Radioactive (Yelawolf album)

Radioactive
Studio album by Yelawolf
Released	November 21, 2011
Recorded	2010–11 Conway Recording Studios 213 Studio E Studio Charlice Recording (Los Angeles, California) Effigy Studios (Ferndale, Michigan) Future Music Recording Studios (Las Vegas, Nevada) Parkland Playhouse (Parkland, Florida) PatchWerk Recording Studios (Atlanta, Georgia) Tree Sound Studios (Norcross, Georgia)
Genre	Alternative hip hop, conscious hip hop
Length	57:22
Label	Ghet-O-Vision, DGC, Interscope, Shady
Producer	The Audibles, Blaqsmurph, Borgore, Diplo, Emanuel Kiriakou, Eminem (also exec.), Tha Hydrox, Jim Jonsin, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, KP (co-exec.), Mr. Pyro, Phonix Beats, Poo Bear, Sasha Sirota, WLPWR
Yelawolf chronology
Trunk Muzik 0-60 (2010) Radioactive (2011) The Slumdon Bridge (2012)
Singles from Radioactive
"Hard White (Up in the Club)" Released: August 8, 2011 "Let's Roll" Released: October 28, 2011[1]

Radioactive (also known as Radioactive: Amazing and Mystifying Chemical Tricks) is the debut studio album by American rapper Yelawolf; it was released on November 21, 2011, by Shady Records and Interscope Records.

Recording

Recording sessions took place at Las Vegas Valley, Nevada in two weeks.^[2]

Music composition, style, and lyrics

Radioactive covers many different styles of hip hop fusions, being alternative hip hop as principal musical genre. Hardcore hip hop is represented on the tracks "Radioactive Introduction", "Throw It Up", "Get Away", and "Slumerican Shitizen". A horrorcore rap style is used in "Growin' Up in the Gutter", whereas "Hard White (Up in the Club)" is a crunk party track. "Let's Roll", "Write Your Name", and "Radio" follow a pop rap style, with catchy hooks and beats. "Animal" is a fast-paced hip hop party track with a dubstep influenced beat. "Good Girl" utilizes an R&B-tinged feel, while "The Hardest Love Song in the World" is a g-funk hip hop track. Yelawolf covers a variety of lyrical themes in these album, from gangsta rap lyrics in "Get Away" and "Throw It Up", to more conscious and slightly political tracks such as "Made in the USA", "Slumerican Shitizen", "Write Your Name", and "The Last Song". "Radio" is about the internet taking over how music and music videos are received by fans. It also refers to radio stations playing the same songs constantly and singers being discovered via the internet. The song contains several references to rock and rap artists and their songs from the past. The album's final track, titled "The Last Song" described as very personal about Yelawolf's life, and it's a very emotional final letter to his absent biological father and talks about other past struggles.^[3][4][5]

Singles

The album's first single "Hard White (Up in the Club)" was released on August 8, 2011. The song features guest vocals by Lil Jon and it was produced by Hydrox.^[6] The music video was filmed in Atlanta, Georgia, and directed by Motion Family. On September 20, the music video for "Hard White (Up in the Club)" was released through VEVO. The remix to "Hard White (Up in the Club)" was released on November 2; the song features T.I., and label-mates Slaughterhouse.

On October 28, 2011, Yelawolf released the album's second single "Let's Roll" featuring Kid Rock. The song was produced by The Audibles and Mr. Pyro.

Other songs

The track, titled "No Hands" was featured on the video game Driver: San Francisco. Yelawolf partnered up to release the music video with Ubisoft and Complex. The music video was filmed at several major landmarks in San Francisco, California, and directed by Erick Peyton, who is well-known for his direction on Snoop Dogg's music video for his song "That Tree". The song did not make it on the album.

Yelawolf filmed a 12-minute short horror film for the track "Growin' Up in the Gutter", which features rapper Rittz. Although the track was not released as a single the short film finally premiered on July 4.^[7] It was directed by Tyler Clinton and Yelawolf credited as Michael Wayne for Slumerican, the short film was titled "Gutter".^[8]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 27 on the US Billboard 200, with 41,000 copies sold in its first week.^[9] It has sold 208,000 copies in the US as of April 2015.^[10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	(62/100)[11]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllHipHop	(6/10)[12]
Allmusic	[13]
Consequence of Sound	[14]
Los Angeles Times	[15]
Paste	(7.2/10)[16]
Pitchfork Media	(6.5/10)[17]
PopMatters	(4/10)[18]
Spin	(7/10)[19]
Rolling Stone	[20]
XXL	(XL)[21]

