Yelawolf is dropping his Shady sophomore effort Love Story on April 21, and while he’s hit us with a few offerings prior to this one with King Em’, they all sort of take a back seat. It’s interesting, though, because the song isn’t the quick fire, lyrical blue flame we normally get from the Alabama spitter. Instead, a very different thing is done with Wolf’s yowling “Best Friend” throughout. So interesting is the song that we had to take some time to talk about it.
Today we’ve got our Sr. Features Writer Ural Garrett and myself, Features Editor Andre Grant giving you our one-two step about this Shady collaboration.
Will This Song Finally Help Propel Yelawolf Into National Prominence?
Andre: Whatever you may want to say about Yela’, it isn’t that he doesn’t do whatever he wants. His bluesy run on moonshine, oxy, coke and Bama-ness served his box chevy fueled rise to prominence. But it’s what he’s done since Trunk Muzik that’s been the most interesting. Namely — and after signing with Shady Records/Interscope — becoming a mostly polished Mark Twain of the Rap game. All suspenders and bottles of creek whiskey decked out in colorful imagery and down-home charm. What separates Yela’ from the rest is his penchant to meld low and high concept while weaving through multiple cadences in colorful rhyme patterns. He’s a showman, too. Usually providing a necessary amount of enthusiasm to a predilection to Rap over chopped, bass-heavy tracks or double time BPM’s.
“Best Friend” is different, though. He’s singing, mostly. And with Eminem looming down around the 2:30 mark it feels a lot like “Love The Way You Lie” sans Rihanna. You’re not exactly schlepping through Yela’s carefully intonated yawps to get to Em’, but you can’t help but breathe out when you do as Eminem explodes through wild bars on multiple topics. Utilizing, of course, his unique ability to roll syllables into each other in what becomes a cascade of vowels and consonants slickly rendered. The subject matter is both spiritual and contemporary, describing the uneasy tension between the Bible belt and belief that has helped to shape Yela into who he is. The experiment on singing was a worthy one, and while it isn’t perfect, it juts into place, his incantations doing well enough to hold the track to the fire while Em’ spits his angry magic. But will this help Yelawolf eclipse his previous highs? It’s hard to say. At the very least it’s interesting and radio ready (an accomplishment in and of itself), and if promoted enough might have a chance to win the hearts and minds of America’s now fickle listening public.
Ural: There was a time where the hype around Yelawolf reached a fever pitch after he released one of 2010’s best mixtapes, Trunk Muzik. There was no stopping Catfish Billy himself. Yela was even placed alongside Kendrick Lamar, Meek Mill, Big K.R.I.T., Mac Miller, YG and even Lil B in XXL’s 2011 Freshmen list. It was clear he could spit well enough to find his way under Eminem’s Shady Records/Interscope umbrella along with Slaughterhouse for what many referred to as Shady 2.0. Made sense, as some looked at Yela as the southern fried equivalent to Em thematically. However, the Alabama native hasn’t been able to sustain the momentum leading to a yo-yoing career. For every dope project like Trunk Muzik Returns and Psycho White (with Travis Barker), there are disappointments, including his major label debut Radioactive and that Ed Sheeran collaboration The Slumdon Bridge. Pushing forward 2015, the one’s in his class he’s managed to only outshine are Lil Twist, Fred Tha Godson and Diggy Simmons. No one has to explain why that’s not saying much.
This leads us to another disappointment in “Best Friend” which ultimately sounds like all the best parts of Radioactive minus Yelawolf. The singing approach sounds like a long-winded take on Kid Rock’s “Let’s Roll” and Em’s verse unfortunately becomes the center point similar to “Throw It Up.” Even the rock influenced production feels by the numbers in regards to Yela’s catalogue. It almost feels as if Yela lacks creative confidence and is cowering behind Em’s scowling performance. Maybe, the southern rock stuff works better for Yela than for example “Hard White” (featuring Lil Jon), but that doesn’t necessarily make it better quality.
Andre Grant is an NYC native turned L.A. transplant that has contributed to a few different properties on the web and is now the Features Editor for HipHopDX. He’s also trying to live it to the limit and love it a lot. Follow him on Twitter @drejones.
Ural Garrett is an Los Angeles-based journalist and HipHopDX’s Senior Features Writer. When not covering music, video games, films and the community at large, he’s in the kitchen baking like Anita. Follow him on Twitter @Uralg.
