Words by Robin Johnson & Ben Sherak

It’s a wrap for the first seven months of 2014 and that means it’s time to acknowledge the songs that were most impactful, catchy, interesting, fun, original, and well-crafted. We’ve rounded up the cream of the crop for one list: The 15 Best Songs of 2014 (So Far).

15. Future – “Move That Dope” Featuring Pusha T & Pharrell (Honest)

Of all the entries on this list, “Move That Dope” is most indicative of hip-hop radio’s status quio, but if that includes vivid writers like Pusha, innovative weirdos like Future, and all-around talents like Pharrell, the radio just might be a great place to love hip-hop. Future, breaking drunk-robot form, uses a human voice to deliver inhuman, confounding flows that challenge the listener in teh ebst of ways. Pusha continues to expertly poeticize his Kanye-sized attitude (“Wearin’ designer shit that I misspell”) and Pharrell smoothly slides out of the producer’s chair long enough to deliver a wrap-around-the-beat double-time finishing move.

14. Chance The Rapper – “Home Studio” (No Album)

“Home Studio” is the only bonafide rap record that Chance released this year, but it’s packed with enough giddy wit to last an album. Chance packed this jolt of celebration with line after line of swift lyricism: “You gon’ set a bad example for the average bear / You a Yogi, you should idle while in child position,” “Just don’t count your sheep before they hatch, your chicken ‘fore your eggs, or eat your dinner ‘fore you say your prayer,” “Beat the tortoise by a hair (hare) in a old ’44 Taurus on a spare with a wax finish,” This song is just bursting at the seams with wit.

13. Alex Wiley – “Vibrations” (Village Party)

Village Party, strange young Chicagoan Alex Wiley‘s second release in two years, was a record of astounding melody, innovation, and ADD. It was catchy and piercing at almost every turn, and neither adjective could be more fitting for the tape’s biggest standout, “Vibrations.” Wiley summarizes his attitude and mission statement nicely here–”I just do my own thing, OK, and hope it all works out,” before burning the house down with one of his typically head-spinning double times and tearing into a hook that’s at once passionate and party-ready. This track even does auto-tune well.

12.  Drake – “Trophies” (Young Money: Rise Of An Empire)

If Drake wasn’t acting out skits on SNL, he was either hosting the ESPY’s, gearing up for a tour with Lil Wayne or dropping some very dope guest verses. This single from the Young Money compilation album was so clearly its highlight that it’s hard to imagine it as being on that album. There are few better examples of Drake’s all-around dominance than this record.

11.  Isaiah Rashad – “Heavenly Father” Featuring SZA (Cilvia Demo)

Just signed last year, Isaiah Rashad has already proven to be on the level of TDE’s previous rap artists. “Heavenly Father” is sheer poetry at heart and his EP, Cilvia Demo, proved that despite being only 23, his soul is well beyond his years. Isaiah Rashad deserved his spot on the 2014 XXL Freshman List as well as to be voted on this list, twice.

10. Mac Miller – “Erica’s House” Featuring Treejay (No Album)

The funniest song of the year’s thusfar also one of the best. Mac Miller, cozying to his role as the rap game’s increasingly trippy former-bro cousin, raps like he’s bored with the acid he just took. He’s self aware, he’s absurdist, he’s hilarious: “Let’s go to Syria and have a war / Stop fuckin’ calling me Macklemore / That’s not my name, well kinda…it’s kind of my name” he drools on the intro. “I love like a folk singer and fuck like a crack addict,” he croaks in the first verse. “Still having sex with blind people / They say my pussy smell like pine needles / Bust a nut in the poultry section at John Eagle / Look a chicken in the face like, bitch, I’ma eat you,” he proclaims proudly in the third. Mac Miller has become some strange Odd Future-Madvillain hybrid, with a sprinkle of a calmer Eminem, and we’re all the better for it.

9. Imagine Dragons – “Radioactive” (Remix) Featuring Kendrick Lamar (No Album)

The fact that Kendrick appears on this list two (and a half) times without having released a solo song this year is a testament to his sway, not only over trends and fans, but over the quality of any record he touches. A greater testament to that: the fact that Imagine Dragons‘ “Radioactive” is a more or less a moderate/solid Coldplay song, that, molded by King Midas Kendrick’s hands, is suddenly the 9th best hip-hop song of the year. Introduced during the chill-inducing Grammy performance, K.Dot’s frantic, poetic closing statement on the Dragons’ hit is a moment that stays with you long after the record is off. The verse is sort of a “Control” aimed at his demons and the surrounding universe, and the results are something that bleeds far deeper and more powerfully than a mere boast.

