The Ones: Lil Dude’s “Blood In My Eyes”
With artists releasing songs at a fast and furious pace, it’s difficult for the average hip-hop head to keep track of it all—no matter how tapped in they are. That’s why we created The Ones, a daily post to highlight the song you need to hear.
Lil Dude - “Blood In My Eyes”
PG County rapper Lil Dude excels as whisper rapper Goonew ’s partner-in-crime, but he’s finding his footing as a soloist too. On “Blood In My Eyes,” he asserts himself as a battle-scarred local determined to make a mark in his hood and beyond. “Niggas satisfied with being runners; nigga you a loser,” he posits right out of the gate. He seems confident and indifferent all at once. The 4Dayz & Sparkheem-produced beat slows Alicia Keys’ “Diary” so that Dude’s verse finds the grooves in the solemn piano riff. Through slightly off-kilter flows, he raps about near-death experiences and showing restraint in shootouts. Nothing deters him from occupying the streets he loves, and his impassive bars underscore an inability to be moved or scared off. “Too late in the game to recruit ya/Fuck all your war stories, I don’t care if you a shooter/It’s about how you maneuver,” he raps. Part of his verse and the hook are repeated to form a sort of loop, and the repetition drives the significance of his point home. As Lil Dude establishes his unwavering presence on “Blood In My Eyes,” he tags himself as a rapper to watch for.
Check out previous Ones, and listen to new rap from Lil Dude and more on our Spotify playlist, Apple Music playlist, and SoundCloud playlist.
Originally Appeared on Pitchfork
