My Completely Un-Biased Review of Yelawolf's Love Story (Album Review)

Yelawolf... who is he really?  Can you say you really know him just from listening to some trunk banging tracks he's put out in the past?  His mix tape Trunk Muzik has defined him as an artist, because when people think of Yelawolf, this is the era that people think of, but is it possible for Yela to move past this and create a new identity for himself?  Yelawolf weighed in on what his newest album Love Story was supposed to tackle in terms of subject matter, plus how he felt he was "filling in the blanks" with it below (also features some hilarious Eminem tidbits). If you're reading and you're as sharp as I believe you are (which I know my readers always are, come on now), you'll have noticed that I title this "my completely unbiased album review." That's because I am reviewing this album with no previous experience listening to Yelawolf's music. Now this could be bad based on putting the music out of context, but I see it as a "more honest" way to review this album, which means if I liked it and haven't heard any Yelawolf before, you'd definitely be a fan with no past listening experience of Yelawolf. Now let's get to the reviewing. 

(This definitely doesn't sum up the album, continue reading to find out if Yela finds his sound for real.)

"Outer Space".... how to speak about this song in language that mere mortals can understand?  Definitely an interesting start to the album, as it starts with a skit of what sounds like Yelawolf rolling up somewhere in a truck (apparently somewhere out in the middle of nowhere), and being abducted by... someone. Does this mean Yelawolf is rapping about being abducted?  Could this mean that Yelawolf is otherworldly and the only ones able to keep up are legit aliens?  You could assume both of these (whatever floats your boat), but some fast-paced and funky production are backed by some sweet ending vocals from Yela on this intro. Yelawolf claims "I'm not out of place, I'm from outer space" on this one, and it's hard to argue.

Being an Alabama native was going to make for some real southern-influenced music on his second LP, and "Change" is a track that mirrors this perfectly. Losing your way and having to find it all over again is something many people are too familiar with, and "Change" is a song that puts this feeling into such relatable perspective for many people, black or white. From my point of view, listening to "Change" made Yelawolf relatable to me, and if I weren't a fan before, this track certainly peaked my interest.

"American You" is another track that spoke to me on a personal level, mostly because this one attacks the every day lives of average American citizens, aka "American You." Talks of going to church, getting tattoos and even getting married, Yelawolf sums up the American life style today so well with this track, and the hook singing "fuck you too" in such a polite way also sums up the passive aggressive lives of Americans' who couldn't really do what they wanted to with their lives. This song really makes you think about working hard, taking the chances you get and not wasting them for sure. All around great message from Yelawolf once you get past the every day negative mindset that we Americans so often perceive.

I already did a post mentioning "Til It's Gone" way back when it was featured in one of the season finales for "Sons Of Anarchy", and it certainly fits well when you think of the losses and circumstances you have to deal with being in a biker gang like the Sons. I've never seen "Sons Of Anarchy", but "Til It's Gone" even seems like it could fit the bill of "Breaking Bad" when it was still running, with all of the losses and circumstances old Heisenberg himself had to deal with, although I like the western vibe "Til It's Gone" gives you when you first hear it, definitely not a song you first think of when you think rap or hip hop, job well done pushing the boundaries by Yelawolf on that one.

Then comes "Devil In My Veins." This song is not just one that comes and goes based on popular opinion, no "Devil In My Veins" is not a song you play once and understand what Yelawolf is talking about, "Devil In My Veins" is the song that shows Yelawolf finding his very unique sound not just as a rapper, but as an artist (because this song could very easily classify as some old rock or country music). "Devil In My Veins" is that song that you hear that sounds so familiar, yet you can't quite place your finger on what it sounds like, maybe not because it sounds familiar, but because it sounds too good to not have something like it made before. It's too hard to tell whether Yela is venting about the industry or the bottle based on his deep songwriting in this song, I'll leave it to the peeps to try and understand what this one's really about. Bottom line: "Devil In My Veins" is a highlight of this album and is more than just hip hop; it's great music.

