Due to be released in late February, single ‘RED EYE’ is an intoxicating fever dream from artist Errol Allen. Allen is a prominent rapper within the underground hip-hop scene, having formed his career organically with GarageBand, fuzzy phone recordings and SoundCloud mixtapes. His debut, UNTOLD. was released in 2020 and compromised of a collection of innovative instrumentals and daring lyrical themes – many of them listed on the album artwork. His years in the music industry have proven his mastery within the hip-hop realm, and ‘RED EYE’ projects this to dizzying heights.
The track’s name derives from the classic anime, Naruto. The Red eye refers to a set of skills or abilities which include (but not limited to) hearing and seeing things long-distance, a vision which can see through walls and into the core of people, detailed analysis, mind reading, and healing the dying. These skills unite to create an individual with omnipotence and omniscience beyond the usual. For Errol Allen, the spirit of Red eye encompasses his track, from self-realized songwriting to immense production.
Bass-heavy and mid-tempo, ‘RED EYE’ holds a trance-like beat integrated with eerie bells and uplifting energy courtesy of Allen’s confident vocals. The production is immaculate, valuing spatial awareness and layered musical components – which all blend together to create a neat tapestry. Allen’s voice has an added echo quality to it, which is reminiscent of arena rock and all its large-crowd, singalong qualities.
This track truly is a future crowd pleaser and uniter. Whilst we won’t be able to experience the buzzy atmosphere of hearing ‘RED EYE’ live for a while, its unfaltering energy is perfect for those dances around the house.
Lyrically, Errol Allen continues his candid writing as seen in his discography. Rapping “I heard you say that you the alpha / well, I’m alphabetic / How you gone talk about they music / Yeah, you sound pathetic”, Allen hits hard with his interpretation of what he hears around him – something which sets him apart from the rest of his contemporaries. However, this is not without a sense of humor for Allen takes the claim of ‘alpha’ and spins it into another random word. With a bounce in his delivery, ‘RED EYE’ is endlessly playful from start to finish.
Moving at a consistent rate, ‘RED EYE’ has the formula to be catchy even after the first listen. The integration of heavy breaths, vocal asides and earthy bird calls give the song a grittiness that makes the songwriting feel organic. Combined with the intimate lyricism, Errol Allen is a fresh example of what it means to a bona fide hip-hop artist in a postmodern age. Whilst Errol is aware that he can achieve whatever he puts his mind to, he does not let his power – that Red eye – lead him astray into detriment. Keeping his priorities straight, he raps: “Rather happy and successful / than be rich and famous / know a lot of people dying / man, it’s getting dangerous”. For all its playfulness, ‘RED EYE’ is equally sincere and reflective. This underlying belief in the fragility of life (and thus, of its importance) is a thread which runs through the entire track, shaping everything from the confident lyrics to the sombre bells ringing faintly in the background. ‘RED EYE”’ is all about knowledge and awareness, much like its Naruto reference.
All in all, Errol Allen has once again reminded us of the fierceness his music brings into the community of hip-hop. From catchy hooks to brilliant songwriting, ‘RED EYE’ is a single to have on repeat and on every playlist. Join in on one of the freshest tracks of 2021 so far, coming to streaming platforms on the 22nd February.
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