8.  Common – “Kingdom” Featuring Vince Staples (Nobody’s Smiling)

Ten studio albums in and Common still has it. Linking back up with his main producer, No I.D.,  “Kingdom” carries a triumphant melody and a much needed message towards Chicago’s gun violence.

7. Big K.R.I.T. – “Mt. Olympus” (Cadillactica)

When K.R.I.T. released “Mt. Olympus,” he kicked down the door and came straight for the jugular. The Mississippi country boy just wants to be heard and K.R.I.T. takes the opportunity to snap on this one. His upcoming album, Cadillactica is set to be released later this year and when it does, hopefully the world will be listening.

6. Schoolboy Q – “Prescription/ Oxymoron” (Oxymoron)

Not only was Oxymoron amongst the most celebrated albums of the year, but Q also brought gangsta rap back to the forefront. He showed us just how disturbing it is be an Oxycodon addict and then, to turn the narrative on its head, showed us what it’s like to sell it right after. Chilling details coupled with production handled by TDE’s in-house producers Digi+Phonics makes this one of the best tracks of the year so far.

5. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – “Real” (Piñata)

Madlib‘s never sounded angrier. Not that he actually raps here–it’s entirely Freddie‘s show, and more on that later–instead, the rollicking first beat for “Real” is the most animalistic, beast-on-a-hunt feeling beat that the perma-stoned West Coaster has ever produced. Even the second instrumental on the two part assault, while sounding like vintage Beat Konducta, still packs a serious whollop, with a kick drum like a cannonball. Meanwhile, Gangsta Gibbs lets off one of the most passionate and thorough disses in recent memory (in history?). Most people quote the vivid tales that Freddie lays out as plain evidence against Jeezy (“You ain’t take security, so we ain’t take a seat,”) but what really makes this record special (aside from Freddie and ‘Lib’s pure ferociousness) is how Fred shows us that the beef is tied to true emotion, that it was born of a friendship–“I looked up to you, put that on my mama.” That cuts deep.

4. The Roots – “When The People Cheer” Featuring Greg Porn and Modesty Lycan (…And Then You Shoot Your Cousin)

The Roots really can do no wrong. They are veterans in the game and their music always comes with stellar production and a meaningful message. Taking a conceptual approach to every song on the album, “When The People Cheer” sets the tone of the album hitting on anti-rap themes and community stereotypes of seeking guidance in the wrong places. Between Greg Porn and Black Thought’s verses, it’s nearly too much poetry for one song, which is why it landed in the top 5.

 3. Rick Ross – “Sanctified” Featuring Big Sean and Kanye West (Mastermind)

Ross, Big Sean and Ye’ swap hooks and verses in between sips of sanctified refreshments, all the while sporting DONDA apparel for this one. This is Ross’s song, but Ye takes the most time at the podium to address the critics and to justify his rants.  Ye hasn’t dropped the follow up to his Yeezus album yet, but he did manage to take over someone else’s song and steal the number 3 spot on this list.

2. SZA – “Babylon” Featuring Kendrick Lamar (Z)

SZA is holding her own as TDE’s first female signee while representing the label’s more eclectic side. Her EP, Z, as stated by Kendrick Lamar, is laced with hidden messages and “Babylon” is one of the deeper songs that has a dual meaning. SZA sings about a complex love/hate relationship in a spiritual context. Kendrick Lamar’s clever wordplay adds more meaning to thought, sending the emotional roller-coaster ride out of control. TDE has clearly taken over this list, and for good reason.

1. Young Jeezy – “Seen It All” Featuring Jay Z (Seen It All: The Autobiography)

Young Jeezy prides himself on authenticity. In fact, he’s one of the realest rappers out here (unless you’re asking Freddie Gibbs). Before rapping, drug dealing was Jeezy’s means of survival and the testimonial track “Seen It All” gives us his truthful encounter of selling white. Hov takes us back to his Reasonable Doubt days as he recounts his vision of pushing keys through Marcy Projects. Originally made for Jay Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail, the single will be featured on Young Jeezy’s upcoming studio album Seen It All: The Autobiography. It’s no doubt why “Seen It All” is number one–it’s the G-code standard for sifting out rap counterfeits.

