As a huge fan of Yelawolf's mix tape “Trunk Muzik 0-60” an album which is still is in constant rotation inside of my car, Yelawolf's debut album “Radioactive” off of Shady Records had been my most anticipated hip-hop release of 2011.
Catering to both hardcore fans with “Trunk Muzik” inspired street tracks and casual listeners with radio friendly songs,“Radioactive” is a very diverse record. As a lyrical Southern rapper, Yelawolf has a unique flow and delivery which brings something new to hip-hop in that he adds a heavy metal element to songs with his energy.
Spitting hard on every track with a rapid-fire flow and an extra emphasis on catchy hooks and mainstream accessible beats, “Radioactive” is without a doubt an album which serves to reach a larger audience and attract a broader fan base. Even though, Yelawolf is not spitting as raw on “Radioactive” as he did on “Trunk Muzik”, Yelawolf had never hidden his agenda for this record stating the purpose of his debut album was to make songs which would be active all over the radio, thus the name “Radioactive.”
Now most of the time, the first word which comes to my mind when an artist does something like this is “sell-out”, however Yelawolf did such a great job with this record and shows great progress in all aspects of his game, that you can not fault him.
The first major improvement I noticed on this album was Yelawolf's song writing skills. On “Trunk Muzik”, Yelawolf had a bunch of great verses jumbled together to make a song, but on “Radioactive” there is a real notice and eye for detail. Every word has a certain purpose and meaning for being placed thus making each track standout since a full definition of what the song is about is given. Ranging from topics such as social commentary (Made In The U.S.A.), to love songs (The Hardest Love Song In The World), to deep personal shit (The Last Song) to club anthems (Hard White (Up In The Club)), Yelawolf appears to have taken all the small things wrong with “Trunk Muzik” and fixed them.
The other main aspect which Yelawolf has improved upon is his storytelling abilities. Every great rapper from Notorious B.I.G to Eminem to Slick Rick has been able to vividly create a story with their words and Yelawolf has made a vast improvement in this area, creating some really great memorable moments.
The production on “Radioactive”, while not featuring any noticeable mainstream producers besides Jim Jonsin and J.U.S.T.I.C.E League perfectly serve their purpose of being hard hitting bass heavy beats which are guaranteed to rattle your trunk. None so more than WillPower's produced “Growin' Up In The Gutter” which the first time I heard I immediately ran to my car so I could hear it to its full capability, and as soon as the bass line hit it literally blew my mind and scared the couple walking past my car.
The guests on this album are also notable because besides Eminem, Kid Rock and Lil' Jon none are household names. Instead, Yelawolf put artists on his record who have influenced him throughout his life like Killer Mike, Mystical and Gangsta Boo and artists who he enjoys like Rittz and Shawty Fattt. This is applaudable because Yelawolf took creative control and did not fill up his album with artists who are only hot right now.
Along with Slaughterhouse, it is hard to deny that Shady 2.0 is not the toughest hip-hop group out today. If this album does not convince you or the BET cypher did not convince you, then wait a couple of months for Slaughterhouse's second record, which will be released sometime in early 2012 and get prepared to be amazed.
In my opinion, “Radioactive” is a great record which reaches its goal of turning Yelawolf into a more mainstream artist. Filled with catchy songs with big chorus', I believe Yelawolf has released a massive record which will satisfy both old and new fans.
If you come into this record expecting straight gutter raps like Yelawolf released with “Trunk Muzik” you will more then likely be disappointed. Yelawolf has done something completely different with “Radioactive” exceeding expectations and serving as an excellent addition to his catalog, as well as showing his overall evolution.
With all that being said, I am honored to announce that after conversing with both Beavis and Butt-Head, “The Paccione Post” is happy to award Yelawolf' with the first ever 5 out of 5 ranking from this site for “Radioactive”, as it is a record which will keep Beavis, Butt-Head and myself very dumb but happy metal heads for the foreseeable future.
