Words By Lola P.

Pics via Hydrilla

My friend Malay introduced me to Yelawolf when I was in Atlanta a few months ago. He was different. Cool, friendly, easy going…but real different with a quiet, yet confident air all to himself. Given that vagueness, I didn’t really know what to expect from his music.

The week before I left, I got word that Yelawolf was doing a performance at Lenny’s Bar and my people and I wanted to go check it out. It was a more distinctive experience than what I had imagined. You know sometimes you go to shows where you don’t really know the music and you don’t know what to expect, but you feel you may be a little bored since you don’t really know any of the lyrics…or anything about the artist for that matter? Well, that was me going in.

Yet, watching Yela perform made me an immediate fan. His music is gumbo. A combination of the late Curt Cobain and Eminem, maybe a sprinkle of Green Day or even Slipknot, Ludacris and maybe some 36 Mafia. A mesh of Hip-Hop and skate culture, and a horde of artists from juxtaposed sounds are unique to him. His energy, his involvement with the crowd, his overall delivery is raw, leaving you speechless. Even if you don’t like the guy, you have to admire his performances. That crowd at Lenny’s loved him and I’ve been a fan since.

Last night, Malay, who’s also producing on Yela’s upcoming album, sent me his latest record, “Radio Smash.”

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Yelawolf – “Radio Smash” (Prod. by Malay & KP)

It’s not your typical Hip-Hop or rock record, so don’t judge. Just take it in and leave the feedback.