh-oh (Altogether, trust again)✦
The truth the only✦ thing you get away✦ with
(I can trust again,✦ I can only✦ trust in Him, woah)
The truth (Oh, yeah)
The truth the only✦ thing you get away✦ with (Can't get away)✦
Oh, oh
The truth the only✦ thing you get away✦ with
The truth (The truth), the truth (Woah)
He know every✦ side of, every✦ side of you (Oh)
Don't shine through
They could never✦ hide from you (The truth)
He can see it, bird's-eye view
The truth the only✦ thing you get away✦ with
Won't get away✦
Oh, oh
They can never✦ hide from you
They can never✦ hide, hide from you (No, no)
The truth
The truth the only✦ thing you get away✦ with
Get away,✦ get away,✦ oh-woah✦
The truth the only✦ thing you get away✦ with
The truth, the truth
The truth the only✦ thing you get away✦ with
Technical Breakdown
8.0
Multisyllabic Rhymes8.5
Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)
Internal Rhymes9.5
Rhymes within a line (data-driven)
Wordplay / Double Entendres6.0
Clever language, metaphors, punchlines
Cadence / Rhythm10.0
Flow variation and timing (data-driven)
Vocabulary Complexity4.0
Range and depth of words used (data-driven)
Delivery / Breath Control7.0
Performance and control
Computed Score8.02
Production
— Kanye West, BoogzDaBeast, Sucuki, Shuko, Bastian Völkel, Ojivolta, MIKE DEAN, Fya Man, Dem Jointz, FnZ, Jahaan Sweet, Raul Cubina, Mark WilliamsBe the first to rate the production
Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™
Kanye utilizes a nostalgic, rhythmic storytelling approach that bridges his 'Southside' upbringing with his current status, relying more on autobiographical pacing and internal rhyme chains than complex lyrical abstraction.
A
8.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
10
Cadence / Flow
4
Vocabulary
6
Wordplay
7
Delivery
AnaphoraInternal Rhyme ChainsCultural ReferencingRhythmic Cadence Variation
Rhyme Architecture: The verse relies heavily on AAAA monorhyme structures within triplets, utilizing long-vowel 'o' sounds (souls, clothes, Girbauds, cold, stole, Moes, Folks, jokes, chose) to maintain momentum.
Verified Doubles & Entendres
"Stood on my six points, how could I not rise?"
① Literal reference to the Moorish Science Temple of America's five-pointed star (the sixth point being the circle or the individual's growth).② A play on his physical stance or 'grounded' nature in his Southside identity, suggesting that being 'centered' creates upward mobility.
"How we in my car and you say we ain't in the same lane?"
① Literal context of driving in a vehicle together.② Metaphorical claim about drifting moral or social paths despite sharing the same environment and history.
"Personal worth is not what a person is worth"
① The intrinsic value of a human soul or identity.② The monetary value or market capitalization (net worth) of an individual, highlighting the disconnect between capitalism and morality.
Consistent, hypnotic rhythmic pocket
Effective use of nostalgic imagery to define character
Strong structural coherence between personal history and collective cultural shifts
Vocabulary remains relatively basic to favor accessible storytelling
Occasional reliance on list-based narrative structures rather than deeper metaphor
The concluding philosophical aphorism feels slightly detached from the verse's established gritty tone