Ranked on the Beavis and Butt-Head Scale:
5 Beavis' out of 5 Butt-Heads
Songs I Recommend:
Let's Roll, Hard White (Up In The Club), Growin Up In The Gutter, Made In The U.S.A., The Hardest Love Song In The World
Track by Track Review:
1.Radioactive Introduction – the album opens up with a national warning message from a robot about three nuclear bombs being launched and for everybody to take cover. After this little speech, Yelawolf starts the song with a slow spoken word rap saying “I am the American eagle Eyes of a sparrow Right hand branch Left hand arrow Chasing a dollar and an Impala White trash heart throb Mellow yellow Drinking hard liquor Broads get on my level” until he picks up the intensity in his voice as continues to spit flames like “I'm hotter than the bottom side of a whistlin' kettle They threw a mountain at me, I got hit with a pebble Sent me to hell and I shit on the devil.” The introduction is vintage Yelawolf as he spits tongue twisters all over this verse with great multi-syllable rhymes and clever wordplay such as “If I'm Generation X, I'm selling Ex, no pills Dopeman chopping up the lines you don't sniff Read'em I'm bringing back booklets and hookless lyrics So you can be certain just in case you didn't hear it.”
2.Get Away ft. Shawty Fatt & Mystikal – a track which would not feel out of place on “Trunk Muzik 0-60” Yelawolf's incredible breath control is showcased here as he puts more words into his 16 bar verses then most other rappers. Over a simple yet hypnotic beat, Yelawolf begins the song with a lyrical rapid-fire delivery as he says “Hell of a day to load a .22 and take it to the woods and let it ring into the night And break a bottle with the bullet, yes I'm bout it motherfucker Not a single solitary thing is missing from my Southern roots I'm liable just to take a Chevolet and let it run through the mud for giggles” all in the same breath, before adding in this gem “What a son of a bitch my momma raised into a rapper who could tell a story like my Uncle when he's drinking.” Also, the track features Mystikal which is a real treat to hear in 2011.
3.Let's Roll ft. Kid Rock – the second single released from “Radioactive”, “Let's Roll” is a song which I believe could be a massive hit. Tailor made for the radio, MTV, and BET, the song has all the ingredients needed to become a huge success all across the map. While not Yelawolf's most lyrical track, the song is still great and features a fantastic hook sung by Kid Rock. The Kid Rock feature may confuse people but it should not as Yelawolf and Kid Rock have a lot in common such as their up bringing and exhibit excellent chemistry on the song. Yelawolf has stated that he wants to be active on the radio and this is most likely the song to break him through to the mainstream.
4.Hard White (Up In The Club) ft. Lil' Jon – the first official release from the record and the street single, “Hard White” features the ultimate hype man Lil' Jon. A fun song about not giving a fuck and having a good time, the track is raw and full of high octane energy. Once again for fans of “Trunk Muzik 0-60”, the beat is hard hitting and is just Yelawolf lyrically destroying the track and him saying how he is still the same person despite no longer being broke with lines such as “You mad cause I'm in VIP with a fuckin' Jack bottle With Tom, Dick and Harry I got up in this bitch with a tank top cause I spit so very damn quick and scary.” Heavily rock influenced, Yelawolf references this with the line “Dead or alive I'll put a stamp on this bitch You'll never see rock n' roll do hip-hop like I did.”
5.Growin' Up In The Gutter ft. Rittz – as I mentioned before, “Growin' Up In The Gutter” has the hardest hitting beat on the album. A very dark and spooky song, the track sounds like something Marilyn Manson would make if he did hip-hop. Similar in vein to “Trunk Muzik's” “Pop The Trunk”, “Growin' Up In The Gutter” greatly shows Yelawolf's improvement since the track would have been a standout had it appeared on “Trunk Muzik 0-60.” As soon as the song starts, it will get you going and features the heavy metal element with its mosh pit sounding head banging chorus, getting you up out of your seat.
6.Throw It Up ft. Gangsta Boo & Eminem – a beautiful somber piano beat, all artists bring intense energy with their performances on this song. While Yelawolf has a good verse, it is Eminem who kills this track but all three have a perfect flow. Gangsta Boo who was at one time the female face of Three 6 Mafia makes an appearance here and while she clearly has the weakest verse, it is still a strong showing for her as the energy she delivers on the chorus is spot on. There is also a funny skit at the end of the song which leads perfectly into the next track “Good Girls” and informs us that Eminem's ringtone is a quacking duck.