Radioactive has received mixed to positive reviews. Before release, the album was noted by the influential hip-hop magazine The Source as being a near classic, with a 4.5/5 rating. At Metacritic the album received an average score of 62 out of 100, based on 16 reviews.^[11] Acclaimed Hip-hop magazine XXL gave the album a 4/5 (XL) rating, saying "more than not, the album is a standout effort that introduces the full-range of his talents as an MC with crafty songwriting abilities and deft ear for a sonic palette". Prefix Magazine stated that it was "hard to view Radioactive in any context that doesn’t label it as a total artistic failure" and that Yelawolf was "rolling over to commercial demands".^[22] PopMatters echoed this sentiment, calling the album a "misguided grasp at populism" and criticising Yelawolf's willingness to "play second fiddle" to A&R demands.^[18] Complex Magazine rated Radioactive as #18 in the 25 Best Albums of 2011.^[23] Noted hip hop magazine XXL, Radioactive was ranked at number 10 of the best albums of 2011.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Radioactive Introduction"	Michael Atha William "WLPWR" Washington	WLPWR	2:57
2.	"Get Away" (featuring Shawty Fatt & Mystikal)	Atha Darius "Phonix Beats" Barnes J. Horton M. Horton Shuggie Otis	Phonix Beats	3:23
3.	"Let's Roll" (featuring Kid Rock)	Atha Jimmy Giannos Dominic Jordan Daen Simmons Jason "Pooh Bear" Boyd	The Audibles Mr. Pyro Eminem^[b]	3:54
4.	"Hard White (Up in the Club)" (featuring Lil Jon)	Atha Lowell Grant Michael Anthony Jackson Alex Cartagena Jonathan Smith	Tha Hydrox	3:23
5.	"Growin' Up in the Gutter" (featuring Rittz)	Atha Washington Jonathan McCullom	WLPWR	3:40
6.	"Throw It Up" (featuring Gangsta Boo & Eminem)	Atha Washington Lola Mitchell Marshall Mathers	WLPWR Eminem^[a]	4:12
7.	"Good Girl" (featuring Poo Bear)	Atha Giannos Jordan Boyd Kawan "KP" Prather Courtney Sills	The Audibles Poo Bear^[b]	4:24
8.	"Made in the U.S.A" (featuring Priscilla Renea)	Atha Emanuel Kiriakou Courtney "BLAQSMURPH" Dwight Priscilla Hamilton	Kiriakou BLAQSMURPH^[b]	3:28
9.	"Animal" (featuring Fefe Dobson)	Atha Asaf Borger Thomas Pentz Felicia Dobson Nikkiya Brooks	Diplo Borgore	3:42
10.	"The Hardest Love Song in the World"	Atha Washington Boyd Prather Bobby Miller	WLPWR	2:59
11.	"Write Your Name" (featuring Mona Moua)	Atha Erik Ortiz Kevin Crowe Kenny Bartolomei G. Cihumsky C. Nwagbara U. Nwagbara R. Harrell W. Smith	J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League	3:44
12.	"Everything I Love the Most"	Atha Washington Boyd William Martin Joel	WLPWR Eminem^[a]	4:05
13.	"Radio"	Atha James Scheffer Danny Morris Michael Mule Isaac De Boni	Jim Jonsin	5:32
14.	"Slumerican Shitizen" (featuring Killer Mike)	Atha Washington Michael Render B. Parks	WLPWR	3:36
15.	"The Last Song"	Atha Washington

Best Buy deluxe edition (bonus tracks)
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
16.	"Whip It"	Atha Giannos Jordan Boyd Sills	The Audibles	4:04
17.	"I See You"	Atha Washington Giannos Jordan Sasha Sirota Boyd Prather	WLPWR The Audibles^[b] Sasha Sirota^[b]	3:54
18.	"In This World"	Atha Washington Mathers Boyd Prather P. Zaza T. Dandy	WLPWR Eminem^[b]	4:03

Notes

• ^{^a} signifies an additional producer
• ^{^b} signifies a co-producer
• "Radioactive Introduction" features background vocals by Nikkiya.
• "Let's Roll" features background vocals by Herschel Boone.
• "The Hardest Love Song in the World" features uncredited vocals by Poo Bear.
• "Radio" features uncredited vocals by Danny Morris.
• "In This World" features uncredited vocals by Eminem.

Sample credits

• "Get Away" contains elements of "Strawberry Letter 23" written by Shuggie Otis, and samples of the same performed by The Brothers Johnson.
• "The Hardest Love Song in the World" contains elements of "Always Together" written by Bobby Miller, and samples of the same performed by The Dells.
• "Everything I Love The Most" contains elements of "The Stranger" written and performed by Billy Joel.
• "In This World" contains elements of "Is There Any Love" written by Paul Zaza and Trevor Dandy, and samples of the same performed by Trevor Dandy.

