Wolfin It

Similar to how I came across Gripplyaz, I found out about Yelawolf 2-3 years ago surfing around on Myspace. I was drawn to the page because he always kept some dope ass photos on his profile. The pictures not only made him look like he was already an established artist but they also seemed to tell a story and really capture where he was from and what he was about.

When I clicked on the music, I was blown away. He had this one song called "Planes, Trains and Automobiles"...oh my god that shit was tight! Then he had this other song called "White Boy From Alabama" that was pretty damn dope too. The music was damn near perfect. It sounded like he and the producers [Battery 5] had achieved that perfect chemistry where neither one of them is trying to outshine the other, but rather encourage each other to do their best. You know, the kind of music that sparks brief conversations like "this nigga snappin!.....yeah that beat hard too."

From that point I've been a fan of dudes music and always made sure that I put folks up on whatever new shit he has out. He just dropped a new mixtape with DJ Ideal called Stereo where they've flipped classic rock samples on some hip hop shit. This shit is dope.

Nothing on the CD sounds forced or gimmicky. I've never really been a fan of anykind of rap/rock hybrid shit. Many times when people try meshing rock and Hip Hop, it comes out sounding like something for the label's marketing department to have an orgy to, not necessarily something for music listeners to enjoy on their own will.

But what impressed me about Stereo is that it all sounds natural. It sounds like everyone involved in the production of this CD had a genuine knowledge and respect for the two genres they were attempting to fuse together, instead of just taking whatever was hot on the charts at the and throwing it together. The music on Stereo was influenced by classic rock shit that may be easily identified by people have a deep music catalog, but yet I think it can still appeal to people who know absolutely nothing about it. Being that Yela is from rural Alabama and grew up on Hip Hop he was able to blend the shit he listened to with the stuff his moms probably listened to and made it work. Now to think of it, this CD would make for a dope Breakaday for rock heads.

Most importantly, dude is rapping his ass off on this shit, proving that you don't have get all "experimental" on tracks that aren't the norm. Its ok to just fucking rap if that what you do best. You don't have to sing or mumble just for the sake of being different. If you're gonna do that, do it for th sake of being dope.

Anyways, I don't want to bore your eyes with too many of my words. Check out the music, and as usual, if you're fucking with it, check out his myspace page and website. While your at it, peep the whole damn thing.

"Brick In The Wall"

"Brown Sugar"

"Rich Like Me"

"My Box Chevy, Pt. 2"

"Burnout"

"Break The Chain"