Here is Andre 3000’s verse on Drake’s “The Real Her,” and here are the lyrics to it, as transcribed by me. It’s a 16-bar verse with a nearly full internal rhyme in the first bar, an incredible reference to Boise State’s blue field, and a narrative full of the deep thought (about women, mostly) that Andre’s known for. If it’s not the best verse in rap this year, it’s in a conversation that might include a couple other Three Stacks verses and not much else.
If you rap, and your intent is to be lyrical and compelling, you should read this verse and figure out how Andre does what he does. If you can’t, you should probably not rap.
Lyrics
Andre 3000
Showered her wit’ dolla tips, shawty went and bought a whip
Guarantee the city remember your whole name, you throw that hoe a scholarship
All of them ain’t all equipped, and this saddens me, I see the peckin’ order
Quote-unquote bad bitches work the whole flo’, those that can laugh, that sit off in a corner
Like a lab rat, nobody want her, niggas that are married don’t wanna go home but
We look up to them, they wish they were us, they want some new trim, we lust for some trust
Now that both of us, are colorblind, ’cause the other side looks greener
Which leaves your turf in a Boise State, can’t see a play or the team, ’cause
Everybody has an addiction, mine happens to be you
And those who says they don’t, souls will later on say to them “That ain’t true”
All of them will have an opinion, but y’all know what y’all can do wit’ them
But if you’re unsure, I’ll take you on tour to a place you can stick that in
Well, sittin’ here sad a’ hell, listenin’ to Adele, I feel ya, baby
“Someone Like You”? More like someone unlike you, or somethin’ that’s familiar, maybe
And I can tell that she wants a baby, and I can yell, girl, that you’re crazy
Aw, what the hell, nope, can’t be lazy, please be careful, bitches got the rabies
The Rockabye Review 