Yelawolf Defied Becoming A What-If
Full disclosure: I’m from Alabama and have been rooting for Yelawolf aka Catfish Billy for years. — Pro
Throughout Hip-Hop’s relatively young history, there have been unanswered question marks and wasted potential. Remember Memphis Bleek? Craig Mack?Jody Breeze? Do you remember Murphy Lee? Where is Ryan Leslie’s hard drive?
There are even artists now who’s status would likely be completely different if not for some chance happenings. Where would Jay-Z be if he didn’t have access to a couple of the dopest producers in Hip-Hop? Where would Nas be if Jay didn’t hang his chin out for the “Ether”?
When Yelawolf signed to Shady Aftermath, I was ecstatic…but wary. This felt like one of those fear crucial moments that could go either way. Labels were essentially the big bad wolf since Lupe Fiasco vs Atlantic, but I was happy to see a fellow Alabamian get paid. Plus, he was signed alongside Slaughterhouse…how bad could it go?
Pretty bad.
Radioactive was the soulless, radio friendly project you’d expect when adding a label A&R to a grimey southern Hip-Hop artist. Granted, it had its shining moments.
“Slumerican Shitizen” with Killer Mike was solid and “Get Away” featuring Shawty Fatt & Mystikal is still wonderful to this day, but that’s two tracks out of 15. Thus, I hung it up. An Alabama artist made it and can feed his family. Hats off to that and I’ll support how I can, but I’m exiting stage left on the music end.
Then Love Story happened.
There were southern elements all through Yelawolf’s persona and music, but this album took it to another level with a folk/alternative sound that I didn’t even realize I was checking for from a Hip-Hop artist. Furthermore, this was the most comfortable, introspective, and vulnerable I’d ever heard him. It made me feel like I was finally listening to the real Catfish Billy.
But Profex…who are you to say this is the true Yelawolf?
Well, he said so himself on the Love Story outro…
And I hope you say “good buy”
When they ask was it worth for you to pay
For my music, for pressin’ play
For all the stress that went into my songs
My love and hate
The most honest I could be with you to date
Is to say thank thank you Shady
For lettin’ me be me with no holds barred
Thank you for the chance to enhance this old car
This old jar of moonshine is but
Two fine lines on a blank sheet but so far
These two lines point directed to my home on the mothership sonar
Yelawolf previously displayed his ability to mesh with a style a bit removed from Hip-Hop when he dropped a collaborative EP with Ed Sheeran in 2012. “You Don’t Know (For Fucks Sake)” leans more toward Ed’s pop/folk sound but Yelawolf fit like he belonged. There were still elements of Hip-Hop on the 4 track EP, but it was a refreshing departure. Even then I tossed that up to the “broken clock is right twice a day” idiom but Love Story rode from beginning to end. It also landed on the Billboard 200 at #3 but was that album an anomaly? “Daylight” makes me believe it was just the beginning.
This new track dropped out of thin air on September 22nd, jumping off the promo run for his next album Trial By Fire. It continues with the style he embraced on Love Story and still keeps it Hip-Hop with the very recognizable drum kick from Clarence Reid’s “Living Together Is Keeping Us Apart”. I glad Yelawolf isn’t another what-if we reminisce about and I can’t wait to hear what the Alabamian puts together now that he realizes being himself is the dopest thing he’s done for his career.