                               (*I do not own these songs, videos, or the rights to any of them*)

"Best Friend" is another highlight of the album, and not just because of the crazy Eminem feature, but because the concept behind it is an interesting way to think about what Yelawolf is talking about in the song. In his verses Yelawolf talks about church and the "father, son, and holy spirit" (which he talks about a lot of religion on the album for claiming not to be religious). Is Yelawolf venting about the struggles of the industry on this track?  My guess is yes (although I've always been a conspiracy theorist), Yelawolf's supposed only "Best Friend" at this point might be religion, or in other words, getting right with God after all the sins you supposedly commit in the music industry. It's an all around great song though, and is definitely a thought provoking track, not to mention it boasts a crazy Eminem verse.

Yelawolf's struggle with alcoholism is such a key concept in Love Story that the title of the album might as well define Yelawolf's relationship with the bottle. No I'm absolutely kidding of course, though the alcoholism does play a key part in Yelawolf's growing process. "Empty Bottles" is a great example of this, and the story told throughout almost defines an alcoholic's attitude and mood swings. From verse 1 to verse 3 (verse 3 being the angry, mood swinging version), "Empty Bottles" is definitely that thought provoking message you were looking for if you see Yelawolf as an honest rapper, and it succeeds in making you think about the devils of alcohol. In "Tennessee Love" Yela also has a key line that says it all; his "withdrawals from alcohol" line proves his concept of his drinking habits getting the best of him throughout the album, though the song is more a homage to Tennessee and the many things to do in it.

"Box Chevy V" and "Love Story" might be my 2 favorite tracks on this album. Yelawolf sounds as if he's in his most comfortable element, he practically blends into each of these tracks like a chameleon. "Love Story" has such a pump up vibe to it, with each drum hammering into your ears (because listening in your headphones is the only way to do this song justice) is a special feeling you only get from specific songs from your favorite artists. Yelawolf sounds like he's leaving from where he's at for good and never coming back (if I could place the vibe you get from this song, this is how I'd describe it). "Box Chevy V" has such an old school bumping vibe to it. I'm a fan of Big K.R.I.T, and this song sounds as if in's in the same general ballpark as a song like "Lac Lac." Yelawolf shows his ability to make bumping songs (Trunk Muzik) with "Box Chevy V" and it is awesome.

Other songs like 'Disappear" and "Have A Great Flight" have a definitive country sound that Yelawolf blends so perfectly with his rap abilities. I actually thought I was listening to a Johnny Cash song when I first heard the music to "Have A Great Flight.".  To say this listening to a rap song is not exactly the first thought you expect you'll get. The feeling you get listening to some of these Yelawolf songs is crazy, I felt like I grew up 10 more years just from listening to "Til It's Gone", "Devil In My Veins", "Love Story", and you definitely feel the growing process Yelawolf is going through in "Disappear."

So does Yelawolf's sophomore LP live up to the hype?  I would certainly say he did his thing, and his thing only, because I haven't heard any type of rap that sounds this different musically, the instrumentation and musical prowess Yelawolf shows is only comparable to B.o.B on a musical level (that is if Yelawolf actually played the instruments himself). The country vibe is something you don't even get from the absolute most southern rappers out there, the likes of Big K.R.I.T, Ludacris, or Nelly couldn't make anything like this in their primes. Yelawolf's ability to not only completely combine 3 different genres (hip hop, rock, country) of music, but to also make them sound good is a fresh breathe of air to a repetitive genre (arguably). Yelawolf's album is certainly not for everybody, though if you have an open mind of the future of hip hop, Love Story is certainly worth the listen, and this is all based off of my first real listen of a full length project from Yelawolf. So what's next for Yela?  I certainly wouldn't mind tuning in to see.       