7.Good Girl ft. Pooh Bear – the song which really shows Yelawolf's improved story telling abilities, Yelawolf writes a track about the age old head-scratcher of why good girls like bad guys. Along with a catchy memorable chorus sung by Pooh Bear, Yelawolf raps “She just wanna see you with somebody dressed up Well, I really ain't into that type of shit I'm into tattoos, drink until 6, Fuck until 9, sleep until 12 And going back to my homies with a story to tell.” The only song for females on “Radioactive”, Yelawolf is not singing to or at girls and is instead speaking about them rapping “Cause the more that I ignore you, the more you wanna ride I tell you that I'm bad but you never ask why Cause you just want the good from a really bad guy.”
8.Made In The U.S.A. ft. Priscilla Renea – one of the real standout tracks on “Radioactive”, “Made In The U.S.A.” is a song about the other side of America, the side which is not glamor and glitz but the hard working poverty blue collar side which Yelawolf grew up around. Raised in Alabama, Yelawolf made this song for the people who work extremely hard for very little pay to make this great country of ours operate, while receiving little to no credit saying “We some gun toting, church going 18 wheel rolling back slangin' flag waving At the dinner table praying Old school yard fighting Beer drinking hell raising Hard working blue collar Earn it all due paying.” Featuring Priscilla Renea whose voice is similar to Rihanna's the third verse and end of this song is very powerful. Talking about a single mother/stripper who works hard for her daughter, but ends up not doing enough as the daughter ends up going into prostitution to make money. To add to the impact, the chorus is slightly changed to “And that's how it's made in the U.S.A. the U.S.A. It's every mothers dream to see her daughter on her knees.” A beautiful and moving song, “Made In The U.S.A.” is a real sarcastic look at the America we all thought we knew.
9.Animal ft. Fefe Dobson – comparable to “Good To Go” from “Trunk Muzik 0-60”, “Animal” has Yelawolf rapping like his Catfish Billy persona over dub step inspired production. Lyrically fire, Yelawolf is rapping like a man possessed with multiple tongue twisters and a rapid fire flow and delivery showing off his lyrical capabilities with tough lines such as “Trashy white Pass the mic Yeah I'm doing 'em dirty Just start pumping when I'm on the lights like I'm rapping in Jersey Never get elegant in elementary Never learnt to write in cursive Raised by the country B-Boys I'm elegantly perfect.”
10. The Hardest Love Song In The World – a song which truly lives up to it's title, “The Hardest Love Song In The World”, is a standout and one of my favorite tracks on “Radioactive.” Seemingly describing the perfect girl in my opinion whose into cars and dark, messed up shit with lyrics like “I can see you in a 1976 Camaro Me and you sippin' whiskey gettin' drunker than Jack Sparrow Is Black Sabbath how you get mellow Huh, well put your feet on my Harley Davidson pedal and rock n' roll girl.” Other memorable lyrics include “You don't got to drive a Fleetwood cadillac You just gotta know some of the words to Fleetwood Mac Horror movies turn you on Pull the sheets back Fuck it I'll role play Do it to you in a Jason mask You're swift walk is like a switch blade You walk into a room And it's like these other bitches get hit with a grenade With that said Let me pull them Spandex pants off you with my teeth Like Ozzy did a bat head.” Another dope line is “You ain't concerned with new clothes or salaries You rather run across the country like Mickey and Mallory Be the Natural Born Killer that you are You'll hang out the window with a pistol while I drive the car.” A true rock n roll song, “The Hardest Love Song In The World” is sure to be amongst favorites off of this album and possibly a future single.
11. Write Your Name ft. Mona Mona – a beautiful song produced by the J.U.S.T.I.C.E League which sounds very similar to Rick Ross' “Aston Martin Music.” Telling the tale of two unspectacular stories, first about a lonely Vietnam war veteran and the second about a 16 year old pregnant girl who keeps her child and raises it despite not knowing how to get by. With lyrics like “You may never be on television or be the one Your boss at work loves giving you employee of the month May never be the first string on a champion team You may be the star the world just hasn't seen But that don't make you any less of a star to God Bein' rich is only realizing it's all a facade You're richer than you think in that old small town Cause people like you make the world go round ALABAMA.” Speaking on how everyone in the world is a star in their own right, you do not need to be famous or in the headlines to make a difference in this world. Being rich is not all about money, but about how much you have that is relevant to where you are, since those are the people that make the world work. A beautiful chorus by Mona Mona adds to the brilliance of this track.
