Blueface – Bleed It

His name is Blueface, but does he care what we think?

[Video]
[4.60]Ryo Miyauchi: “Bleed It” better explains Blueface, the rapper, than Blueface, the meme. He approaches the beat in a more orthodox fashion than the viral caricatures suggest, especially to those who have been already exposed to a fair amount of California rap. In some sections he abruptly abandons the established flow to go double-time, but that’s less the disregard for rhythm his detractors accuse him of, and more just a rapper making the most of sparse production.
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Will Rivitz: It speaks to E-40’s mastery of the craft that someone less than half his age can ape his delivery and flow and automatically become one of the most exciting rappers around. “Bleed It” is not a particularly outstanding offering to the altar of hyphy, but competence in an excellent style is good nonetheless.
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Katherine St Asaph: For a track by LA’s apparently most controversial rapper, supposedly gonzo in voice and in jokes, this is astoundingly dull.
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Stephen Eisermann: Between the very slanted rhymes, the weird phrasing and pronunciation, and the flow that can only be described as Comic Sans font takes the mic to freestyle, I’m still not convinced this isn’t a joke. Even if it is, it’s not very good.
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Joshua Minsoo Kim: Any artist who can make you laugh is worth hearing, and Blueface’s off-beat rapping often finds the perfect balance between hilarious peculiarity and immediate accessibility. On “Bleed It,” he opts for a more straightforward delivery, making even more obvious the link between his music and that of his California forebears. While Blueface’s rise to stardom was inevitable given the recent success of SOB x RBE and the like, “Bleed It” proves that he needn’t rely on any ostensible gimmick to prove his charismatic presence. Mike Crook’s beat will get you moving, but Blueface’s rapping will keep you energized.
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Thomas Inskeep: Is he even rapping? I just hear an asshole talking loudly on his phone at Starbucks.
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Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: No, you’re off beat.
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Edward Okulicz: Blueface’s adventures off the beat come across as puppy-dog excitement rather than a lack of proficiency or care, because the pretty short lyric sheet packs in a lot of detail. You could listen to the whole thing while stuck at a traffic light. My inner pearl-clutcher thinks that glorifying the lifestyle over a legit bop is a little dangerous, but my inner pearl-clutcher isn’t in control of my ass, which badly wants to shake.
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Crystal Leww: The beat is solid enough to bang your fists on, and Blueface makes dick joke after dick joke for two minutes. Rap music is good, and the kids are all right.
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Alfred Soto: He’s got a winning growl, the cock jokes are okay, and it’s brief. Happy now?
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