     



         

         




   


    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

Damn, I've Been Sleeping On Yelawolf (New Song, Eminem Feature)

Awhile ago, my curiosity was peaked when Yelawolf came out with a new jam that was supposed to premiere on one of Sons' Of Anarchy's shows (not sure if the show is still going, I'm pretty sure it isn't, shows you how much I pay attention to that). It was called "Till It's Gone" and it was so different from anything I had heard in hip hop, it was damn near some smooth country blues with some great flows recorded over it. I hadn't heard of any more Yelawolf since this song had came out, and Yelawolf was never the artist to stick in my mind to the point where I wondered what was next from him, but every time he puts out a song I try to pay attention.

His newest leak "Best Friend" boasts a feature from non other than Slim Shady himself, and is set to appear on his newest album Love Story due out next week (April 21st). I hate to admit that Eminem is what drew me in to this song, but by the end of it Eminem wasn't what drew my attention the most about it (even though Em has a very "Em" verse, pretty much the only way to describe it at this point). Yelawolf (from what I've heard from him up to this point, which is not very much) has the ability to fuse great rap and song writing with old southern rock n roll and blues. This is such a different vibe to jam to and much more refreshing than your average rap release. It's like Yelawolf is the perfect artist to make thought provoking, soul searching music and make it sound like you're walking out into the sunset with a guitar strapped around your back, cigarette in hand and the world ready to use as your oyster (don't judge what I see when I heard this, just my imagination at work). Am I incredibly late to how dope Yela is?  Most definitely. Am I going to keep ignoring how dope Yela is?  Absolutely not. Check out "Best Friend" below.

                                              (*I do not own this song, or the rights to it*)

 

    

Artist To Look Out For: Cyhi The Prynce

So how many people have heard of the gawd (don't judge me, I'm on this saying now, I feel hip saying it) Cyhi The Prynce?  Nobody?  A lot of people?  Well he is just so awesome sauce that you almost want to dip beats in him and let him flow like water. He's all natural baby. I know all of these food references are pretty corny but you get the picture. Anyways, if you haven't heard of Cyhi you're about to get a nice introduction. Cyhi The Prynce is the best emcee you've never given the light of day. Being signed to Kanye's GOOD Music label, it's pretty easy to get outshined by names like Kanye, Big Sean, Pusha T, 2 Chainz, and others to name, but if you're Cyhi the Prynce, you're going in the right direction for sure, and let me tell you why.

Cyhi The Prynce, born Cydel Young in Stone Mountain, Georgia, is a conscious rapping, thought provoking sleeper pick for one of the hottest up and comers in rap right now. If you haven't heard about him, he's certainly done good things with tracks on his mix tapes, such good things in fact that Kanye felt the need to sign him to his GOOD Music label, and he has featured on a multitude of GOOD Music artists' projects, such as Kanye's highly acclaimed My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album and even made some appearances on GOOD Music's compilation album Cruel Summer. I didn't know this until I did some research, but a funny story about Cyhi is that Beyoncé herself actually recommended Cyhi to Kanye to sign him to his label. That's quite a cosign and certainly puts pressure on Cyhi to be great, but if anyone can handle pressure (besides Logic, get it? Never mind) it's Cyhi.

Cyhi's solo projects have been practically albums, and his Ivy League mix tape series has proven to be some of his best work as an up and comer. Ivy League Club and Ivy League Kick Back are arguably Cyhi's best projects as a whole, with some exciting features like Big K.R.I.T, Big Sean, Chris Brown, Schoolboy Q, Yelawolf and more. His flow and lyricism is one of a kind, his clever bars are matched by very few in the game today, but his ability to make great songs of all kinds is what gets the people's attention the most. Check out his song "Bachelor" below.

Cyhi is certainly dope and he makes great music, but the most interesting thing about him is that he hasn't yet put out a debut album, and being under Kanye's GOOD Music label you'd expect him to get some creative control. Cyhi has a lot of fans that are dying for his next project, whether it be another mix tape or an album, though an album is what fans have been waiting for from him for quite some time. It's hard to think that people will get bored with him before he starts to really build a buzz (that is if he already hasn't), but his lack of putting out music as of late isn't helping the case. Check out Cyhi and his mix tapes if you get a chance, and you can find his latest release "Credit 'i' Deserve" below.

