Michael Wayne Atha (aka Yelawolf) was born December 30, 1979 In Gadsden Alabama where he was also raised. Yelawolf is a man of many talents. Yelawolf is a graffiti artist, songwriter, and an avid motorcycle enthusiast as well as an enthusiast for cars.
2005 is when Yelawolf started chasing a dream that would soon leave a legacy for many fans. He released his first studio album, "Creekwater."
In 2010, the EP, "Trunk Muzik", dropped. That was when Michael started gaining people’s attention. People really started to see the potential in this great artist. It was in the same year that Yelawolf signed with Interscope Records. Interscope was the same record label that pushed Bubba to success in the early 2000s.
Yelawolf’s journey advanced as he continued to develop a solid fan base that supported his music. In 2011, Yelawolf signed a recording deal with Eminem’s Shady Records, which is an imprint under Interscope, dropping his second studio album "Radioactive". "Radioactive" was 27 on the top 200. He released 4 full length albums under Shady Records before leaving the label in 2019. Yelawolf signed under his own label, "Slumerican", which he founded in 2012. Shortly after, he released his sixth studio album, "Ghetto Cowboy".
Yelawolf has many business ventures involving a 100 proof bottle of whiskey named after his first studio album, "Creek Water ". If you know Yelawolf, then, you know Creek Water. Yelawolf also has a store in Nashville, Tennessee called the Slumerican Flagship Store. It’s a retail store for Yelawolf’s brand, "Slumerican Made", a tattoo shop, and a barbershop all in one. The Slumerican Made brand features a clothing line that is designed by Yelawolf. He keeps his hand on all of the designing process. There have even been videos of Yelawolf removing sleeves on shirts for the store or other designs that takes just the right touch to make perfect. He also helps design the jewelry for the store.
Last September Yelawolf dropped the track, "Rowdy", featuring Machine Gun Kelly and DJ Paul. In the song he mentions taking a shot of "Creek Water". That can be taken two ways. You can take a shot of his branded "Creek Water Whiskey", or you get with other slums and represent what Slumerican is all about. Yelawolf is definitely a multitalented man. We are bound to see amazing things come from him and other Slumerican signed artists in 2021.
- Tucker Morgan
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