Crack

"Classic rock grooves mixed with Twista, a real working class perspective." Just some of the words rapper Yelawolf chooses to describe his sound.

Hailing from Gadsden, Alabama, Yelawolf has already made a name for himself with no official release through a major label. Like many rap artists these days, he got noticed through MySpace and free mixes online. This hasn’t stopped a flood of comparisons to Eminem, even though it’s safe to say Yelawolf is a completely different artist.

He explains: "What sets us apart is perspective, I was raised in the south, I talk about things that are southern. We're from two different parts of the country, we have a different tone".

Yelawolf is a southern state American boy through and through. Sporting a mohawk mullet, covered in tattoos, adopting the alias Cat Fish Billy and an obsession with Chevrolet, (so much so he's dedicate a record to his love of Box Chevy on every mix-tape so far) his southern credentials are on display for all to see.

"Being from the south has always made it harder to be respected as our culture is different. We don't have battles on the corner, that all came from the north. Don't get it wrong though, there's MC's in the south that will tear shit up at battles." Yelawolf could definitely pull his weight among hip-hop's most lyrical, boasting a delivery that echoes the comparisons made with Twista or even Eminem, yet laced with an enigmatic southern drawl and flow that hints at Andre 3000 of Outkast.

His early material was very country/rock influenced, having previously quoted Lynard Skynard and Johnny Cash as much of an inspiration to him as the likes of NWA and The Geto Boys, but his breakthrough mix-tape - Trunk Muzik, is where he really seems to have found his sound.

Produced by Supahot Beats, it perfectly complements his style as an MC, combining 808 drums, punchy synths and hooks and melodies that would sit comfortably amongst Outkast material.

The decision to create the mix-tape seems effortless compared to the work put into it, as he explains: "I was at a bar with DJ Burn One and I said how Trunk Muzik would make a sick title…I like to sometimes throw a dart blindfold and Trunk Muzik hit the bullseye". Trunk Muzik features the likes of Raekwon, Bun B of UGK and Juelz Santana and as his profile rises, more and more artists are co-signing Yelawolf.

Outkast’s very own Big Boi has recruited Yelawolf for a track on his debut solo LP. "He pitched the track to me and it had a rock‘n’roll feel. I was like, "with all due respect, I wanna rap with you". He played another track to me and I said I wanted on it…I did a 16, he did a 16, then we split a 16, and it's produced by Dre (Andre 3000) which is crazy."

Further collaborations and features seem to be a big part of Yelawolf ’s future, having met with The Neptunes to discuss working on his first major project and an upcoming collaboration with Travis Barker which he is especially excited about. "It's a record called The Whistle Song with chopped up 808's and Travis drumming over the top. The only melody is a whistle." It was at this point in the interview where his creative juices started flowing and the boy from the south really came out. "I'm gonna change the name of that song to Opie Taylor." (For those not familiar, Opie Taylor is a fictional character from The Andy Griffith show that lived in a small, sleepy, southern community and was played by Ron Howard).

Although working with a range of artists is obviously an integral part of his plan to make a name for himself, don't expect an overdose of big producers on his debut album. This is something Yelawolf is acutely aware might dilute his sound as he explains: "I'm a fan of projects that feel consistent. I don't like albums that are produced by 20 different people and sound all over the place."

Not only talented musically, Yelawolf tried his hand at pro-skating for a brief period. Previous music videos for tracks Kickin’ and the remix of I Wish originally featuring Raekwon, showcased his love for the culture. "Skateboarding is just a part of my life, it’s a part of who I am. I owe so much to skateboarding for what I know how about hip-hop culture. If you carry a board to a state you've never been, you got friends immediately. I will always skate. I’ll never stop skateboarding."

Some major festival appearances have been a big part of launching Yelawolf into the spotlight. Several shows at SXSW opened up new avenues for him as an artist, and showing up at this year’s Coachella alongside DJ Craze and Klever proved to be the perfect stage to showcase his material. "I've waited so long to do a set with Klever, so doing a set with both of them was stupid man. 5,000 plus people with them playing high-energy dubstep shit, and they broke their set to throw me in there!"

The future continues to look bright for the Alabama rapper. Having recently signed to Interscope records and negotiating a deal that supports his label and crew – Ghet-O-Vision, Yelawolf is also ready for his first major release and a new version of his breakthrough mix-tape is currently being completed.

Due to arrive in August, this will feature remixes of some fan favourites and eight new tracks. So although conscious of the things that set him apart from other rappers and aware that the Eminem comparisons will continue, Yelawolf is confident that the south will continue to rise. "Those who had the biggest hustle made it. After Master P they had to respect the south. We got legends out here it just took a while for the world to realise."



Words: Tom Botting

Trunk Muzik is available to download now at http://www.myspace.com/yelawolf

Trunk Muzik 0 - 60 will be released in August

- - - - - - - - - -