You’ve heard it. If you have spent more than five minutes on TikTok or walked past a group of teenagers lately, you have definitely heard it. That weird, staccato bark of a phrase that seems to make no sense but stays stuck in your brain for three days straight. What the helly?
It sounds like a glitch. Or maybe a guy who forgot the rest of the sentence and just started riffing on names of celebrities. But "WTHelly" by New Orleans rapper Rob49 isn't a mistake. It is a full-blown cultural moment that managed to jump from a late-night studio freestyle to the Indiana Pacers' locker room and the Billboard charts.
The Random Night "WTHelly" Was Born
The story behind the what the helly song is honestly kind of chaotic. Rob49 didn’t sit down with a pen and a notepad to write a masterpiece. He didn't even have his own studio time booked.
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According to an interview he did with Complex, Rob was actually at a session for fellow rapper Skilla Baby. This was right after Rob had been on a video shoot with Cardi B in New Jersey. Skilla was tired and ready to call it a night, so Rob49 just took over the mic. He and his crew stayed until six in the morning, basically just yelling phrases at each other in the booth.
"We were just saying, 'What the hell?'" Rob explained. "I said, 'Man, I'm about to make 'What The Hell' right now.'"
They didn't just record a song; they recorded a vibe. The track features a raw, unedited energy because everyone was in the booth at the same time. You can actually hear the collective hype. It feels like a New Orleans block party squeezed into a two-minute MP3.
Why Everyone Is Saying "Hellyburton" and "Helly Berry"
If you listen to the outro, it sounds like a word-association game gone off the rails. Rob49 starts rhyming "helly" with basically anything that fits the cadence.
- What the helly, Berry (Halle Berry)
- What the helly, Burton (Tyrese Haliburton)
- What the helly, 'Bron James (LeBron James)
- What the helly, Cyrus (Miley Cyrus)
- What the helly-antte (A nod to celebrity jeweler Elliot Eliantte)
It is nonsensical. It’s also brilliant. By turning the phrase into a customizable meme, he gave the internet a template.
The biggest surprise was how the sports world latched onto it. Tyrese Haliburton, the star guard for the Indiana Pacers, became the unofficial face of the song. The Pacers started using "What the Hellyburton" in their social media highlights. During their 2025 playoff run, veteran James Johnson was reportedly blasting the track in the locker room after big wins. Rob49 even ended up courtside at Game 2 against the Bucks, rocking a custom No. 49 jersey.
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The "Lethal" Sound That Divides Generations
Music critics are having a weird time with this one. Vivian Medithi at The Fader compared the song to the infamous (and discontinued) Panera Bread Charged Lemonade. It’s high-energy, slightly dangerous, and maybe a little too much for some people to handle.
Old-school hip-hop heads generally hate it. They call it "gibberish" or "trash." They aren't necessarily wrong if you’re looking for Shakespearean lyricism. Rob49 isn't trying to be a "lyrical miracle" rapper here. He’s using his voice as a blunt instrument. It’s a rhythmic, barking style that owes a lot to guys like Waka Flocka Flame or DMX.
The song is about 10% wordplay and 90% pure delivery. He talks about buying luxuries for women, calls their boyfriends "bums," and mentions "Ben Franky" (hundred-dollar bills) and "baguette" diamonds. It’s standard rap fare delivered with a completely non-standard hook.
The Massive Remixes and What’s Next
You know a song has reached "critical mass" when the pop stars start calling. Despite the song’s gritty New Orleans roots, Justin Bieber reportedly became a fan. There is an official remix featuring Bieber, along with Big Sean, G Herbo, and Latto.
The song peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and has racked up millions of views on YouTube and TikTok. It’s the centerpiece of his debut studio album, Let Me Fly, which dropped in May 2025.
For Rob49, "WTHelly" was the proof he needed that his instincts were right. He told reporters at a press conference that he knew it would be a hit because it changed how people talked. Once you start saying "what the helly" ironically, you eventually start saying it for real.
Actionable Insights for Your Playlist:
- Check the Outro: If you're using the song for a social media post, the outro (the celebrity name-drops) is where the "viral" potential lives.
- Listen to the G Herbo Remix: For a version that feels more like a traditional "street" record, the G Herbo remix (which was actually recorded months before the song even went viral) offers a different flow.
- Explore "Vulture Island": If you like the energy of the what the helly song, go back to Rob49’s 2022 breakout "Vulture Island" to see where this style originated.
- Watch the Vevo Ctrl Performance: To see the actual energy Rob brings, his live session on Vevo shows how much of the "bark" is just his natural performance style.