Photo Chic gives it 4.5 out of 5 sneaks
Yelawolf really brought his A game to this album. I am loving it. It is refreshing to hear some rugged, gutter type hip hop after listening to Drake last week. However, this album has a nice balance. It's not all hard, as one would expect from this emcee. I knew Yelawolf’s album was going to be good, but I didn’t expect to be this satisfied with it.
The album opens up with a killer intro that takes us right into “Get Away” featuring Shawty Fatt and Mystical. I didn’t think I’d like the features but they fit well with the song. It was nice to hear that Mystical still has some fire in him. It shines on this track.
“Let’s Roll” features Kid Rock and stays true to Yelawolf’s unique hip hop sound influenced by his home state of Alabama. This is the reason I like Yelawolf. He doesn’t try to fake the funk. He has his own style and embraces it without conforming to the norm.
Of course, I love “Hard White” which features Lil Jon. If they played this track “up in the club” I’d definitely get up out of my seat. It’s a “table-flip” type of song easily. Makes you just want to wild out and throw some ish around.
“Growin’ Up in the Gutter” features Rittz. This track showcases Yelawolf’s story-telling skills. It’s dark, but powerful. For those new to Yelawolf, this basically gives you some background as to the type of lifestyle he was raised around.
“Throw it Up” features Gangsta Boo and Eminem. Major cool points to Yelawolf for featuring a female emcee on his album, alongside Eminem at that. My only complaint about this song is that I forget Yelawolf has anything to do with it. Eminem and Gangsta Boo dominate this song, especially Eminem flowing over this southern hip hop beat. He really did kill it. The skit at the end is hilarious and it foreshadows the softer side of the album.
“Good Girl” is very unlike Yelawolf to me, but he pulls it off very well. I definitely wasn’t expecting a song like this on the album. Poo Bear sings a catchy hook. This just has a good groove and shows that Yelawolf is way more versatile than I originally thought.
“Made in the USA” features Priscilla Renea and begins the series of more mainstream appealing songs that round out the end of the album. I don’t dislike this song, but I usually skip it because I like the other songs more. The same can be said for “Animal” featuring Fefe Dobson. I do find the beat to “Animal” very different. It’s like electronic rock. His flow over this track is pretty tough though.
“The Hardest Love Song in the World” is awesome. Again, Yelawolf shows that he can make music that appeals to women even though he “usually doesn’t do this.” This is another one of my favorites. My absolute favorite track, however, is “Write Your Name” featuring Mona Mona. I predict this will be the next single and when this song drops, Yelawolf is going to officially cross into the mainstream word. There’s nothing wrong with that. He deserves to make some loot. J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League just went completely stupid with this beat and again, Yelawolf shows off his story-telling ability. Very dope! I can’t stop listening to this track.
“Everything I Love the Most” is everything I love the least. I don’t really want to hear Yelawolf singing. It takes away from his street cred to me. I’m not feeling this track. “Radio” is another track that Yelawolf sings on and aside from my annoyance at Yelawolf singing, this song is decent. The content especially is truth sauce! Internet killed the radio star and youtube killed the video star. I agree!
“Slumerican Shitizen” shakes off the softness of the last few tracks and features Killer Mike. This actually reminds me of a rhythm and blues type of song although it clearly has a hard-rock overtone. It’s different, but it’s Yelawolf. Shout out to Killer Mike for his verse too. Nice.
“The Last Song” is Yelawolf’s story. It’s kind of sad. Especially about his dad. These emcees lately have me choked up when they talk about missing their dad’s in their lives. This song is approved.
Overall, I think this is a great album. On a few occasions Yelawolf got very un-Yelawolf on me, but it works out to his advantage. Aside from the tracks with the singing. I could have done without those. I definitely think it’s worth the buy, especially since it doesn’t even cost that much. I definitely see myself listening to this album for a long while. Support good hip hop y’all. This one is a winner in my book.
Mixtape Chic gives it 4.25 out of 5 sneaks
Yelawolf’s long-awaited Radioactive is finally here. As any debut album, Yelawolf gives listeners a chance to get to know him from before till now. With genuine lyrics and smooth yet bass-filled beats, this album let me get a better feel of the artist that Yelawolf is.
“Get Away” is filled with lyrics from the soul. These type of songs always hit me more than others. I like to hear real life stories. Everything, except Mystical, fits on this track. Another great track, “Let’s Roll” really tells more about Yelawolf and how he knew he would be famous in some way shape or form. The hook itself is self-explanatory. Kid Rock fits extremely well as the featured artist on this track. Every artist needs a song where they brag about their greatness, in my opinion. If you don’t think youre great, who will? That’s what “Hard White” is all about. He states, “Cause after me there’ll only be wannabes and mostly never gonnabes.” Now that’s a bold statement! “Good Girl” was a “must play” from the beginning and is most likely my favorite track. It is always nice to hear a love joint on an album. Good to see that he has variety in his music and flow. “Write Your Name” tells a few stories. The beat is extremely similar to Rick Ross’s “Aston Martin Music”, however, Yelawolf makes the song his own. Approved.
The delivery on “Growin Up in the Gutter” is well constructed. The simplistic yet fitting beat goes well with the lyrics. However, this song did not amaze any of my senses but it did not disappoint me either. “Throw it Up” was a hard listen for me with Gangsta Boo being on the majority. The only part I liked about this track was Eminem’s verse. He never disappoints. Having him on this track was a good look. “Made in the U.S.A.” shows Yelawolf’s skill of putting songs together well. Its only right that it is titled as so especially with the drums being played the way they are on the beat. I probably will not listen to this every time I listen to the album but it’s a good track. “Animal” is alright but I could do without it.
On “The Hardest Love Song in the World” Yelawolf tells of a woman who is not so prissy but more on the rough side. This is what is most appealing about this track. Although the singing is not terrible, I only prefer to hear the verses on “Radio.” The premise is much needed in today’s music scene. Not many people can listen to the radio for the many reasons that are pointed out on this track. “Everything I Love the Most is a nice track but does not stand out as much as others. “Slumerican Shitizen” is a song that would not be played all the time but it fits.
The perfect ending to this album, “The Last Song” is sentimental and truthful. Yelawolf tells his story with both of his parents in mind. I like this record.
Overall, this album has some surprising elements. Things that would have never crossed my mind as something that Yelawolf would even think of doing. That is what makes it such a good album.
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