Niche Productions & Live Nation present Yelawolf (Shady Records)

Niche Productions & Live Nation announce the debut Australian tour of Yelawolf, the incredible Southern rap talent signed by Eminem to his Shady Records imprint who released his debut album ‘Radioactive’ in late 2011 after an electrifying run on the mixtape circuit.


“I think it’s a perfect word to describe where I’m going,” says the Alabama born rapper. “It’s the fallout, the aftermath of everything I’ve been through and here’s what’s left. This radioactive material,” says Yelawolf.

With a life story that no book could contain, the artist born Michael Atha could have auditioned for the “most interesting man in the world” title. Geographically, he was born in a state that rests between Mississippi and Georgia but mentally he was raised in a state of constant change. Bouncing around between Alabama and Tennessee as a child, Wolf’s upbringing exposed him to the impoverished realities of both White America’s trailer parks and Black America’s ghettos.

The duality would finally define itself on a fateful evening where his mother was playing host to a group of friends who happened to be the roadie crew for rapstars Run DMC. It was that night where Wolf, who was raised on a healthy dosage of Southern Rock, would hear songs like “My Adidas” and Beastie Boys “Paul Revere” for the first time. From that point on he knew that Hip Hop was now in his DNA. Unfortunately up to this point Wolf had to battle Hip Hop listeners who judged by outside appearance…but he’s winning that fight now.

After years of toiling in the rap chitlin circuit, the mixtape matrix and doing hooks for a spectrum of artists ranging from Juelz Santana to Slim Thug, Wolf broke out in grand fashion with his critically acclaimed independent release Trunk Muzik (Ghet-O-Vision Ent.) on New Year’s Day 2010. Prideful boasts on songs like “I Wish” (“I wish a motherfucker would tell me that I ain’t Hip Hop/Bitch! You ain’t Hip Hop!) made listeners look beyond his tattoo-decorated skin and respect his skills. The excitement, paired with his unforgettable live shows, led to numerous magazine covers a record deal through Ghet-O-Vision/Interscope and then a partnership with Shady Records. The label founded by the man who many naysayers opted to unfavorably compare him to, Eminem.

“There is a fair comparison between us,” says Wolf. “But the true difference is vocal. The cadence and the words I use. There are words that I can rhyme that he can’t just because of my Southern accent. I can go to totally different places because of my slang alone.”

With skateboarding being his first love before his affair with Hip Hop, Yelawolf already traveled the country living everywhere between California and New York, crashing on couches and park benches. So when he writes national anthems like “Made In the USA” that pairs lyrics about the dirt with a flowery hook, know that it comes from the perspective of a fly that has been in the dumps, not just on the wall.

Though he’s been releasing material since the early 2000’s, Radioactive qualifies as Yelawolf’s official “debut.” Unlike his prior efforts that were recorded in basements and garages, only to be appreciated by his first core of loyal fans, this album was captured amidst rigorous touring, growing anticipation and now, expectation. If his ability to survive the last ten years are any indication, Wolf will rise to the occasion and beyond.

“I see this album as my Southernplayalistic and I hope it does what “Hey Ya!” or “B.o.B” did for Outkast,” says the artist who was featured on Big Boi’s 2010 single “You Ain’t No DJ” that was produced by Andre 3000. “The goal of making albums is seeing where else you can go. I made sure everything I made was at the core, true to what i was.”

Yelawolf blitzes through Australia late March for his debut shows from coast to coast. Don’t miss your chance to see the future of rap, as endorsed by one of the greatest MCs of all time.

Yelawolf + Briggs + Dirty Mob + special guests
Thu 29th March – The Hi Fi - Brisbane
Tickets: www.thehifi.com.au – on sale Fri 3rd Feb