Runners Up:

Alex Wiley – “Forever” Featuring Mick Jenkins
Ratking – “Canal”
YG – “Really Been” Featuring Kendrick Lamar
Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – “Uno”
Drake – “Days In The East”

The post The 15 Best Rap Songs of 2014 (So Far) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Yelawolf sat down with Rude Jude and Lord Sear over at the All Out Show and expressed his frustration with his major label. The Alabama spitter mentions that he purposely compromised his music on Radioactive in order to get more mainstream exposure. Unfortunately, he feels Interscope missed the boat. “These motherfucker have given me one single in eleven months,” he says.

He goes on to state that though he doesn’t know exactly who to be mad at over at the head office, he feels like something is wrong. “I don’t know what the fuck they’re doing up there,” he says. “I love Shady Records, I just think there’s some shit going on upstairs.”

Towards the end of the interview, he also throws in a quick jab at MGK: “It’s probably the most insulting thing on the planet to be asked to sign a Machine Gun Kelly autograph.”

Listen to the full 18-minute interview below and voice your opinions. Did Interscope miss some potential hit singles on Radioactive? Personally, I always felt like “Write Your Name” and “Radio” could have done some damage.

The post Yelawolf on Interscope: “I Don’t Know What the Fuck They’re Doing Up There” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

I’ve been listening to Yelawolf for a couple years now, and surprisingly have found myself anticipating Radioactive’s release like I would a Lupe Fiasco album or a new Nas LP: I’d have to lock in, throw on my Beats headphones (not an endorsement in any way, those things are put together with Elmer’s Glue) and eagerly await what was going to come out the speaker box. Over the past two years I’ve grown to view Yelawolf (albeit prematurely) as a one of rap’s monster lyricist’s, wielding his southern accent and dialect as weapons, with great fervor and affect. I’ve grown to see him as someone who could become an important figure in the growing age of hip-hop. I was not surprised, but rather expectantly delighted to see that Shady Records signed him, and thought two things: Eminem is smart as hell, and I cant wait to hear them on a track together. “Shady 2.0” with Yela, Em, and Slaughterhouse certainly didn’t disappoint, and the BET Cypher was a spectacular conglomeration of mic murderers, where Eminem, blatantly ironic as ever, introduces Yelawolf as “White Dawg”, and tells him to “get ‘em!”. This is partly an effort to mock an audience that, as we continue to see, tag any and all white rappers as Eminem clones, but moreover to bring the underdog to the stage – like Em was in Detroit (think 8 Mile) and Yelawolf is now – and prove the nay saying critics and ignorant fantastically wrong.

See Yelawolf: “Plenty of white boys to pick from this year, but before you pick a pepper, you better pick up your heater, ‘cuz even Peter Piper could pick up a mic but what it’s like to pick a fight with me is like putting Nike’s on a cheetah, better speed up”

See Eminem: “Can Yelawolf fit a fifth of rum in a big cup, between a stick shift in his frigging pickup, and drink like a hick redneck hillbilly will til’ he gets hiccups”  – BET Shady 2.0 Cypher

Where some have criticized Yela’s debut as lacking big named talent, I contend that it keeps the album appropriately modest; it represents Catfish Billy’s hometown southern roots, the don’t-give-a-fuck attitude, and his empathy for the struggle to overcome being an a overlooked MC. The album’s introduction opens with an odd, automated voice recording confirming the launch of nuclear missiles aimed at the U.S., as Yelawolf abruptly adopts the voice of the impassive recording and transforms from apathetic to affecting, numb to poignant:

“I am… the American Eagle; eye’s of a sparrow, right hand branch, left hand arrow/ chasin’ a dolla’, and an Impala, white trash heartthrob- mellow-yellow, drinkin’ hard liquor, broads, Get on my level! I’m hotter than the bottom side of a whistlin’ kettle, they threw a mountain at me, I got hit with a pebble!”

Yelawolf’s love for but hunger to leave the decay and stagnation of his hometown is a theme reflected throughout the album. He states that he’s “tornado pathin’, rearview mirror of my ’87 Classic, I’m talkin’ bout Gadsden, look momma no hands, I’m Radioactive”. He enlists fellow Alabaman Shawty Fatt and resurrects the now almost fabled Mystikal – at one point was one of the South’s most prolific artists – for “Get Away.” On “Growin’ up in the Gutter” your speakers rage; the beat relies heavily on its bass and kick drums to progress, sounding almost blatantly rough; one could imagine it being used in a movie score for The Terminator, hauntingly blaring down as John Conner mows down T-800’s in slow motion.

