Radio
You'll Rock
LL Cool J
Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis
32
End
103
Internal
45
Multi
202
Slant
7
Chain
Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Verse 2]
Now, I'ma✦ tell you the name behind the scratchin' sound
He's Cut Creator,✦ Philly-Phil, he has the DJ crown
Me and him are imitated✦ but never✦ underrated✦
My rhymes✦ and his cuts have been consolidated✦
My mission✦ ain't complete✦ without the use of his hands
He makes✦ my rhymes✦ sound fresher, my beat expand
So I'd like you to meet him, but don't attempt to beat him
A five-man crew, me and him'll defeat✦ 'em
He'll scratch and wipe out all foes
Turntable terrorizer and I think you should know
That we're high-calibered and my name's✦ J
And for all you sucker✦ crews, it's Judgment Day
During this encounter, I'm your rhyme sayer
I hate to say it, girls, but yes, I'm a player
Material royal, dominating✦ all
Light brown with dimples and I'm six feet tall
And promoter of recordings that I call my own
And I'll love to take one of you ladies✦ home
I'll complete✦ and clear, infiltrating✦ your ears
My literature is above✦ Shakespeare
MC assassinator✦ and I just won't stop
I'm the author and designer of the jam you'll rock
I'm a lyrical flame on the heels of fame
And the world will be glad that Cool J came
You'll rock
[Verse 3]
Now, I'ma✦ dedicate✦ this rhyme to my favorite street
You'll think about✦ it every✦ time that you hear this beat
Any✦ other✦ jam you hear, just disregard
This is the national anthem of the Boulevard✦
See, I'm loyal to the Boul' because it taught me the deal
Certainly the place to be and that's how I feel
Farmers Boulevard,✦ E-Love,✦ and me, Cool J
In the center✦ of it all is the Q3A
42nd will surrender, Delancey's in fear
Queens Boulevard✦ is soft, they don't come around✦ here
With gazelles on my face, I will hold my space
Entertain, stimulate,✦ and conduct the bass
You'll rock
[Verse 4]
Now, I'ma✦ kick it for the beat to complete✦ my mission✦
Subtracting MCs like a mathematician
Chairman of the board at the rapping commission✦
Sole inventor of this composition✦
I disintegrate✦ rappers, I can and I could
The great Edgar✦ Allen Poe couldn't write this good
I'm the warlord of rap with my own army✦
Japan's whole military couldn't disarm me
Super✦ bad, cold crush, number-one B-boy
Like a painting from Picasso, I'm the real McCoy
Crown prince of rappin',✦ godfather of beats
MCs that I meet, I mutilate✦ and defeat✦
You'll rock
[Outro]
You know what I'm sayin'?
Break
You know what I'm sayin'?
Break
Break
Break two
Technical Breakdown
7.6
Multisyllabic Rhymes7.5
Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)
Internal Rhymes8.5
Rhymes within a line (data-driven)
Wordplay / Double Entendres5.0
Clever language, metaphors, punchlines
Cadence / Rhythm8.0
Flow variation and timing (data-driven)
Vocabulary Complexity8.0
Range and depth of words used (data-driven)
Delivery / Breath Control7.5
Performance and control
Computed Score7.57
Production
— Rick Rubin, LL Cool JBe the first to rate the production
Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™
LL Cool J demonstrates pioneering braggadocio and rhythmic confidence, establishing the blueprint for the 'leading man' persona in hip-hop, though lyricism remains anchored in era-typical directness rather than complex metaphor.
B+
7.5
Multisyllabic
8.5
Internal Rhymes
8
Cadence / Flow
8
Vocabulary
5
Wordplay
7.5
Delivery
AABB rhyme scheme consistencyInternal rhyme densityDynamic shift between technical bragging and persona-buildingPacing variation
Rhyme Architecture: Predominantly AABB couplets with high-frequency end-rhyme chains that maintain a rhythmic, driving momentum throughout the verse.
Verified Doubles & Entendres
"Judgment Day"
① The biblical day of final reckoning for sinners.② A play on the artist's initial 'J', signifying his arrival to dispose of inferior competition.
"Literature is above Shakespeare"
① Hyperbolic claim to poetic superiority in terms of technical skill.② A subversion of classical canon to establish hip-hop as a dominant, contemporary form of oral poetry.
Authoritative vocal presence
Strong structural coherence
Effective establishment of crew hierarchy
Natural rhythmic pocket
Literal approach to lyricism limits wordplay depth
Lack of complex figurative language
Simple subject matter structure