Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous
Put It On
Big L
Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis
19
End
170
Internal
45
Multi
254
Slant
8
Chain
Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Verse 2: Big L]
Nobody✦ can take nothin'✦ from Big L but a loss, chief
The last punk who fronted got a mouth full of false teeth
I'm known to gas a hottie and blast a shotty✦
Got more cash than Gotti✦ (You don't know?), you better✦ ask somebody
Big L is a crazy✦ brother, and I'm a lady✦ lover✦
A smooth kid that'll run up in your baby✦ mother✦
I push a slick Benz, I'm known to hit skins
And get ends and commit✦ sins with sick friends
'Cause I'm a money✦ getter,✦ also✦ a honey✦ hitter✦
You think you nice as me? Haha,✦ you's a funny✦ nigga✦
I flows, so one of my shows wouldn't be clever✦ to miss
I'm leavin'✦ competitors pissed,✦ to tell you the truth, it gets no better✦ than this
I'm catchin' wreck to the break of dawn
In this song, yo, it's a must that I put it on
[Chorus: Kid Capri]
Yeah, so put it on, Big L, put it on!
C'mon, put it on, big fella,✦ put it on and on!
Put it on, Big L!
Put it on, represent!
Put it on, c'mon, put it on!
[Bridge: Major Chubby]
Some boys see me gun nozzle and take a we fi joke
Boy, you gwan dead before✦ you see me gun smoke
See me gun nozzle and take me fi joke
You gwan dead from a me you provoke
[Verse 3: Big L]
I drink Moët, not Beck's beer, I stay dressed in slick gear
Peace to my homies in the gangsta lean, I'll see you when I get there
And it's a fact I keep a gat in my arm reach
I charm freaks and bomb geeks from here to Palm Beach
I'm puttin'✦ rappers in the wheelchair, Big L is the villain you still fear
'Cause I be hangin'✦ in Harlem and shit is for real here
If you battle L, you picked✦ the wrong head
I smash mics like cornbread, you can't kill me, I was born dead
And I'm known to pull steel trigs and kill pigs
I run with ill kids and real nigs who peel wigs
My raps is steady✦ slammin', I keep a heavy✦ cannon✦
It's a new sheriff in town and it ain't Reggie Hammond
Peace to my peoples, the Children of the Corn
'Cause we put it on, adiós, ghost, I'm gone
[Chorus: Kid Capri]
So put it on, Big L, put it on!
C'mon, put it on, big fella,✦ put it on and on!
Big L, you gotta✦ put it on and on!
Put it on, Big L, put it on and on!
Word up, nahmsayin'?
My man Big L, runnin'✦ things for the nine-four
And nine-oh-s, you know what I mean?
It's the Kid Capri,✦ in full flair
And we gon' put it on a little somethin' like this
Big L, c'mon!
[Outro: Big L & Kid Capri]
Lord Finesse (He be puttin'✦ it on)
My man Buckwild (He be puttin'✦ it on and on)
My man Fat Joe (He be puttin'✦ it on)
Showbiz & A.G. (Yeah, they be puttin'✦ it on and on)
I can't forget✦ Diamond D (He be puttin'✦ it on)
The whole D.I.T.C. (Yeah, they be puttin'✦ it on and on)
And of course Kid Capri✦ (Yeah, I be puttin'✦ it on)
The whole NYC (Yeah, we be puttin'✦ it on and on)
And I'm out
Technical Breakdown
8.3
Multisyllabic Rhymes7.5
Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)
Internal Rhymes9.5
Rhymes within a line (data-driven)
Wordplay / Double Entendres8.0
Clever language, metaphors, punchlines
Cadence / Rhythm8.5
Flow variation and timing (data-driven)
Vocabulary Complexity6.0
Range and depth of words used (data-driven)
Delivery / Breath Control9.0
Performance and control
Computed Score8.31
Production
— BuckwildBe the first to rate the production
Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™
Big L exemplifies the 1995 apex of technical agility, blending aggressive street braggadocio with a masterful command of multisyllabic internal rhyme schemes that dictate the flow.
A
7.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
8.5
Cadence / Flow
6
Vocabulary
8
Wordplay
9
Delivery
Multisyllabic internal chainingDynamic cadence shiftsEnd-rhyme heavy structureAABBCC rhyme cluster patterns
Rhyme Architecture: The verse relies on dense, multisyllabic internal clusters that resolve into punchy end-rhymes (e.g., 'loss/chief' to 'false teeth', 'hottie/shotty' to 'Gotti/somebody'). The scheme is rhythmic and percussive, prioritizing beat alignment.
Verified Doubles & Entendres
"The last punk who fronted got a mouth full of false teeth"
① The literal consequence of a physical altercation.② A violent metaphor for silencing opposition and causing permanent damage.
"Got more cash than Gotti"
① A direct comparison to John Gotti's wealth.② A cultural shorthand for 'mob boss' level power and financial success in the rap industry.
"I'm known to gas a hottie and blast a shotty"
① Persuading a woman and shooting a firearm.② A phonetic alignment of actions that establishes the 'Big L' persona as both a lover and a lethal threat.
Exceptional command of multisyllabic density
Commanding vocal presence and confidence
Seamless integration of complex rhyme patterns into conversational flow
Strong character work that defined his 'cool/menacing' persona
Reliance on somewhat dated lyrical tropes regarding hyper-masculinity
Vocabulary breadth is narrower compared to abstract lyricists of the era