YelaWolf

Yelawolf is one of the most distinctive rappers to emerge in years. With his lanky, tattooed frame and heavily accented Southern drawl, he hardly looks or sounds like your typical emcee. But Yelawolf has legitimate skills honed through years of paying dues. He's originally from Gadsden, Ala., but has lived all over the South and even spent some time as a homeless skater in Berkeley, Calif. However, he officially launched his career in Atlanta with his debut, CreekWater, in 2005. He was initially a backpack-style underground rapper, but further artistic growth led him to adopt a more hard-edged approach that incorporated Southern hard rock. He earned himself a deal with Columbia Records, but little was released besides teaser singles such as "Kickin'." Yelawolf then spent several months building an underground buzz via mixtapes like The Ballad of Slick E. Bobby and Trunk Muzik. The latter, originally issued via the Internet in early 2010, brought a new deal with Interscope. In fall 2010, Yelawolf reissued it as Trunk Muzik 0-60, to critical acclaim.