Eyes on This is the second studio album American hip hop recording artist MC Lyte. It was released on October 3, 1989, via First Priority and Atlantic Records, and featured production from Audio Two, as well as Grand Puba, The King of Chill, Marley Marl and PMD.
The album became the first by a female solo rapper to appear on the Billboard 200 (then called Billboard Top Pop Albums), on which it remained for 20 weeks, peaking 86 in November 1989. It also peaking 6 on the Billboard Top Black Albums, being the first female solo rapper to break into the top 10 of that chart, as well as the highest position reached by Lyte.
The lead single Cha Cha Cha reached 35 on the Billboard Hot Black Singles and spent 19 weeks on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles, peaking at 1. Later, Stop, Look, Listen and Cappucino would become top 10 in the Hot Rap Singles (in 9 and 8, respectively).
Recording and production
As on the album Lyte as a Rock, most of the songs are produced by Audio Two and King of Chill, incorporating other producers on some specific tracks. "Capuccino" was produced and co-written by Juice Crew's Marley Marl and recorded at his "House of Hits" home studio in Chestnut Ridge. "Slave 2 the Rhythm" was co-written and produced by EPMD's PMD. "I Am the Lyte" and "Funky Song" was co-written and produced by Brand Nubian's Grand Puba. For his part, Positive K, with whom Lyte had previously worked on the duet I'm Not Havin' It, has songwriting credits on the track "Rhyme Hangover."
Music and lyrics
The album addresses some social issues such as violence around drugs and addictions ("Cappucino", "Not wit' a Dealer") and machismo ("Please Understand"). Regarding the content of Please Understand, Lyte told Deborah Gregory in an Essence profile "I’ve never let a man dog me and I never will, It’s just not gonna happen!". The track "Survival of the Fittest" is a remix by King of Chill along with Audio Two of the original included on the compilation album The First Priority Music Family: Basement Flavor (1988). As the last track was included "K-Rocks Housin", a set by Lyte's disc jockey DJ K-Rock.
The diss track to Antoinette "Shut the Eff Up! (Hoe)", which was originally the b-side of the single Lyte as a Rock, was included on the album. The diss track to Antoinette "Shut the Eff Up! (Hoe)", which was originally the b-side of the single Lyte as a Rock, was included on the album. On the track "Slave 2 the Rhythm" she would say "It took a whole album for you to try and diss me/And ha-ha-ha, slum bitch, you still missed me/But yo, I'm off the dissin tip, cause that takes no creation" and would add "'Gangstress', don't make me laugh" in reference to Antoinette's nickname.
"Shut the Eff Up! (Hoe)" was later sampled on TLC's Hat 2 da Back, The Lox's "Goin' Be Some Shit" and Common's "Orange Pineapple Juice". "Slave 2 the Rhythm" was sampled by Naughty by Nature on "Strike a Nerve" and by electropunk group Mindless Self Indulgence on "Tornado".
Artwork
The cover photo, taken by Robert Manella, shows Lyte with her DJ K-Rock with two Porsche Carrera '89. This was taken at pier 6 of Brooklyn Bridge Park, with the World Trade Center complex of buildings visible behind them.
In December 2010 the cover was included by Flavorwire in their "11 Stylish '80s Hip-Hop Album Covers" list, reviewing "MC Lyte’s hairstyle and oversized power suit haven’t necessarily aged well, but her DJ looks smooth, and there’s something ageless about lounging by a couple of Porsches before the city skyline. The soft focus adds a touch of mystery to the proceedings."