Yelawolf

Rapper and singer‑songwriter Michael Wayne Atha, born in 1979 in Gadsden, Alabama, Yelawolf developed a hip‑hop sound deeply rooted in the American South, where rap, country and rock intersect. After his debut album Creekwater (2005), he drew attention with a series of mixtapes—most notably Trunk Muzik (2010)—which led to deals with Interscope and later Shady Records, Eminem’s label. There he released the EP Trunk Muzik 0‑60 (2010) and the album Radioactive (2011), while appearing on numerous features across the U.S. rap scene. Beginning with Love Story (2015) and Trial by Fire (2017), he intensified the blend of melodic rap, country ballads and rock guitars, before returning to a more direct approach with Trunk Muzik 3 (2019). Alongside his Slumerican imprint he has pursued independent releases such as Ghetto Cowboy (2019), Mud Mouth (2021) and the rock project Sometimes Y (2022) with Shooter Jennings. Yelawolf’s style rests on a rapid flow, autobiographical storytelling and rural imagery—between redneck culture, American highways and hip‑hop scenes—placing him at the crossroads of rap, alternative music and country rap.