Interview: Yelawolf (12/15/09)

The Alabama native, Yelawolf, has been making a name for himself in the rap game for a minute now.  Through his unique mixtapes, he’s carved out a spot as one of the most creative emerging emcees in the game.

What also helps him stand out from other rappers, is his love of skateboarding and appreciation for classic rock.

Recently Yelawolf used this knowledge of classic rock to create the critically acclaimed Stereo mixtape, where he remakes a number of rock songs in a hip hop style.

Similar to the sound he captured on Stereo, Yelawolf recently released a hook on both Slim Thug’s “I Run” and Juelz Santana’s “Mixin’ Up The Medicine.”  The latter remakes Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” and garnered a good amount of buzz, even receiving a write up in The New York Times!

Juelz Santana – “Mixin Up The Medicine” (Featuring Yelawolf)

In our interview below, Yelawolf explains how the song with Juelz Santana came about, and shares info about its upcoming remix.  I would’ve never guessed that “Mixin’ Up The Medicine” was well under way before Juelz even heard the track, crazy!  Big shout out to KaneBeatz for making yet another sick record!

Last night, HipHopAtLunch.com met up with Yelawolf in Times Square to speak about the most important thing he learned during his time at Columbia Records, his views on Twitter, and what we can expect from the upcoming mixtape, Trunk Muzik, dropping January 1st.

Like I said after the Emilio Rojas interview, I need to keep filming these in Times Square; you can’t beat those random background noises!

I enjoyed hearing Yelawolf speak about his time with Columbia Records.  He makes a great point in advising all artists to keep a strong team around them, instead of solely relying on the major label to bring your career to the next level.

It sounds like the guest features on Trunk Muzik are going to mesh well with Yelawolf’s style, and after hearing Pill’s name among the list of guest artists, January 1st can’t come fast enough!

If the interview didn’t give you enough of a glimpse into Yelawolf’s personality and style, be sure to follow him on Twitter: @Yelawolf.

Here’s a few tracks from the project:

Yelawolf – “I Wish.”

After one listen to the hook, you can’t tell me Pill won’t rip this shit:

“I wish a mutherfucker would,
Tell me that I ain’t hip hop,
Bitch you aint hip hop,
I wish a mutherfucker would,
Tell me that my shit gonna flop,
Bitch your shit gonna flop.”

It was surprising to hear that despite being friends for a while, these two had never collaborated on a record.  That being said, they couldn’t have chosen a better time than now, as both Pill and Yelawolf are quickly becoming two of the most exciting emerging artists to watch.

Yelawolf – “Good To Go.”

“Good to Go,” the latest leak off Trunk Muzik, features rapid fire verses from both Yelawolf and Bun B.

Yelawolf starts off the track with:

“Walk with a limp and I talk with a lingo,
Party with a bunch of bad girls in a Pinto,
Run up on a mutherfucker with a dull pencil,
Sharpen my number 2 on his new benzo…
The man’s so bad,
From Alabama with a banjo clap clap,
Sling bass like I’m Rambo, fix that,
I don’t wanna hear shit buddy, that’s that,
Can’t get a buzz, well run back to the bar,
Pick another drink, get ready to blow,
Send me your telephone number bitch,
Maybe when I’m ready to roll,
I’ll hit you with the totem poll,
But right now, I’m Good To Go.”

That verse gives a great example of Yelawolf’s infectious flow and southern twang.  Not surprisingly, Bun B continues the cocky feel of “Good To Go” with yet another impressive guest spot (who wouldn’t want a Bun B feature?).

For more information on Yelawolf, check out our feature article.  Also, if you’re in NYC tomorrow night, be sure to stop by The Fillmore to see his performance with Raekwon.  The show should be great, as Raekwon doesn’t disappoint and Yelawolf is known for his high-energy live shows!

Keep an eye out for Trunk Muzik, hosted by DJ Burn One, to be dropping on January 1st.  Big shout out to Supahot Beats, Malay, Kawan Prather, and everyone involved in the project!