Radioactive Artwork & New Release Date

Shady Records artist Yelawolf has announced a final November 21st release date for his debut album Radioactive. The album, which was initially set to hit shelves on September 27th and later pushed back to October 24th, will be released on Ghet-O-Vision, Shady Records, and Interscope Records.

When asked about the delay, Yelawolf said, “I needed to add some important finishing touches to the album, which resulted in the new release date. I have some surprises in store for the fans that have to be seen before the album comes out. It’s definitely worth the wait.”

Confirmed features for the album include Lil Jon, Eminem, Gangsta Boo, Royce Da 5’9″, Kid Rock, and Fefe Dobson with production from Travis Barker, Jim Jonsin, Hydrox, and Diplo.

“Radioactive” will be in stores November 21st! allhiphop

Yelawolf's Hometown Hit by Catastrophic Tornado

As several communities in the South continue to cope with the catastrophic tornadoes sweeping through several states and leveling neighborhoods, rapper Yelawolf is speaking out on the natural disaster.

A native of Gadsen, Ala., the rapper took to his Twitter page to reveal that his town had been hit by one of the many twisters which have since claimed the lives of over 200 people in the state. "A tornado just hit my hometown of Gadsden Al," he wrote. "My Family survived .. There are over 30 reported fatalities Gadsden I love you .. I'm so sorry. Life in the south has never been easy. To the families who lost a loved one in the storm .. Sending my love." theboombox

Curtain comes down for good on RutgersFest

Following a weekend marred by gunfire and underage drinking, the president of Rutgers University has put an end to the annual daylong festival and concert known as RutgersFest. Read the article here: mycentraljersey.com

RUPA spends $95K for Friday concert lineup

The Rutgers University Programming Association (RUPA) spent a total of $95,000 for this Friday's Rutgersfest concert lineup, which includes Pitbull, 3OH!3 and Yelawolf.

"The amount we spend on talent only went up to what it had to," said Lori Smith, assistant director of student centers and programs at the University. "It's a pretty cost-effective event. We expect 20,000 to 30,000 people to come out to Rutgersfest."

Smith said although the event is free to members of the University community through the funding of mandatory student fees, the cost per person at the event is low.

For rapper Pitbull, RUPA paid $50,000 while they spent $35,000 for electronic duo 3OH!3 to perform, she said. In an effort to bring an up-and-coming act to Rutgersfest, RUPA paid Alabama-based rapper and Eminem's new protégé Yelawolf $10,000.

"I think he'll be big and has a lot of potential," Smith said. "We got Ludacris and Kanye West before they were huge. It's a fun, strategic thing the committee members get to do, figure out who's going to make it."

Ana Castillo, president of RUPA, agreed that Yelawolf has potential.

"I've heard a lot of inklings about him. He has a pretty big underground following," she said. dailytargum

Videos: Yelawolf at Royal Oak Music Theatre 3/24/11 (Eminem crashes stage, surprises fans at Slaughterhouse, Yelawolf show)

Eminem made a rare stage appearance Thursday night during a show introducing -- or re-introducing, as the case may be -- Shady Records' newest acts, Slaughterhouse and Yelawolf.

During the closing of their show at the packed Royal Oak Music Theatre, Eminem -- completely unannounced -- got on stage with the five rappers to perform "2.0 Boys." 2.0 being Shady Records 2.0, of course.

The show was a coronation of sorts for Alabama rapper Yelawolf, one of his first major shows since being taken under Eminem's wing. It was also a homecoming for Detroit's own Royce da 5'9, who's getting a second chance at breaking from the underground with the three other members of Slaughterhouse: Long Beach's Crooked I, Brooklyn's Joell Ortiz and fellow comeback kid Joe Budden, representing New Jersey.

Shady Records fell into dormancy as Eminem withdrew from the spotlight, but it was clear that Shady 2.0 is ready for business.

"I'd like to welcome everybody to the Shady 2.0 show," Yelawolf announced, opening the show with crowd favorites "Good to Go," "Pop the Trunk," "Mixin' Up the Medicine," "Box Chevy" and "I Just Wanna Party." At one point, he went crowdsurfing with enthusiastic fans.

"Eminem saved my life. Y'all know that?" Yelawolf said. MLive.com

Watch 3 more videos after the jump!  

Article: Eminem sets Alabama 'Wolf on the prowl

Last summer, Alabama rapper Yelawolf found himself in a Ferndale recording studio taking a meeting with Eminem. 

The Alabama rapper didn't know it at the time, but he was being sized up by Slim Shady. Em was getting ready to re-launch Shady Records, which had gone dormant when his career was put on hold several years ago, and he wanted to see if the lanky, heavily-tattooed MC would be a good fit for the Shady Records roster. 

"I just thought it was a meet and greet; I really didn't know what was going on," Yelawolf recalls while on a Philadelphia-bound tour bus from New York earlier this month. 

He remembers Em pounding Diet Cokes — "I think he drank like a 12-pack while we were sitting there" — and the meeting going, in a general sense, well. And apparently it did: In January, Shady Records announced Yelawolf was joining its family. 

Since inking with Em's label, Yelawolf — who performs at the Royal Oak Music Theatre tonight with fellow recent Shady Records signees Slaughterhouse — has seen his profile rise considerably. 

Previously best known in hip-hop circles for his acclaimed 2010 mixtape "Trunk Muzik," which showcased his Southern drawl, lightning-quick rhymes and razor-sharp wordplay, Yelawolf has landed on hip-hop magazine XXL's cover twice in a row: alongside Em and Slaughterhouse for the February issue, and this month in the mag's prestigious "Freshman 10" list of up-and-comers. 

This summer he'll launch his major label debut, "Radioactive," and support it on the Vans Warped Tour. He's also opening a number of dates on Lil Wayne's "I Am Music II" tour. 

"There's a lot of excitement, obviously," says Yelawolf, who grew up in the early '80s but doesn't like sharing his age. "When you get a co-sign from (Eminem), it's definitely career-changing." TheDetroitNews

Article: Rapper Yelawolf faces his past and finds his voice

Growing up, there were few constants in Yelawolf’s life.

The rapper, born Michael Wayne Atha to a teenage mother in Gadsden, Ala., said he logged time at 15 different schools in a childhood defined by change.

“There were only a few things in my life that maintained,” he said in a recent phone interview. “My grandparents’ phone number, where they lived and the Chevy parked in the driveway.”

Now 31, Yela’s adaptability has proven to be an essential asset as he navigates the modern music industry. Initially signed to Columbia Records in 2007, the rapper was dropped by the label later the same year after Rick Rubin took over as co-president and started cleaning house.

Despite having little opportunity to prove himself to the new boss, Yelawolf doesn’t appear to harbor any bitterness. Indeed, asked if he felt ready for the spotlight when he signed that first deal, the rapper, who performs at the Majestic Theatre on Tuesday, March 29, didn’t flash any false bravado. “I mean, honestly?” he said, pausing to consider his words. “I didn’t really know.”

There are no such doubts these days. Yelawolf, now signed to Eminem’s Shady Records, currently has a buzzed-about mixtape (“Trunk Muzic 0-60”) making the rounds and his long-in-the-works debut album, “Radioactive,” is expected out sometime this summer.

Read the full article here: Square