Ed Sheeran & Yelawolf - Slumdon Bridge

Although he has sold over 900,000 copies of his debut album '+' and is currently nominated for 4 BRIT Awards, Ed Sheeran still has some critics who believe he is a very 'safe' artist, but it's safe to say (excuse the pun) that there is absolutely nothing safe about his new project with Shady Records signee Yelawolf. The 20-year old singer/songwriter has been a huge fan of the Alabama-born rapper for quite some time now, but it was only towards the end of last year that they got the chance to hook up for a studio session, and even then they were only given a mere 48 hours. However, both men worked tirelessly alongside their producers across the space of two days and have cooked up something rather special, proving why they are seen by many as two of the most exciting artists on the planet.

The EP kicks off with a track called 'London Bridge' follows, which is my favourite track on the EP, and opens with Yelawolf showcasing his under-rated storytelling skills over the stripped-back beat of a drum and the strumming of Ed's guitar. The final third of this sees Mr. Sheeran take over and transform it into a ridiculously catchy Country/Folk-infused piece of music, with what can only be described as an upbeat soul clap bringing it home - hopefully they will get the chance to perform this live one day, because it would be a truly special moment. 'You Don't Know (For Fuck Sake)' is up next, which is the lead track that has already been released as a free download and is currently receiving support from both Radio 1 & 1Xtra. The simple yet hard-hitting beat(box), alongside the two of them trading bars and Ed's soothing vocal tone, makes for an infectious head-nodding sound that is incomparable to anything you've heard previously. 'Faces' follows, which is instantly reminiscent of 'Lately' from No. 5 Collaborations, with a haunting beat and Yelawolf adopting a similar style of flow/approach to that of Devlin. The lyrics are an eye-opening insight into the life of a travelling recording artist, and even though most people can't relate to that, everyone can relate to the fact that the place you come from will never change and has made you the person that you are today. 'Tone' is the final track on the EP and is basically Yelawolf signing off, with little input from Ed's vocals - the lyrical content and delivery from the American starlet are very similar to that of his mentor Eminem, and made me realise exactly why Mr. Mathers decided to sign him last year. Yela, Yelo.

Honestly, I have never been a huge fan of Yelawolf, but this EP has made me see him in a whole new light - over the past few weeks I have revisited both his album and mixtapes, and can safely say that I've been converted. This EP is a breath of fresh air, and although they only had a matter of hours together, their diverse styles and approaches to making music have enabled them to produce something beyond what anyone could have imagined. The Slumdon Bridge EP will be available as a free download on February 14th, but for now you can download 'You Don't Know (For Fuck Sake)' HERE and watch the teaser HERE.

Yelawolf: "I'm the child of a dead beat, so I need to give the beat some life..."