Charts

Chart (2011)	Peak position
Swiss Music Charts	91
US Billboard 200	27
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)	6
US Top Rap Albums (Billboard)	4
UK R&B Album Charts	20

Personnel

Credits for Radioactive adapted from Allmusic.^[24]

Ray Alba – publicity The Audibles – producer Matt Barrett – guitar Blaqsmurph – drums, keyboard programming, piano, producer Herschel Boone – background vocals Borgore – producer, programming Leslie Brathwaite – mixing Tyler Clinton – cover art Regina Davenport – A&R, production coordination Archie Davis – A&R Cristian DeLano – engineer Lionel Deluy – photography Ben Didelot – bass Diplo – producer, programming Fefe Dobson – composer Seneca Doss – marketing Eminem – additional production, executive producer, mixing, producer,vocal Finatik – percussion Finatik N Zac – programming John Fisher – management Brian "Big Bass" Gardner – mastering Jimmy Giannos – drum rogramming, programming Matthew Hayes – engineer, mixing Matt Huber – assistant Joe Strange – mixing assistant Irvin Johnson – assistant Jeremy "J Dot" Jones – management Jim Jonsin – percussion, producer, programming Dominic Jordan – drum programming, keyboards, programming J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League – producer, programming David Karmiol – guitar Emanuel Kiriakou – bass, drums, editing, engineer, keyboard programming, producer Dave Kutch – mastering

Marc Labelle – project coordinator Robert Marks – mixing Nikolas Marzouca – engineer Marshall Mathers – composer Tristan McClain – engineer Riggs Morales – A&R Danny Morris – composer, keyboards Mona Moua – vocals Mr. Pyro – producer Brian Nelson – watercolor artwork Nikkiya Brooks – background vocals T.W. Pentz – composer Phonix Beats – engineer, producer, programming Poo Bear – producer Kawan "KP" Prather – A&R, composer, executive producer Michael Pratt – assistant Priscilla Renea – vocals Luis Resto – keyboards Courtney Sills – composer, management Sasha Sirota – bass, editing, drums, engineer, producer, guitar Muzzy Solis – assistant Mike Strange – engineer, mixing, mixing engineer Al Sutton – engineer Tha Hydrox – instrumentation, producer, programming Andrew Van Meter – producer Eric Weaver – assistant Jason Wilkie – engineer WLPWR – assistant, drum programming, instrumentation, producer, programming Jason Wilson – assistant Mike Wilson – engineer Yelawolf – vocals David Sammon – Yelawolf's Father Salvatore Casto - Close Friend

References

1. "Let's Roll ft. Kid Rock". Yelawolf. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
2. "Yelawolf is a Rockstar! Smokes Legal Weed?! | RadioPlanet.tv | Where Hip Hop Meets Hollywood". RadioPlanet.tv. 2010-12-16. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
3. "YelaWolf's statement about the fake "Animal" leak from RADIOACTIVE". YouTube. 2010-02-17. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
4. "Yelawolf – Radio Lyrics". Rap Genius. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
5. "Yelawolf official site – news". Yelawolf.com. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
6. "New Music: Yelawolf x Lil Jon "Hard White (Up In The Club)"". Rap Radar. 2011-08-03. Retrieved 2011-09-19.
7. Yelawolf Readies EP with Travis Barker, 11-Minute 'Horror Film' Music Video. Billboard.com (2009-09-14). Retrieved on 2012-08-09.
8. Video: Yelawolf Ft. Rittz – Growin Up In The Gutter. The Source. Retrieved on 2012-08-09.
9. Jacobs, Allen (2011-11-30). "Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 11/27/2011 | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHop DX. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
10. "Upcoming Releases". Hits Daily Double. HITS Digital Ventures. Archived from the original on April 3, 2015.
11. "Critic Reviews for Radioactive". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
12. Radioactive Album Review. AllHipHop. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
13. Jeffries, David. "Yelawolf – Radioactive – Album Review". Allmusic. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
14. Madden, Mike (2011-11-18). "Yelawolf Radioactive". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
15. "Album Review: Yelawolf's "Radioactive"". Latimesblogs.latimes.com. 2011-11-22. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
16. Weiss, Dan (2011-11-23). "Yelawolf: Radioactive". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
17. Sargent, Jordan (2011-12-01). "Yelawolf: Radioactive". Pitchfork.
18. Amidon, David. "Yelawolf: Radioactive". Popmatters. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
19. "Yelawolf, 'Radioactive' (Ghet-O-Vision/DGC/Shady/Interscope)". SPIN. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
20. Monica Herrera (2011-11-22). "Radioactive | Album Reviews". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
21. "Yelawolf, Radioactive". Xxlmag.Com. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
22. "Album Review: YelaWolf – Radioactive | Prefix". Prefixmag.com. 2011-12-05. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
23. "The 25 Best Albums of 2011". Complex. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
24. Credits: Radioactive. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2011-11-23.