Yelawolf is a rapper that I, until recently, wrote off. I used to lump him in the same group as MGK (Inadvertent Racial Stereotyping? Probably); I considered it testosterone-laden music made for college girls. Of course, being the idiot I am, I didn’t realize that Yelawolf is actually a talented MC with a lot of technical (and some lyrical) skills. Last year I finally checked out Radioactive, which while I didn’t find it nearly as bad as the rest of the world, I still thought it was fatally flawed. It felt like a neutered version of something much better. Turns out, it was! I then listened to his pre-Radioactive mixtapes, which were pretty good.

Then, this year, he dropped a fiery verse on A$AP Rocky’s 1 Train, which made me gain a whole new level of respect for Yelawolf. I mean, it’s pretty damn impressive to sound good on a track with A$AP, Kendrick, Joey Bada$$, Danny Brown, Action Bronson, and Big K.R.I.T. (Especially when you sound better than a few of the MCs you’re rapping with). So, I met the arrival of Trunk Muzik Returns with both enthusiasm and skepticism. Luckily, this project is pretty satisfying.

The first three tracks alone exert an energetic confidence that was missing on Radioactive. Each track has a drive to it that makes it feel far more natural than much of the big-label BS from Radioactive. Whether the tracks have intensely sparse percussion beats like on F.A.S.T. Ride or a more laid back and spacious beat on Fire Starter, Yelawolf’s delivery and flow injects a kind of stimulant into each track. Sometimes, he brings an intensity verging on insanity to a track like Catfish Billy that takes it to a new level (THAT SCREAM).

Trunk Muzik Returns also does a great job at showing precisely what was wrong with Radioactive, specifically by doing what that album did in a more concise, more enjoyable manner. The hooks, while still really stupid, are infectious and fun. Catfish Billy and F.A.S.T. Ride, have stupid hooks, but they’re still incredibly enjoyable (F.A.S.T. Ride’s hook especially).  There also seems to be a more concerted effort to intelligently integrate guest verses. On Radioactive, many of the guests felt tacked on to make tracks more…”Accessible”? Here, guests are used in a way that actually makes sense with the tracks. And none of them take away from Yelawolf himself. The only one who feels somewhat out of place is Raekwon on Rhyme Boom, and that’s only because he is blown out of the water by Killer Mike’s fantastic verse (Seriously, this man can do no wrong). Plus, Tennessee Love takes the middle part of Radioactive and makes it tolerable.  

The production here is nothing to get excited about. Other than Box Chevy Part 4, none of the beats are bad. But none of them really have a punch to match Yelawolf. Tracks like Catfish Billy sound great, but it’s mainly due to Yela’s delivery, not the production. Save Tennessee Love (Which has some really nice slide guitars), there isn’t a single beat that really sticks out, since they all feel somewhat generic. Except Box Chevy Part 4. And that one only sticks out because it’s awful.

Whether or not this mixtape will translate to his upcoming efforts (Which includes a collaborative album with Big K.R.I.T.) is yet to be seen. However, this mixtape does give a whole lot of evidence against writing Yelawolf off. It cements the fact that he’s a solid MC, and more proof that good Hip-Hop can indeed come out of the South.

Summary: Feeling like an apology for Radioactive, Trunk Muzik Returns gives Yelawolf a chance to show off some absolutely explosive delivery, proving that we can’t write him off just yet.

Choice Cuts- F.A.S.T. Ride, Rhyme Boom, Tennessee Love

Leftovers- Box Chevy Part 4

3.5/5

You can download Trunk Muzik Returns right here.