HEELS HAVE EYES
I’m not exactly a die-hard Westside Gunn fan—more of a casual listener who dips in when the mood hits—so Heels Have Eyes kind of snuck up on me. It's barely 10 minutes long, which immediately raised a flag: is this just a batch of leftovers Westside decided to toss out into the world for the hell of it? Honestly, that wouldn’t have surprised me.
But to my surprise... I actually didn’t hate it. There’s something oddly enjoyable about this tiny tape. Yeah, the brevity works against it—the songs fly by before they have a chance to build any momentum—but there’s still a few gems worth mentioning.
“Einstein Kitchen” kicks things off and easily carries the most weight production-wise. The beat goes hard—grainy, soulful, and the kind of loop that makes you wish the track ran another 90 seconds. “Goro” isn’t as memorable, but it holds its own, slipping into that classic Griselda sound with a quiet confidence. “Davey Boy Smith” is a pleasant surprise too—laid-back and breezy, it’s got a kind of dusty charm that makes it easy to nod along to. And then there's “Egypt”, the closer and the best track of the four. It’s energized and punchy, with Gunn sounding more focused and in-the-pocket than he does on the others.
Still, for all the potential, Heels Have Eyes feels like it's missing something. Not in a “this could’ve been a classic” kind of way—but more like a draft of an idea that never got the polish it deserved. The short runtime wouldn’t be an issue if the songs felt more fleshed out or complete, but each track ends just as it's starting to land. It's like getting a sampler platter of dishes that could’ve been great, but you’re only handed one bite of each.
And yeah, I get it—it’s a micro-EP. Maybe it’s not supposed to feel complete. But when you’re dealing with an artist who clearly knows how to craft atmosphere and presence, it’s hard not to imagine how much better this could’ve been with a little more care. Or length. Or purpose.
Final verdict? It’s fine. Not essential, not offensive—just a quick, slightly enjoyable detour in Westside Gunn’s catalog. If you’ve got 10 minutes and want some textured, head-nodding background music, go for it. If you skip it, you’re not really missing out on anything that’ll stick with you. It’s decent. It’s disposable. And sometimes, that’s enough.
WESTSIDE GUNN - HEELS HAVE EYES
RATING - 6.5/10
FAVORITE TRACK - N/A
GENRE - Hip-Hop, Rap