                                    (*I do not own any of these songs, or the rights to them*)





        

What are your rap DREAM COLLABORATIONS?

I'll admit, Shady XV has got me feeling all types of dreamy and wondering what to expect from it, and admittedly some of these thoughts have expanded into bigger ones. Things like when are they releasing a track list, who's going to be featured on the album, and why are they making me wait are just a few questions I had at first about the anniversary compilation. But then I got to thinking about bigger things, outside of Shady, outside of compilations, anniversaries, or any sort of other reasonable rap theories. So the same questions I asked myself, I ask you, rap readers; what are your DREAM rap collaborations?

So obviously there have to be a few terms and conditions to what these dream collaborative tracks will consist of, and I've come up with 3 possible song types defining what type of track I personally would like to hear (although you can come up with your own, these just happen to be 3 song types I could think of at the moment): story telling tracks, lyrical onslaughts, and party songs. Now normally you would think there would be a bit more of a broad selection of types of tracks, but if you REALLY got to hear what you wanted to hear, would it really matter?  My point exactly. Now if you're still confused on the details or the ramifications of these mythical dream tracks, allow me to give a few examples of what I would like to hear on my very own "If I died and could make songs in my own personal version of afterlife" playlist.

Eminem + Nas / Storytelling Track

This song would be absolutely insane. I honestly have to ask... WHY HASNT THIS SONG BEEN MADE YET?!?!  Both of these emcees are practically the lyrical masters of what they do, and the weirdest thing to me is that Eminem & Jay-Z have been on a song together (once, as far as we know, "Renegades"), Eminem & The Notorious B.I.G have been on a song ("Dead Wrong"), and Nas has been on a song with Jay-Z ("Black Republican", "Success", also including multiple other tracks with other rappers), and hasn't been on a song with B.I.G, but apparently was in discussions with Biggie about a Tupac diss track back in the day that never happened. So it probably doesn't add up "statistically" to fans or any sort of logical way like that, but the history of each emcee is highly storied, which only makes sense for them to tell a story on this song!  But of course how can you make a Nas/Eminem collaboration without adding in their trademark lyricism and legendary flows into the picture?  You certainly can't. And that is why this collaboration needs to happen.. like... NOW!

Slaughterhouse + D12 / Lyrical Onslaught

This "dream collaboration" might have been a result of thinking about Shady XV and the possibilities of what will happen on the compilation album, but does that make it any less exciting to think of the possibilities of it?  I'd like to think not. Your attention span would have to be an extra 10 times bigger listening to this song (that's IF all of the remaining D12 members agree to get back together), but it certainly would be one for the ages. This song would be (including Eminem) a 9 person vocabulary-flexing track that you would have trouble ignoring even if you weren't a fan of Eminem, Slaughterhouse, or D12 (although you'd probably avoid it if you didn't like any one of the rappers included, in that case, I say good riddance, who needs you anyways!). The best thing about this "dream collab" is that our dreams could possibly become a reality when it's time for that Shady XV compilation album to drop. An "alleged" track list of the album leaked not too long ago, and the list included a track of not only Slaughterhouse and D12, but also Shady label mates Eminem and Yelawolf as well!  I wouldn't get too excited until an official track list is given, but the idea of this collab is certainly a possibility.

Kendrick Lamar & J. Cole / Story Telling + Lyrical Capabilities

Maybe I had to include these guys just because I'm still obsessed with the idea of this album happening (and it will, I have faith), but honestly, is there a better pairing in hip hop today than these 2?  When you have the possibility to make a perfect track, starting from lyrical capabilities (two of the best) leading to story telling abilities (again, two of the best), while also thinking about social power and speaking on issues (AGAIN, two of the BEST), and also thinking about just making good music in general (do I have to say it again?), who REALLY is better than these 2 right now?  Putting them on one song together would blow up the internet, let alone an entire album (which we've discussed before, do I really have to come back to this discussion?  Doesn't matter, I'm willing to anyways). We've seen tiny little previews of what these two can do together (production on songs from one and hooks on songs from the other), but the fans will always crave more, and I can almost say that's a fact, because I'm a contributor to the discussion!

