The Duke
I-Roy Lyrics

The lyrics to I-Roy's song The Duke speak about the struggles of being perceived negatively by others, in this case, the naysayers who are quick to show their envy and malice towards the singer. The first two lines of the song, "What they goon say for me / What they goon do me for me" highlight the character's introspection and realization that people are not always going to be in their favor, regardless of what they do or say. The singer acknowledges that the people around them do not pray for him, but instead harbor hatred. Despite being aware of this, the singer embraces the reality of it all and declares that "we goon know" that this is just the natural order of things. The statement "just pray for me" is repeated throughout the song, making it clear that the character just wants positivity and love from others.

One could interpret the line "my heart / This Henny I'm bout to sip it slow" as a means of coping with the situation at hand. Henny could refer to Hennessy, a popular alcoholic beverage, which symbolizes the character's need to self-medicate in order to deal with the negative energy surrounding them. The character is fully aware that they are surrounded by negative energy, but also realizes that they can't let that energy consume them. Instead, they choose to keep moving forward and ask others to offer prayers and love.

One interesting fact about the song is that I-Roy is a Jamaican reggae artist who gained prominence in the 1970s. He was known for his dub-style of music, which involved speaking or chanting in a rhythmic style over a backing track. The Duke was released in 2019 and features a blend of I-Roy's distinctive style mixed with contemporary trap beats.