Tight beat, nice hook, Yela doesnt blow it, but Em can’t seem to switch it up these days. All we ever get is angry Em. Even on this layed back track. Em fucking sucks now. Em delivery sounds like a lawn mower. RIP to one of hiphop’s greatest flows and delivery.
he is “supposed to rap slow. fuck no. go for broke”. Its a slow beat so should he rap slow? If you listen to Yela, his lyrics aren’t laid back either.
I am glad I am not the only one, as a Em stan.. I am super disappointed in his new garbage flow/delivery.
menime- stop being a dick rider.. im a big em fan and i like this verse but damn its like he can never change.hes been rapping the same since recovery and that dropped in what like 2010. i ahvnt heard em rap any other way since.
Em. Is on a fast lane now… He just can’t slowdown… He keeps delivering the fast shit, we the fast mind appreciate…
This song is flames
URAL… YOU ARE A FUCKING IDIOT.
smh… i hope you guys realize most people think the song is fucking dope….
“Love The Way You Lie”
“…Yela lacks creative confidence and is cowering behind Em’s scowling performance”
lol Really that’s what you guys got from the song?
Yela is showing artistic growth, and it’s displayed quite well in this sing just like in his past singles…Em delivered a dope verse whether you enjoy his flow is beyond the point as the song still comes together quite well…
no-one has ever thought emeinem stole the show on ‘throw it up’ you douche bag. i even chopped the song on my i pod so i just cop yell and gangsta boo before em ruined it. and i am a LONG TIMEM eminem fan saying this.
Eminem sucks. Period.
Keep an eye out for any article written by Ural and automatically move on .. Nothing to read there except someone who doesn’t get Music .. Many times Music is Subjective and based on Personal Preference, but on a rare occasion you have a Gem that by any Objective measure is IT .. and anyone who misses it — their credibility is lost FOREVER
I was just thinking the same thing. That guy has no clue what he was talking about haha. Once I found out he is the ” sr. Features writer” I made the choice to never come back to this site. Good thing other websites hire wroters who know about what they try to speak on. Ill go as far as to say yela has outshined the whole 2011 freshman class including kendrick. Kendricks last album was garbage.
Thank you! Someone who gets it. I don’t know if you’ve downloaded the Love Story leak or not but the song fits perfectly in with the album. The album is a masterpiece and a great piece of art. Too bad some fucking idiots can’t look past the “rap shit” and see that.
This is alright, but Eminem didn’t need whatever the fuck this new flow is to release a great album like The Eminem Show…I don’t like to stay stuck in the past with artists, but I really do miss the old Em.
I think I like Yelawolf better as a singer honestly. I never thought he was a great rapper, his flow is always off beat and his lyrics really don’t stand out. But I have been digging the new stuff he’s been putting out like “American You” and “Tennesse Love”.
Em ruins this song. His flow is garbage now, he never stays on topic anymore, his spends too much time concentrating on his syllable game and his bars got more filler than content.
Em has official turned into crap.
Em snapped on this one!!!
em kilt this joint damn fire!!!
Eminem is a fucking beast
It’s called evolving you dumb fucks! Where would Yela be if he just kept making the same shit over and over. Love Story will be AOTY and yes even better than TPAB! Open your minds and try accepting some different music besides your fucking phony ass rap shit, aka Drake, Kayne, & Lil Wayne! Thats not MUSIC! Oh and while Radioactive wasn’t some of his best work, Slumdon Bridge WAS! A well thought out breath of fresh air that still has replay value 3 years later! Not thats music! Get your fucking head out of your asses! Done with this stupid fucking “hip hop” site. Just rename it to traptdx.com and be done with it.
Amen well put man..nuff said
but i dont see any comments hating on the song..some ppl dont like ems flow (same flow for like 10 years now). thats it
This nigga Ur(in)al always hatin on somethin or another.
All of yall are fuckin nuts bro! This song is amazing and really needs to be on the radio! This is still Yela’s song even though em kilt it. But that’s what em does is kill shit he straight murders tracks. Who ever is dissin em on this website it’s obvious you’re just young minded and like that lil Wayne shit I bet Wayne is your favorite rapper. Lyrical content is what people want to hear. Em stays completely on topic u fucks! His flow is sick! Sorry that u can’t rap along like the rest of your sing along songs u jam too in the car like “oh this my jam son!” Get the fuck outta here kid. Sing along to this shit if u CAN and when you do you will feel what he is sayin. If you have ever had a friend close to you die this song will touch you! And Rap God? Haha you can’t spit along with him but I do and it’s fun as a bitch! All u fucks get a life bitches! Eminem is a God!
Yela is that dude. Hate on Yela, slurp Kendrick. sounds about right!