| Eyes Are the Soul | |
| Cover: | File:Eyes Are the Soul MC Lyte.jpeg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | MC Lyte |
| Album: | Act Like You Know |
| B-Side: | "Eyes Are the Soul" (LP Version) |
| Released: | April 9, 1992[1] |
| Genre: | Golden age hip hop |
| Length: | 4:30 |
| Label: | First Priority, Atlantic Records |
| Producer: | |
| Prev Title: | Poor Georgie |
| Prev Year: | 1991 |
| Next Title: | Ice Cream Dream |
| Next Year: | 1992 |
"Eyes Are the Soul" is the third and final single from MC Lyte's third album Act Like You Know. Produced by Wolf & Epic, it was released on April 9, 1992.
In the song Lyte talks about social issues such as AIDS, crack and teenage pregnancy.[3] [4]
In each verse of the song, Lyte describes a different afflicted person. The first person in the narrative is a male with HIV–AIDS, the second person is a crack addict wanted by the law, and the third is a young, black, pregnant teenager who is considering abortion.[5]
Shortly after the single was released, speaking at a Baltimore school, she confessed that "Sometimes I get discouraged when I do songs like this and they don't get as popular as (others). I'm just trying to get the message out."[6]
During an interview with Ebony in 2012, Lyte commented on the song's AIDS prevention message:
"Eyes Are the Soul" was included on her compilation albums The Very Best of MC Lyte (2001), Rhyme Masters (2005),[7] and Cold Rock a Party – Best of MC Lyte (2019)[8] The music video was included on the compilation video album Lyte Years (1991).[9]
Connie Johnson of the Los Angeles Times highlighted the song in her album review, saying "AIDS, crack addiction and teen pregnancy are topics treated with nonjudgmental empathy."[10] James Bernard of Entertainment Weekly called the song "my own favorite", commenting "Lyte slips into a storytelling mode to convey the anguish of her peers who are grappling with AIDS, drug addiction, and the specter of the abortion clinic. Rather than tossing around empty rhetoric, Lyte takes us face-to-face with these people, forcing us to look into their eyes."[11]
In a retrospective review, AllMusic's Alex Henderson also highlighted the song, describing it as "a poignant reflection on the destruction caused by crack cocaine". In a 2010 review, Quentin B. Huff of PopMatters commented on the song "In “Eyes Are the Soul”, MC Lyte turns the eyes into symbols of our collective humanity. There's a frailty in this symbolism, one that is echoed by the swelling synth backdrop and busy but light percussion." further highlighting its similarities to the TLC hit song "Waterfalls".[12]
In the book Stare in the Darkness: The Limits of Hip-hop and Black Politics (2011),[13] political scientist Lester Spence commented on the song:
Credits are taken from the liner notes.[14]