On “Made In The U.S.A.”, Yelawolf describes a medley of hardships that many of us in 99% have to deal with, his verses sounding satisfyingly similar to Lupe’s final verse of “Hurt Me Soul” on Food & Liquor. Yela’s dark, bleak forecast of the state of the nation is juxtaposed with an ironic, nationalistic chorus, sarcastically asking “isn’t it great, how we got it made?” The album’s second single “Let’s Roll” with Kid Rock bumps, plain and simple, on either side of the country. Throughout Radioactive , Yela’s strongest traits are ever-present. The album is melodic, eclectic and versatile, wherein Yelawolf can appeal to beer bellied NASCAR fan as well a street savvy lyrical elitist, who both “prolly think I’ma limp biscuit that spits jelly”.

Yelawolf’s eclectic, varying production preference (with some help from Slim Shady) is on par with that of  Rick Ross’ on Deeper Than Rap: complementing his sound without diluting it through repetition. Yela’s hooks are suprisingly melodic and well written, and the album  includes a wide variety of guest appearances. “Throw It Up” features Gangsta Boo & Eminem, where Slim Shady is indeed in his most rare of forms. Undoubtedly there are some songs that sound a bit too “poppy” for us rap elitists (especially, and maybe purposely? on the Jim Jonsin produced “Radio”, where Yela criticizes the lack of variance on the today’s mainstream radio and reminisces about the old days).

Yelawolf’s true talent is undeniable on the album, and is undoubtedly present throughout it. It would have been nice if Slaughterhouse appeared, or if the eventual remix of “Hard White” was instead the original. The album did lack tracks tailored to suit a rapper’s raw spitting and flowability, like having Yelawolf get on his beat Chameleon and flow over an Alchemist or Denaun Porter instrumental.

Overall, it comes down to this: Yelawolf has the potential to be a star, and more significantly, to reach millions, to break down the stereotypes that even we ever-immersed and cultured New Yorkers, rap geniuses, and experts have of southern rap and, for example, “Southern white trash.” Yelawolf’s career is just peaking the horizon. Eminem signed a white rapper, who shared a similar struggle, who is from Gadsden, Alabama… who woulda thunk it. Radioactive is a very good debut album, with club/radio friendly singles, unique storytelling and lyricism, and most importantly, the ability to be enjoyed from the mainstream to the underground, from the Nissan to the Box Chevy.

The post Review: Radioactive – Yelawolf appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

There’s an ancient Greek proverb which goes something like, “Great deeds are usually wrought at great risk.” I believe Herodotus said that back in the 5th Century BC, although the saying still bears relevance today. In fact, Gwinnett County rapper and Slumerican (that’s Yelawolf‘s label) signee, Rittz, has been channeling Herodotus’s wise words ever since he quit his day job at a local BBQ to pursue a career in hip-hip.

Now, as we undulate into 2012, on the eve of global destruction, Rittz finds himself cheffing up new work, penning the followup to his highly-infectious White Jesus mixtape, which spawned such underground jams as, “Full of Shit”, “High Five”, as well as the title track. If you want to hear how Rittz can match a proven emcee like Yela, download their new record, “Growin’ up in the Gutter”, off Yela’s Radioactive. Heck, you might even think to buy that shit, convince us young punks that Greek mythology runs deeper than just sorority chicks and toga parties.

Read the complete interview after the jump, bruh.

Congratulations on your work with Yelawolf on the Radioactive project.

Yeah, man, thanks.

“Growin’ up in the Gutter” is a fucking incredible record.

You like it?

Yeah, of course. Is that Yela or you on the hook?

Naw, naw, that’s Yela on the hook.

It’s a pretty intense record. I wondered what you did to prepare for that verse? How did you channel the energy?

It’s crazy, I was in the studio with him and they were playing the beat. It’s a Will Power beat, super hot beat. Yela was like, “I think this is the record I want you to get on.” It’s not normally my style of record, but I’m not going to miss out on an opportunity to do anything. So once I heard him singing the hook, his vision for it, I started getting it. He had set me up with the line, “You don’t have to be from the projects to deal with this nonsense.” I went off that, because I’m the second verse. I could relate to what he was saying, so it just worked out good, man.