So these are just a few of the examples of collaboration ideas that are constantly on my mind that would blow the music world up (and step up its game particularly if you ask me, another reason why I need to be an "idea man" for those guys over at Interscope, but that's a discussion for another day). Some other dream collaboration ideas I've recently come up with are Drake & Big K.R.I.T (Houston influence would play a big key with a slow, bumping track, you'd definitely need subs for that one), and even something like an ASAP Mob and TDE collaboration might not be too bad (the discussions of a TDE and Slaughterhouse battle came up in an interview with Ab-Soul recently). The ideas are certainly endless, and this is where the real fun comes into play!  I want to hear about your wildest and biggest dream collaboration tracks. Be sure to give me the type of song you believe it would be (again, no limit to the types I've listed, you can mention your own type of track), and the reason you believe your collab would be so awesome. Make sure to hit me up on twitter (@SuperNovaRover), Google+, or even just leave a comment on this post detailing your dream collab. I can't wait to see the ideas for this one!  





      













             

Shady XV: An Exciting Year For Shady Fans

Normally I'm more of a Twitter addict than I'd like to admit, but last night I was glued to it for one reason and one reason only. You'd probably think because of the VMAs right?  Wrong. Well, half right. But it wasn't because of Beyoncé's acceptance of the Video Vanguard Award, it wasn't because of Nicki Minaj or Iggy Azalea (at least not last night), and it wasn't even because of Usher's performance (shocker). I was glued to Twitter of course because of Eminem's Shady XV!  What is Shady XV you ask?  Well now I can tell you (since last night Mr. ILikeToRelease20SecondPromoVideosButGiveNoRealDetails didn't feel like... you know, giving any details).

At first I was excited about seeing an Eminem tweet that read "Blink and you'll miss it... #VMAs #SHADYXV." But of course we should know by now that when it comes to Mr. ILikeToRelease20SecondPromoVideosButGiveNoRealDetails, that was all people were going to get. Oddly enough the real promo didn't come during the Video Music Awards, but on Twitter. Shortly after this tweet, Eminem then continued to tweet a 20 second promo video that ended with the words "SHADYXV" on the screen. Check out the promo video below.

Pretty sweet right?  Now if you think too much about these sorts of things (like me) and start to make your own theories about what this could mean, your first assumption would be that it's another sequel to a classic album. Slim Shady LP 2 possibly?  Man would that be insane!  It only makes sense right?  Following up the successful 2013 effort Marshall Mathers LP 2 with a sequel to a record that started it all?  While all of this sounds cool, to me Shady fans got something equally as cool, released in a statement exclusively from shadyrecords.com. Shady XV is a compilation album release of Shady Record's 15th anniversary of its original start in 1999. It will include the greatest hits of all Shady Records members, including the newly released "Guts Over Fear" record from Eminem and Sia that will be used as the lead single for "The Equalizer," the new movie featuring Denzel Washington.

But there is more than just a compilation album coming folks. Yes that is correct, not only will we be getting a new album of the greatest hits from these fellow Shady Records members that will include new material, we will also be getting new albums from Eminem, Slaughterhouse, Yelawolf, Bad Meets Evil, and even a new D12 record is on the way. Are you excited yet? 

So admittedly I'm pretty damn excited about what is going to be happening in the rap world in what I can only assume to be the next year. I mean it wouldn't be proper to release this 15 year anniversary album the year after the anniversary, obviously, the compilation album is set for a November 24th release date. But in the year to come?!  A HUGE year for Shady Records alone, let alone all of hip hop. I've personally been waiting for a new Slaughterhouse album since after the last one came out (knowing they can do better production-wise, and they will, with Just Blaze at the helm obviously). Only time will tell what happens up until that point. It's funny, it's almost like the calm before the storm all over again. Enjoy Eminem's new single "Guts Over Fear" below.