Midnight Marauders

God Lives Through

A Tribe Called Quest

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

28

End

88

Internal

68

Multi

178

Slant

17

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Chorus]
Ooh, la-la-la-la✦ (Oh, my God, oh, my God)
Shooby-doo-doo-doo✦ (Oh, my God, oh, my God)
La-la-la-la✦ (Oh, my God, oh, my God)
Shooby-doo-doo-doo✦ (Oh, my God, oh, my God)
La-la-la-la✦ (Oh, my God, oh, my God)
Shooby-doo-doo-doo✦ (Oh, my God, oh, my God)
You know I'm on the other✦ for the Top 40 (Oh, my God, oh, my God)
Haha,✦ you gotta✦ do it like this (Oh, my God, oh, my God)
[Verse 2: Q-Tip]
We got the funk doody✦ don shit, clearly it's the bomb shit
So recognize✦ me, kids, memorize✦ me
Every✦ day, I be scroungin',✦ rarely,✦ I be loungin'✦
I play the down-low, very,✦ very✦ incognito
Aries✦ is my sign, I know that I can rhyme
Sometimes, I rhyme in riddles, plus I make the honeys wiggle
Intellect is the major, some heads like to wager✦
The skills on the hill, overlookin' dollar✦ bills
Man, you're crazy,✦ thinkin' you can faze me
The Ab' doesn't study✦ mere nonsense, money✦
Life seems to need me, MCs seem too cheesy✦
With they doody-ass renditions of defeatin' competition✦
I rock to the roll, man, yes, I'm a soul man
Bet your bottom dollar✦ Vinia✦ will make ya holla✦
As you stand at attention,✦ did I forget✦ to mention?✦
MCs will give me twenty✦ if I sense that they act funny✦
Lyrics are abundant,✦ right there, I sound redundant✦
Just mentionin' the fact that the area✦ is phat
I dwell in the under,✦ so honey,✦ it's no wonder✦
That I get plenty✦ of tail, well, I even✦ get white
I'ma✦ bet hittin' head crack, there, money,✦ take that
Breakin' niggas off, cut the bank, then I'm off
While my Nikes✦ match my Lo hat, beat joint is mad phat
Got the cutter✦ of the box if a kid think he's ox
For tier means creator,✦ the poetry✦ relator✦
It's hemmed✦ like Betsy✦ Ross, let me tell ya who's the boss
[Chorus: Q-Tip]
La-la-la✦ (Oh, my God)
La-la-la✦ (Oh, my God)
La-la-la,✦ smooth it out, y'all (Oh, my God)
La-la-la✦ (Oh, my God)
La-la-la✦ (Oh, my God)
La-la-la✦ (Oh, my God)
La-la-la✦ (Oh, my God)
La-la-la✦
[Outro: Q-Tip]
Queens got a—
Brooklyn got a—
Bronx got a—
Staten✦ Island✦ got a—
Long Island✦ got the zone
Jersey✦ got a—
Philly✦ got a—
Milwaukee got a—
L.A. got a—
Oaktown got a zone
La-la-la✦
La-la-la✦
La-la-la✦
La-la-la✦
See, I like to get down, jack

Technical Breakdown

8.4
Multisyllabic Rhymes8.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes8.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres6.5

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm10.0

Flow variation and timing (data-driven)

Vocabulary Complexity6.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control8.0

Performance and control

Computed Score8.42

Production

— A Tribe Called Quest

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Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Q-Tip exhibits signature rhythmic fluidity, prioritizing the pocket and internal melodic cadence over density of wordplay, aligning with the mid-90s boom-bap aesthetic.

A
8.5
Multisyllabic
8.5
Internal Rhymes
10
Cadence / Flow
6
Vocabulary
6.5
Wordplay
8
Delivery
Internal rhyme chainsMultisyllabic enjambmentDynamic flow switchingRhythmic syncopation
Rhyme Architecture: The verse utilizes a foundation of AABB rhyme couplets but heavily reinforces them with internal vowel rhyming and assonance (e.g., 'scroungin'/'loungin', 'riddle'/'wiggle'), maintaining a tight, percussive pulse consistent with Tip's 1996 era delivery.
Verified Doubles & Entendres

"The skills on the hill, overlookin' dollar bills"

① Physical elevation; being at the peak of his career capabilities.② A financial metaphor where his mastery is superior to mere commercial success ('dollar bills').

"I rock to the roll, man, yes, I'm a soul man"

① A literal description of his musical style and performance energy.② A cultural reference to the depth of his spirit and his connection to the soul music lineage.

Exceptional rhythmic lock on the beat

Cohesive narrative voice

Strong internal rhyme density

Charismatic and effortless delivery

Lower lexical complexity compared to conscious-rap contemporaries

Over-reliance on repetitive rhyming conventions (e.g., 'doody/bomb shit')

Limited usage of high-level metaphors

User Scores