It's Dark and Hell Is Hot
Look Thru My Eyes
DMX
Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis
45
End
228
Internal
33
Multi
199
Slant
19
Chain
Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Chorus]
Look through my eyes, see what I see
Do as I do, be what I be
Walk in my shoes and hurt your feet
Then know why I do dirt in the street (Yes)
Look through my eyes, see what I see
Do as I do, be what I be
Walk in my shoes and hurt your feet
Then know why I do dirt in the street
[Verse 2]
I can understand why y'all niggas✦ is scared✦ of me
And why the big dogs never✦ wanted✦ to play fair with me
'Cause I leave blood wherever✦ I go, wherever✦ I flow
Wherever✦ I blow niggas✦ who know I can go, feel me, yo
What is it about✦ the Dark that gets niggas✦ where they about✦ to spark, about✦ to bark ?
Take it to the heart 'cause it's real like that
Give him chills, but do I make him feel like that?
Shit is real, what you don't know is gon' get ya
With the steel, what you don't know is gon' split ya
I can blaze tracks, make niggas✦ play racks and raise stacks
"Payback's a bitch," didn't you used✦ to say that?
Play around in dirt, you'll get mud
'Cause you know, I can either✦ spread love or shed blood
And bloodshed turns the mud red and real sticky✦
Or I can hit you from roof, make it a quickie, for real
[Chorus]
Look through my eyes, see what I see
Do as I do, be what I be
Walk in my shoes and hurt your feet
Then know why I do dirt in the street (Yes)
Look through my eyes, see what I see
Do as I do, be what I be
Walk in my shoes and hurt your feet
Then know why I do dirt in the street
[Verse 3]
I bear my soul, niggas✦ wouldn't dare, my role
Gives✦ a nigga✦ a heart of gold, but with a hole
Lost all control, my shoulders hold a lot of weight
Just like first time sold an eighth, then told it's not an eighth
But then it's out of state, and it's too late for changes to be made
That's what I get for fuckin'✦ with strangers in the shade
This is it, y'all niggas✦ got to give me a plate
For the same reason✦ that fate chose to give me the weight
Take away✦ hate, now I'm supposed to love the one that cursed✦ me
The one that wouldn't give me a cup of water✦ when I was thirsty
It was always him versus me, but now I gotta✦ teach him
Personal feelin's put aside,✦ 'cause now I gotta✦ reach him
What I'd like to do is turn my head, like I don't know him
But it seems like I've been called✦ on to show him, so I'ma✦ show him
And if you never✦ met me, then you've no right to judge me
I've got a good heart but this heart can get ugly,✦ yes
[Chorus]
Look through my eyes, see what I see
Do as I do, be what I be
Walk in my shoes and hurt your feet
Then know why I do dirt in the street (Yes)
Look through my eyes, see what I see
Do as I do, be what I be
Walk in my shoes and hurt your feet
Then know why I do dirt in the street
[Outro]
Feel the pain, feel the joy, of a man who was never✦ a boy
For real
Technical Breakdown
8.7
Multisyllabic Rhymes6.5
Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)
Internal Rhymes9.5
Rhymes within a line (data-driven)
Wordplay / Double Entendres6.5
Clever language, metaphors, punchlines
Cadence / Rhythm10.0
Flow variation and timing (data-driven)
Vocabulary Complexity6.0
Range and depth of words used (data-driven)
Delivery / Breath Control9.5
Performance and control
Computed Score8.69
Production
— Dame Grease, P Killer TrackzBe the first to rate the production
Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™
DMX utilizes raw, kinetic delivery and rhythmic repetition to transcend standard lyrical complexity, prioritizing visceral impact over intricate wordplay.
A
6.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
10
Cadence / Flow
6
Vocabulary
6.5
Wordplay
9.5
Delivery
Aggressive internal rhymingPercussive cadencePhonetic repetitionDynamic intensity scaling
Rhyme Architecture: The verse relies on heavy AAAA-style terminal rhyme chains combined with frequent internal syllable matching (e.g., 'go/flow/blow/know/go'), creating a relentless, driving momentum.
Verified Doubles & Entendres
"I can either spread love or shed blood"
① The literal act of showing affection or community support.② The metaphorical choice between peace and extreme violence, emphasizing the duality of his persona.
"Play around in dirt, you'll get mud"
① Physical contact with soil when playing.② Involvement in street-level criminal activity ('dirt') leads to messy, unavoidable consequences ('mud').
"Payback's a bitch"
① An idiomatic expression describing the inevitability of revenge.② A direct call-out to an adversary who previously spoke of retribution but is now being countered by DMX.
Unmatched vocal intensity and commanding presence
Highly effective use of phonetic repetition to build tension
Structural consistency that maintains a high-energy pocket
Limited metaphorical depth
Reliance on established tropes of the era
Vocabulary remains functional rather than innovative