Midnight Marauders

Award Tour

A Tribe Called Quest

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

32

End

139

Internal

60

Multi

167

Slant

28

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Chorus: Trugoy the Dove & Q-Tip]
We on a world tour with Muhammad,✦ my man (Right, true)
Goin' each and every✦ place with the mic in their hand (Right, true)
Chinatown,✦ Spokane,✦ London,✦ Tokyo✦ (Right, true)
(Right, true)
We on a world tour with Muhammad,✦ my man (Right, true)
Goin' each and every✦ place with the mic in their hand (Right, true)
Houston,✦ Delaware,✦ DC, Dallas✦ (Right, true)
(Right, true)
[Verse 2: Phife Dawg]
Back in '89, I simply✦ slid into✦ place
Buddy,✦ buddy,✦ buddy✦ all up in your face
A lot of kids was bustin'✦ rhymes,✦ but they had no taste
Some said Quest was wack, but now is that the case?
I have a quest to have a mic in my hand
Without that, it's like Kryptonite and Superman
So, Shaheed,✦ come in with the sugar✦ cuts
Phife Dawg's my name, but on stage call me Dynomutt
When was the last time you heard the Phifer✦ sloppy?✦
Lyrics anonymous, you'll never✦ hear me copy✦
Top notch, baby,✦ never✦ comin'✦ less
Sky's the limit,✦ you gots to believe up in Quest
Sit back, relax, get up out the path
If not that, here's✦ a dance floor, come move that ass
Non-believers, you can check the stats
I roll with Shaheed✦ and the brother Abstract
Niggas✦ know the time when Quest is in the jam
I never✦ let a statue tell me how nice I am
Comin'✦ with more hits than the Braves✦ and the Yankees
Livin'✦ mad phat like an oversized mampi
The wackest crews try to diss, it makes✦ me laugh
When my track record's longer✦ than a DC-20 aircraft
So next time that you think you want somethin'✦ here
Make somethin'✦ def or take that garbage to St. Elsewhere
[Chorus: Trugoy the Dove & Q-Tip]
We on a world tour with Muhammad,✦ my man (Right, true)
Goin' each and every✦ place with the mic in their hand (Right, true)
SC, Maryland, New Orleans, Motown (Right, true)
(Right, true)
We on a world tour with Muhammad,✦ my man (Right, true)
Goin' each and every✦ place with the mic in their hand (Right, true)
Chinatown,✦ Spokane,✦ London,✦ Tokyo✦ (Right, true)
(Right, true)
We on a world tour with Muhammad,✦ my man (Right, true)
Goin' each and every✦ place with the mic in their hand (Right, true)
Houston,✦ Delaware,✦ DC, Dallas✦ (Right, true)
(Right, true)
We on a world tour with Muhammad,✦ my man (Right, true)
Goin' each and every✦ place with the mic in their hand (Right, true)
New York, NJ, NC, VA (Right, true)
[Outro: Midnight Marauder Program (Laura Dunn)]
Seven✦ times✦ out of ten, we listen✦ to our music✦ at night
Thus spawned the title of this program
The word maraud✦ means to loot
In this case, we maraud✦ for ears

Technical Breakdown

9.0
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 Complexity7.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control9.0

Performance and control

Computed Score8.98

Production

— A Tribe Called Quest

Be the first to rate the production

Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Phife Dawg utilizes rhythmic pocket-locking and a seamless internal flow to transcend simple rhyme schemes, establishing a signature conversational yet technically dense delivery that defines the 1993 East Coast aesthetic.

A+
8.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
10
Cadence / Flow
7
Vocabulary
7.5
Wordplay
9
Delivery
Internal RhymingMultisyllabic cadencePop-culture allusionConversational flowRhythmic syncopation
Rhyme Architecture: The verse utilizes an AAAA rhyming structure for the opening quad, moving into a complex interlocking pattern that relies on multisyllabic end-rhymes ('place', 'face', 'taste', 'case') followed by a bridge-like section and a firm rhythmic resolution.
Verified Doubles & Entendres

"Without that, it's like Kryptonite and Superman"

① The literal lack of a microphone renders the emcee powerless.② A metaphorical comparison to the singular weakness of a superhero, emphasizing the existential necessity of the mic to his identity.

"on stage call me Dynomutt"

① Reference to the 1970s cartoon character, implying a sidekick role or energetic persona.② A subversion of expectation; by comparing himself to the 'Dog Wonder,' Phife positions himself as the scrappy, loyal, and technically agile counterpart to Q-Tip's lead.

Exceptional rhythmic placement of 'buddy, buddy, buddy' to break tension

Strong integration of personal identity with pop-culture metaphors

High level of breath control allowing for sustained, aggressive delivery

Effective use of the 'setup and pay-off' structure in the final couplet

Vocabulary range is limited by the colloquial, accessible nature of the rhyme scheme

Occasional filler phrases typical of the era to maintain the rhyme pocket

User Scores