The beat almost has a cinematic vibe to it, like a Rob Zombie film.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it was kind of like some Rob Zombie films, or it had a Nine Inch Nails-type sound to it. It was crazy. It definitely was something different. I don’t know how long ago- it’s been a while since we did it. When we did it he came back, because I didn’t see him for a minute. Yela went out of town, and he was like, “They’re really feeling the record at the label.” When I heard that I couldn’t be happier.

Did you work on anything else on that project, helping with other tracks?

Naw, I really didn’t, man. I think Yela did 90% of that in Vegas, if not 100%. He came back and was like, “Dawg, I got a new album.” I was like, “Wow, for real? In two weeks?” It was a real short amount of time, and he played me the songs and I was loving it. He did some here, like “Growin’ up in the Gutter” we did here, I think he did the intro here and stuff like that. But naw, that was all him. He’s so busy so when he’s in town and he calls, I make sure I show up and get the pen ready if he says “Fire!”. That way I don’t miss out on anything.

I wondered if you could tell us about future projects. I know you’re focused on touring right now with REHAB, right?

Yeah, we’re going on tour with REHAB January 12th through February 27th.

You working on any new music?

Yeah, I’m working on new music right now as we speak, getting tracks together. Getting out on the ‘Hard White Tour’ with Yelawolf showed me how many people knew of me already and knew the words, which was great, which was a lot more than I thought, but it also showed me there’s a lot of people who didn’t hear White Jesus yet. We’re going to push that for a little while and keep giving it some time, but I’m really focused on making the perfect project for me, so I want to make sure all the production’s right and everything’s good. I’m starting to write right now.

You probably exhausted a lot of inspiration on White Jesus. Was it tough to find new stuff to write about, or how do you find that inspiration?

It is, man, it is. Yelawolf is somebody who has inspired me too, because he’s rapped as long as I have, and he doesn’t run out of inspiration. He’s crazy with it. But I’m a little bit different. I started making mixtapes in 1995. Each one of those, I probably put out ten of them, had a lot of songs on them, so I’ve rapped about a lot of things. You get to a certain point you have to rewind back a little bit and try to come up with inspiration. But right now I’m really inspired, in the stage I’m in, I’m not quite there yet, but I’m on my way. I got a lot of shit to say.

What specifically are you looking to improve in your craft now, since White Jesus has been so successful?

There’s always room to get better. I look at it like, there’s some people- I’m a lyrical artist. When I hear other people’s songs I really listen to their lyrics. I always focus on that, but I think a lot of people go wrong in their track selection too. You could get some beats that really aren’t all that, and think they are, and they might not work. So really I’m looking for a certain sound. I want to take the laid-back country rap tunes I’ve been rapping and do that to the fullest degree, come hard. I want a nice, classic-sounding project. I want it to flow all the way. I’m looking for a certain sound and with me it starts with the production. Once I start getting the right beats, I can start rapping around them. I’ve got about five new songs right now, and I’ve got about ten tracks to possibly take in that direction but I’m still looking for more tracks. I got Burn One and Will Power working right now.

Speaking of that laid-back, country vibe, I can definitely hear the OutKast influence in your production, and it kind of contrasts with your rhyming style.

OutKast was definitely my number one influence when I was younger. It was the type of rap music I loved. It’s hard for me to describe the type of beats I like, so I tell them, “Man, I want some hard shit. I want some gangsta rap beats, like old school gangsta rap.” I’m not a gangsta rapper but I’ll put my own style of rapping overtop. I want some hard- with the mellow shit blended in of course.

Contrast works well.

Yeah, contrast, that’s exactly what I’m looking for.

I read that your parents were big Rock & Roll enthusiasts. Is that true?

Yeah, yeah, my dad was a guitar player. He played in bands when I was really young. Before we moved to Atlanta he stopped, but he did that for a living. All my uncles, he had four brothers, they all played in bands. When I was young my dad always had rehearsal space in the basement, reel-to-reel, four track tape recorders, stuff like that, so I was learning to mess with those in the 1980’s.

What records were your parents playing when you were growing up?

A little bit of everything, man. He liked a lot of ZZ Top, and I know my dad was a big Jeff Beck fan. Stevie Ray Vaughan, stuff like that. It was a wide variety, because they were a cover band. They played a lot of cover songs. They had original songs too, but they did a lot of covers. Not so much like Lynyrd Skynyrd, classic rock. He was on some other stuff. But it’s definitely an influence. We just sampled Vanilla Fudge in a new record I did. It turned out crazy, and I actually found that record digging through his albums that I had.

