In January 2011, Yelawolf signed a recording deal with Eminem's record label Shady Records, and released his second studio album, Radioactive in November 2011.
39 Facts About Yelawolf
2.
Yelawolf released a sequel to his breakthrough mixtape Trunk Muzik, titled Trunk Muzik Returns, in March 2013.
3.
Yelawolf has described himself as "[representing] the people that are the core of America".
4.
Yelawolf said his stage name was inspired by his father.
5.
Yelawolf spent much of his time in Antioch, Tennessee, and attended Carter Lawrence Middle School in Nashville, which is located near the Edgehill Homes apartment projects.
6.
In 2005, Yelawolf appeared on the UPN Network reality series The Road to Stardom with Missy Elliott.
7.
Two years later, Yelawolf signed to Columbia Records and released the single "Kickin'" from the album, Fearin' and Loathin' in Smalltown, USA.
8.
The album was never released, and Yelawolf was dropped from the label later that year.
9.
Yelawolf released two mixtapes following his release from Columbia, titled Ball of Flames: The Ballad of Slick Rick E Bobby and Stereo: A Hip Hop Tribute to Classic Rock, both of which went mainly unnoticed, although Stereo is often mentioned by fans as some of his best work.
10.
In March 2011, after speculation of a joint record deal with Eminem, Yelawolf was featured on the cover of XXL's March 2011 issue, with Eminem and fellow new Shady Records signees Slaughterhouse, with the issue confirming his record deal with Shady Records.
11.
Yelawolf partnered up with the video game Driver: San Francisco to release a music video for the song "No Hands" which was supposed to be included in Radioactive, but was later scrapped.
12.
On October 30,2011, Yelawolf released the second single off Radioactive, titled "Let's Roll", featuring guest vocals from Kid Rock.
13.
On January 24,2012, Yelawolf released a promotional track with British singer Ed Sheeran titled "You Don't Know ".
14.
On June 16,2012, in order to commemorate Father's Day, Yelawolf released a song titled "Happy Father's Day".
15.
Yelawolf stated that all the tracks on the album will have a music video and during an article with Rolling Stone, both he and Barker hinted at a sequel to the EP.
16.
On March 20,2012, Yelawolf announced that recording sessions for his third studio album began in June 2012, titled Love Story.
17.
In December 2012, Yelawolf addressed the status of all of his projects in an interview.
18.
Yelawolf spoke on his upcoming second release, Love Story, and how it would be different compared to his debut effort Radioactive.
19.
Yelawolf said that Trunk Muzik Returns would hopefully be released in February 2013, with the date later confirmed.
20.
On February 5,2013, Yelawolf released the first song from Trunk Muzik Returns, "Way Out" and announced a release date of March 14,2013, for the mixtape.
21.
On October 18,2013, Yelawolf revealed that he would be releasing his seventh mixtape titled Black Fall on October 31,2013.
22.
On January 28,2014, Yelawolf premiered his debut single from Love Story titled "Box Chevy V" on Shade 45.
23.
Between then, Yelawolf remained active promoting the album, releasing weekly freestyles that sampled rock classics such as Pink Floyd's "Money".
24.
The album is considered Yelawolf's most celebrated release among his fan base, but was found to be polarizing with critics due to the mixture of country and hip hop.
25.
Yelawolf alluded to the record being much darker than its predecessor, and being produced entirely by himself and constant collaborators DJ Klever and Bones Owens, which were members of his tour band.
26.
Towards the end of 2016, Yelawolf was seen working with South Florida-based producer and constant collaborator Jim Jonsin, although what they worked on remained a secret.
27.
However, during the Oregon show, Yelawolf was seen destroying equipment belonging to Bones Owens, which subsequently caused Owens to fallout with Yelawolf and quit the band indefinitely.
28.
The incident was followed by an altercation with a fan at the Sacramento show resulting in Yelawolf leaving the stage and cancelling the remaining seven dates.
29.
On June 6,2017, Yelawolf announced a return to the music scene with the release of the third single for Trial by Fire titled "Row Your Boat", with his "Yelawolf" moniker in use.
30.
In late 2019, Yelawolf launched his second tour of the year in support of the album, appropriately titled "The Ghetto Cowboy Tour".
31.
On February 19,2021, Yelawolf released Yelawolf Blacksheep, an 11-track mixtape with fellow rapper Caskey.
32.
The Guardian reported that "In contrast to the gilded cage of privilege inhabited by Jay-Z and Kanye West, Yelawolf depicts everyday rural poverty with the evocative precision of a master storyteller".
33.
Yelawolf is noted for his distinct style that ranges from American gothic to gore, the "richness and invention of his language" and range of his vocal style "from beer-swilling rowdiness to a crawling, contemptuous sibilance".
34.
Yelawolf recalls Run-DMC visiting his childhood home and giving him some Beastie Boys' Licensed to Ill cassette tapes.
35.
Yelawolf has cited Outkast as his biggest influence when it comes to a "blend of sounds".
36.
Yelawolf has stated on multiple occasions that the group's two seminal albums, ATLiens and Aquemini, are among his favorite hip-hop records of all time.
37.
Yelawolf has shown appreciation for Detroit-based recording artist Kid Rock and his mixing of country music, rock music, and hip hop, as well as long-time collaborator and mentor Eminem.
38.
In July 2013, Yelawolf got engaged to his girlfriend, recording artist Fefe Dobson.
39.
On September 27,2019, Yelawolf posted snapshots of his wedding ceremony to Dobson at The Rhinestone Wedding Chapel in Nashville, Tennessee.