12. Everything I Love The Most – a pop fueled fun track about Yelawolf's vices, such as drinking, partying and girls with a catchy sing a long chorus over an acoustic guitar beat. The song tells the tales of Yelawolf's repeated drunken stories of waking up next to women he doesn't know with lyrics like “Look over to my left is an open book a Bible To my right is a guilty conscience her name is Brooke my rival At least I think her name is Brooke She's asleep and I'm giving her the lamest look Move her hair back So that I could see her face Cause it was dark when I met her at the game it took.”
13. Radio – a mellow yet catchy song attacking the music industry, “Radio” speaks on everything from the internet to double standards to the crap being played on the radio today. Starting off with the internet, Yelawolf raps about how the mass appeal of the internet allows everybody to share their opinion whether fairly or unfairly, biased or unbiased. Referencing sites like Facebook, Youtube and Twitter, Yelawolf speaks about how now a days, the radio is not the only way for people to put out or hear music. It is all to common for people to become overnight celebrities due to posting a video on the internet without doing any of the hard work it takes to actually make it. The double standards Yelawolf speaks about, is how unfairly hip-hop is treated in the public eye. Hip-hop has undergone numerous protests for its themes of drugs, guns, cars and alcohol but those same protesters are actually hypocrites since Yelawolf mentions that they probably go home and listen to Eric Clapton's “Cocaine” but allow it because it is a classic song and not hip-hop. My favorite part of “Radio” is the part which directly attacks the radio, as Yelawolf says “You'll never hear Black Star cause the program director is mostly deaf.” This is great wordplay with Black Star and deaf because Black Star is a hip-hop group consisting of Talib Kweli and Mos Def. Black Star is also known for their thoughtful lyrics and high rap skills, but who are never heard on the radio since the directors who run the station do not think they will bring in listeners and attract viewers. This is sad because all the radio is filled with now is catchy/dance beats, hooks and poor lyrics so people are able to comprehend better. The song also references the golden age of radio when songs from Notorious B.I.G. and Red Hot Chilli Peppers were played along with Gin N' Juice and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.
– a universal song about poverty, disregarding race with Killer Mike ranting towards the end “So if I'm on the bottom and you're on the bottom We're the same color Dirt fucking poor.” With a Rage Against the Machine type of vibe, Yelawolf creates an anthem for folks growing up in the slums. Reminding me of “I Wish” off of “Trunk Muzik”, Yelawolf raps “What do you mean I'm white trash Grab my nuts and kick your poodle in the face I'm sick of this sloward hate Cause I'm the bitch that society rapes.” A chanting chorus which is sure to cause a few mosh pits “Slumerican Shitizen” is aggressively repeated and makes for a killer track.
15. The Last Song – the last track on “Radioactive”, is aptly titled “The Last Song” and is the first time we have ever heard Yelawolf open up like this. Deep and personal about his childhood and upbringing, Yelawolf wrote the song to his absent father, while thanking his mother for always loving and raising him. Over a simple piano beat, Yelawolf reveals himself saying “See I've been lost ever since I could walk Looking for my daddy and anyone of momma's boyfriend's who would talk Or listen to me when I spoke Instead of looking at me like a joke Or leaving me behind Leaving me to cry When you treated my momma like a ho But I learned quick that my daddy wasn't ever gonna come around And I didn't give a shit Cause me and my momma we held it down.” The hook also speaks on his father as Yelawolf finally made it big time and is on the radio and in magazines and hopes his father where ever he is, is proud of him. To his mother, Yelawolf raps “All I know is that I was made in you So I put all my faith in you.” Lastly, Yelawolf talks about growing up and the mistakes he made, saying “So I turned into an asshole Young and dumb Smoking weed Vandalizing, robbing houses, stealing cars, That was me But everything I did I had to see Feel the pain Had to grieve To become who I am and I'm proud of the man I came to be.”
Yelawolf “Radioactive” support and pick it up when it is released November 22nd.
Ranked on the Beavis and Butt-Head Scale:
5 Beavis' out of 5 Butt-Heads
Songs I Recommend:
Let's Roll, Hard White (Up In The Club), Growin Up In The Gutter, Made In The U.S.A., The Hardest Love Song In The World
x Adam “S” Paccione x