That’s pretty cool. Speaking of the tour, I wondered if you were coming to Toronto anytime soon, because I’m friends with Roshin from Notes to Self? You going to put something together?

Well, we did, I was up there. I forget what month it was. It was a few months ago. I came up there. They had me come up there. I’m really hoping to get back there. Toronto really showed love, man. Is that where you’re from?

Yeah, yeah, that’s where I live.

Oh, okay, cool. I didn’t know. I love Toronto. When I went to Toronto, and saw people knowing the words and songs, showing love, that was the first time I went somewhere else and headlined on my own, especially in another country. It was like, “Wow, this is big.” Yeah, I fuck with those dudes hard. They’re real cool dudes. Hopefully soon I’ll get back up there. We had talked about doing a little tour up there, but you know, just timing and different schedules conflicting.

That would be great. Speaking of your lyrics, they’re pretty honest. I know some artists are rather open with their lyrics, but then in interviews they find it awkward to back them up. Are you completely comfortable with everything you’ve rapped about, or have there been lyrics you’ve been nervous about, like, “Damn, should I really spit that? Am I comfortable saying that?”

Naw, I mean, the only lyrics I’m really not comfortable with- this sounds ridiculous. The only lyrics I really at all mess around with are when you talk about relationships. Those interviews come out and then I’ve got a nice argument after that comes out on the internet.

Joe Budden shit. [laughs]

[laughs] Yeah. Naw, mine are worse, just with having a girlfriend and being in a relationship, dealing with that is a touchy subject, talking about stuff like that. I get a lot of questions on sleep at night, you know, “Is this true from this situation?” But really I’m comfortable speaking about everything. It is what it is, I really wouldn’t rap about it if it wasn’t.

Speaking of girlfriends, I’ve talked to so many artists who are on the verge of really making it, and they’re always like, “Oh, man, my girl wants me to quit and find a ‘real job’.” How do you get past that, or are you looking to steer clear of those individuals?

Man, that’s the story of my life right there. Really at the point I’m at right now, because- My whole thing with rapping, when I was younger of course it was like, “I just want to make it big and be number one and do this and that.” As time goes by you really just want a career. I messed up when I was younger and didn’t really have anything to fall back on. I relied on it, so once I started thinking the rap shit wasn’t going to happen it started getting scary. Because at the end of the day I wanted to get married, have kids, and just be normal like everyone else, have some money in the bank and be comfortable. But, not having that, the only way to get that was to make it in rap, because I fucked up. If I were to go back to school right now, I would need to study math to go get a GED, then go back to school and do everything else. It’s frustrating because I like having a girlfriend, being in my relationship, but then music demands so much of your time away, and then all the other shit that comes along with a girl, it makes the relationship very difficult.

I guess it gives you material to rap about.

Yeah, I deal with that on a daily basis. I think it’s possible to make this shit work, to do it, it’s just rough, man. No chick wants their dude on the road, like “I’m gone,” but I think once they see some money or something happen from it, because me and my girl, we don’t have shit. It’s easy to complain about somebody being gone, but then you can’t go to the doctor, you can’t do anything, you can’t get a car, you’ve got no credit. Somebody’s got to go out and get it. It’s rough, man.

You’ve got to come to Canada for the free health care.

[laughs] Yeah, man, for real. Jesus, that’s a big problem.

Yeah, yeah, you’ve obviously demonstrated a lot of patience and persistence when it comes to your music, but how far were you really willing to go to make this music thing happen, because I read you did some illegal stuff? Were there any specific moments when you were like, “Okay, am I really doing this? Is it worth it? Will I be able to take this back?”

Oh, yeah, all the time. I think overall the life, period, was a big risk, because I didn’t do anything else but rely on it. That’s what I’m saying, I woke up one day and realized, “Wow, this shit might not happen.” The whole time was a big risk. I always knew in my head that I was going to make it once day, it’s going to happen, but one day I woke up and was like, “Man, I got to do something.” Not any specific thing was a big risk. I guess right now is a risk, because right now I’m definitely thinking I’m on the way. It’s not set in stone yet. I still have a lot of work to do. I still have nothing to fall back on. But I’m pretty positive about what’s happening right now. I’m building momentum and I like to think of things in a simple way. Not to dumb things down, or not to be ambitious, but the fact that I can say I want a real record that you can go get in the stores. Yelawolf did a lot of shit for me. Even if this shit were to stop right now, at least I know all the work I put in all those years got me somewhere. I definitely want more, but at least I got to this point. For a while I was worried about wasting fifteen years and not having nothing to show for it, you know what I mean, like, “I was a rapper one time, but there’s nothing to show for it. I was good, I promise.”

