People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm

Pubic Enemy

A Tribe Called Quest

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

19

End

95

Internal

71

Multi

160

Slant

7

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Interlude: Kool DJ Red Alert]
YEAH!
Let me tell you more about✦ pubic✦ enemy✦
Ay, Q-Tip...
[Verse 2: Q-Tip]
Old King Cole was a merry✦ old soul
Had a lady✦ queen, married since 18
He protested,✦ that he was infested✦
Get lots of love, and he couldn't digest it
All propaganda, one big fat lie
'Cause I see the king with my very✦ own eye
Schemed✦ and schemed✦ like a crack fiend king
And poppin'✦ up on the teenage scene
And poppin✦ and pimpin'✦ on honeys✦ with moneys✦
Whole situation to me was kinda✦ funny✦
He hold the crown, but not the jimmy✦ hat
Now he wears a frown, and the jimmy✦ hates✦ that
So the fair maiden✦ in the royal bedroom
Caught the king scratchin', so she had to assume✦
That he got vicked✦ by the enemy's✦ trick
The thought of cheatin' made the maiden✦ so sick
That she screamed✦ and screamed,✦ went on and kept screamin'
Threw a pot and his dome was beamin'✦
You could hear him yellin'✦ in the motherland
"Baby,✦ baby,✦ please, baby,✦ understand"
She ignored, walked✦ through the gate
The king is in the kingdom to await his fate.. of the enemy✦
The Pubic✦ Enemy✦
[Verse 3: Q-Tip & Kool DJ Red Alert]
Propmaster✦ (Yeah?)
Please listen✦ to me (What?)
Somethin' is lurkin'✦ by the Jimbrowski
(Who? Jenny?)✦
No, not propulated✦
A horrible creature that must be penetrated✦
He gets all into✦ ya, then he tries to do ya
You better run fast, he's gonna✦ pursue the...
(What!? Yo! listen✦ here, Propmaster✦ whiz, no one fears...)
Okay,✦ bro, just thought I'd let ya know
How he lives,✦ and how he go
Watch yourself when you're out on the run
The enemy✦ is missed,✦ we'll have too much fun
There's✦ four friends of mine that thought they were bad
And laid up this girl, so now they're sad
They scratched✦ and scratched✦ like it was Saturdays and...
[Outro: Kool DJ Red Alert]
Listen✦ here, this is Kool DJ Red Alert
Known as the true, the only,✦ the very✦ one, the Propmaster✦
There's✦ only✦ one thing I gotta✦ tell ya
There's✦ a whole lotta✦ propmasters out there
You know what I mean?
Shaheed a propmaster✦
Q-Tip a propmaster✦
The Jungle Brothers a propmaster✦
BDP a propmaster✦
45 King a propmaster✦
I won't tell you nuthin'✦ 'bout the ladies✦
They ain't no propmaster✦
But you know who's the main propmaster✦ — ME!
Hup!

Technical Breakdown

7.5
Multisyllabic Rhymes9.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes8.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres6.5

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm7.5

Flow variation and timing (data-driven)

Vocabulary Complexity7.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control7.0

Performance and control

Computed Score7.53

Production

— A Tribe Called Quest, The Jungle Brothers

Be the first to rate the production

Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Q-Tip utilizes a nursery-rhyme-inspired narrative framework to subvert themes of royalty and infidelity, demonstrating high-level rhythmic agility consistent with early 90s alternative hip-hop.

B+
9.5
Multisyllabic
8.5
Internal Rhymes
7.5
Cadence / Flow
7
Vocabulary
6.5
Wordplay
7
Delivery
nursery rhyme interpolationinternal multi-syllabic chainingnarrative storytellingenjambment
Rhyme Architecture: Predominantly AABB couplets with consistent internal multisyllabic rhyming structures that lock into the primary end-rhyme scheme, creating a highly percussive flow.
Verified Doubles & Entendres

"He hold the crown, but not the jimmy hat"

① The King possesses royal authority but fails to wear a physical royal cap.② The King possesses status but fails to practice safe sex (jimmy hat as 90s slang for a condom).

"Now he wears a frown, and the jimmy hates that"

① The King is unhappy as a result of his social situation.② The King is experiencing the consequences of unprotected sexual activity, where 'the jimmy' (the anatomy) reflects the infection or social shame associated with his indiscretions.

Excellent rhythmic pocket and cadence variation

Coherent narrative arc

Effective subversion of classical archetypes

Literal storytelling occasionally prioritizes plot over complex double entendres

Subject matter is somewhat restricted by the allegorical framework

User Scores