Yella Beezy: A Young Lion’s Old Skool Grind Pays Off

It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to tell a story that goes from the “streets to the suites” or one that encompasses “Old Skool” grind which results in explosive success. Yella Beezy is one of those stories as his “That’s On Me” single broke barriers and recalled times of old when the DJ and local radio made a difference for an artist coming out of the box. His journey captured an audience of supporters which landed him an invitation to open for Beyoncé and Jay-Z on the Dallas and Houston dates of their On the Run II tour this past September.

Dallas natives take an overwhelming amount of pride in the city they call home. They practically bleed for the Cowboys, Mavericks, and Texas Rangers and fly their state’s flag high at any opportunity. However, that hometown spirit also fuels a burgeoning hip-hop scene led by Yella Beezy at the forefront. Sporting the classic “Dallas shag” haircut and a swagger earned through time logged on Oak Cliff’s streets, he set the stage for a movement out of the Metroplex and towards hip-hop supremacy.

Simultaneously street and country with an elastic, no-nonsense flow, Yella Beezy hails from the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas, TX. The southern artist fuels the hip-hop scene with his charismatic style, diverse fashionable presence, and undeniable imprint. Yella Beezy quietly clawed his way into the culture’s collective consciousness.

Humble and grounded, Beezy takes no real personal credit for his rise aside from his work ethic, he tells us, “God gets the credit for this, it was his plan that put me in the right place at the right time,” says Beezy “I make music that shares my pain, my experience, and people feel it.”

In detailing his experience opening for Beyoncé and Jay-Z, one of the highlights he described to The Hype Magazine was, “Being in front of a crowd of 40-50 thousand people and them knowing the words to my music, even songs I didn’t expect them to know,” talking about some of his underground joints.

The Dallas date with Beyoncé and Jay-Z was a big deal for him, but he went on to indicate that opening for Beyoncé in her hometown of Houston has been one of his greatest feelings thus far. Beezy told us the Houston date was even crazier because they treated him like “another star coming in from out of town” making the performance even more intense! On top of all that, he was invited to perform “That’s On Me” at the 2018 BET Hip Hop Awards…what a breakout year!

We would guess that having the number one record on the radio this summer as well might be something else to smile about and that brings us back to the power of the DJ and local radio. The last time this writer heard of such an impact by local radio was when NWA took “Boyz-n-the-Hood” straight from the studio to Greg “Mack Attack” Mack of 1580 KDAY, and once it hit the airwaves, the rest is history.

That’s on Me began life in October 2017 as a lead single for Beezy’s “Lite Work 2” mixtape which landed in November of that year, getting its momentum in the streets and strip clubs according to Beezy. The joint also caught the attention of the DJ’s at Dallas indie station K-104 (KKDA) and they made room for it on their playlist. Soon, Beezy’s friend and mentor DJ Bay Bay, host of the 3-7 slot on KKDA helped start a push within the station that led to PD George “Geo” Cook making space in the rotation for the song and just as with Boyz-n-the-Hood from so long ago, the rest is history in the making.

Summer 2018 has been touted as the “Summer of Drake” by other pundits and that’s what makes the ascension of Beezy even more important, a new voice and sound emerged during the moment when one of the greatest to do it in recent times was absolutely smashing across the board. “That’s on Me” took the #1 song on radio title and inspired a remix which features a who’s who of Hip-Hop (2Chainz, T.I., Rich The Kid, Jeezy, Boosie Badazz, and Trapboy Freddy). This opened the door for his second major single, “Up One” which spawned a remix with heavy hitter Lil Baby, the video for which currently boasts over 50 million views.

Beezy’s latest full-length project which dropped in November 2018 “Aint No Goin Bacc” is a 20-song series of joints that this writer would call skipless…a straight ride through from start to finish. The release debuted at #6 on the iTunes Hip-Hop chart. Since then, Beezy has released one visual featuring Kevin Gates entitled “What I Did” which to date has over 4 million views.

We asked Beezy to pick a song from the project which would be the best intro of him to a first-time listener and not surprisingly he chose “That’s On Me” as the prophetic layout to his current day story. If this writer was given a pick from the album, it would be “What You Want” Feat. Tokyo Jetz…there’s a reference to “soup coolers” which gives a glimpse at an old soul and wild sense of humor lodged within this young lion…you’re gonna have to hear that one to understand, it’s not something I can explain LOL…

Aint No Goin Bacc is an indie release licensed through Hitco Music which is helmed by the legendary L.A. Reid. Responding to our question about the biggest challenge as an indie doing a joint venture with a major player such as Hitco Beezy responded, “The paperwork” but he seems pleased and excited to be in charge of his situation and maintaining full creative control over his work via his Yella Beezy imprint, while acknowledging it helps to have the experience and resources of the “machine” behind him.

Beezy gave a huge shoutout during the brief conversation directed toward the DJs and the DJ culture. Iterating for new artists the need to get out and say hello and network with these all-important gatekeepers and then let your good music market itself.

2019 looks to be a year where we might see Beezy cutting a wide swath across the country, branching out from the south venturing perhaps more to the west…his album cut “It’s Safe To Say” with Compton spitter YG shows he’s got what it takes to rock the mic on any level and lyrically get the respect of the streets from coast to coast. That’s hard to do given the musical period we are in when more often than not, it can be difficult to distinguish between voices and styles and whether the bard is a truthsayer or not…I’ll let that sink in.

Last but not least for the moment, Yella Beezy, honoring the Old Skool grind, made it out of the barrel without following the leader, meaning minimal streaming or online presence. This musical story is about truly bringing a song and an artist up through a system often ignored and thought to be extinct. It’s a story of hard work, intestinal fortitude and focuses on organic growth which salutes the history of the game.

It would be worthwhile to stay tuned for more from Beezy…he’s already getting top billing on Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal and pulling features in the likes of Rolling Stone which speaks to his cross-over appeal and projects an ability to make an impact outside of the traditional Hip Hop community.

Photo Credit: Cam Kirk

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About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.