But anybody who listens to your music can tell you’re a talented lyricist.

Shit, thanks, man. It’s going good, man. I’m crossing my fingers. I’m in a real good space. I’ve been patient for a real long time. I’m just continuing to be patient, not being rushed to hop on whatever. Even as far as the new project goes, really a lot of it is about timing and everything else, so when the time’s right I just want to have something nice to drop.

Word. You mentioned Seinfeld theme music in an interview in New York.

[laughs]

Are you a fan? I’m a fanatic.

Yeah, yeah, I’m a fan. I didn’t watch it religiously every night, but there was a good couple years when it was like Friends and Seinfeld were on back-to-back. I studied it a good bit, man. Yeah, Seinfeld’s dope.

Which character would you compare yourself to most?

[laughs] I don’t know, man, I guess I’d probably be Jerry.

Okay, okay. [laughs]

What’s his buddy’s name, the bald-headed dude?

George.

I’m not George.

You can’t compare yourself to George.

Yeah, Seinfeld’s dope, but it did feel like that going through New York. You been to New York?

Yeah, I love New York.

It’s crazy.

Yeah, you get a greater appreciation for the show. I saw on your Twitter you had a picture of Canadian Club whisky. So I thought, really the inspiration is coming from Canada, you drink Canadian whisky then grab the pen and pad.

My girl, she’s a smart-ass, she goes, “You go to Canada one time and you think you’re fucking Canadian now.” I was a Crown drinker, so I was telling those dudes when I went up there, I was in the bars and nobody had Crown. It wasn’t around like that. Everyone was drinking Canadian Club so I started drinking that. I was like, “Damn, I kind of like this.” I’ve definitely got some alcohol problems, and it really stems from Canadian whisky. Canadian Club is my flavor of the month right now.

You got any plans for Christmas? You staying in Atlanta.

No, I’ll probably go see family in Pennsylvania. I haven’t been up there since 2009 maybe. I’ll probably go see them for a few days, and then I’m going to hop on a plane. I got to do Austin, Texas for New Years. I’ll probably go up there for a few days and do the family thing, then go to Texas.

– By @petermarrack

The post Exclusive Interview: Rittz Talks Working With Yelawolf, Relationship Woes, Seinfeld, and Canadian Whisky appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Yelawolf’s Shady Records debut Radioactive drops today, so in lieu of our review of the album (which will be coming soon) check out Complex Magazine’s special online cover story on Yela in honor of a week that is fittingly his.

Complex’s Radioactive Week

There were some records that I thought were just too big…and [Eminem’s] like, ‘Your opinion is WRONG.’ What am I gonna say? He’s sold more records than the Beatles.

The post Read: Yelawolf Breaks Bad on Complex Magazine appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

My god, this shit cray.

Radioactive, is coming and if the rest of the album sounds anything like “Throw It Up,” Yelawolf will have quite the record on his hands.

“Throw It Up” looks on paper like a bit of a strange brew, but stellar production and strong performances on all fronts make it a winner.

And Yela is simply pitch perfect: his flow is sharp as ever and suitably runs the gauntlet from accessibly impressive to “holy shit he raps really fast” level insanity. For my money, Yelawolf is, next to Kendrick Lamar, the most technically proficient and consistently stunning rapper in the current crop of up and comers. Exciting to know that he’s not taming his flow for his major label debut.

The post “Throw It Up” – Yelawolf ft. Gangsta Boo and Eminem appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

SHEESH!!!! What a remix Yelawolf has here with fellow label members, Slaughterhouse, and the self proclaimed “King of the South”, T.I. The beat sounds like people marching in the street at night with its hard hitting bass, flat snare, and rim shots. What is great about the record is that everyone delivers a solid verse on it, so even though there are six rappers on one song the listener should not feel the need to fast forward pass anyone. Listen to  “Hard White REMIX” for yourself:

The post New Music: Yelawolf ft. T.I., Slaughterhouse – Hard White REMIX appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.