Ghetto Cowboy (album)

Last updated
Ghetto Cowboy
Yelawolf Ghetto Cowboy 2019.jpg
Studio album by
Yelawolf
ReleasedNovember 1, 2019 (2019-11-01) [1]
Recorded2016, 2018-2019
Studio Blackbird (Berry Hill, Tennessee)
Genre
Length50:25
Label Slumerican
Producer
Yelawolf chronology
Trunk Muzik 3
(2019)		Ghetto Cowboy
(2019)		 Slumafia
(2021)
Singles from Ghetto Cowboy
  1. "Unnatural Born Killer"
    Released: August 9, 2019
  2. "Opie Taylor"
    Released: October 11, 2019

Ghetto Cowboy is the sixth studio album by American rapper Yelawolf, released on October 31, 2019. [2] It is his second independent studio album, after his 2005 debut Creekwater, and his first since departing from Eminem's imprint Shady Records, and its parent label, Interscope Records, following the release of Trunk Muzik 3 earlier in the year. [3] The album's title is a homage to the 1998 hit single of the same name by the hip hop collective Mo Thugs.

Contents

Sessions for the album began at Blackbird Studio (the same studio where Yelawolf recorded his Gold-certified record, Love Story , in 2015), shortly after the release of Yelawolf's fifth album. [4] Production was handled by long-time collaborators Jim Jonsin, DJ Klever, DJ Paul, and Brian Jones, who worked on several tracks for Yelawolf's weekly freestyle series leading up to the release of Trunk Muzik 3.

This also marks the first time Yelawolf released two studio albums in the same year (along with Trunk Muzik 3), and the first time one of his studio albums is solely released by Slumerican Records, an extension of his lifestyle and culture brand with retail headquarters based in Nashville, Tennessee. [5] The album was supported by the singles "Unnatural Born Killer", released on August 9, 2019, [6] and "Opie Taylor", released on October 11, 2019.

Background

While on tour supporting the release of his fifth album, Yelawolf announced his tenure on Eminem's imprint Shady Records would be finished after the release of Trunk Muzik 3 . [7] This marked the end of a 4-album, 8-year contract with the label and its parent company Interscope Records. All of Yelawolf's future releases would be distributed independently through his own label, Slumerican Records, which had been jointly releasing his music in partnership with Shady and Interscope since the release of 2015's Love Story . Trunk Muzik 3 was released on March 29, 2019, [8] and with his contract finalized, Yelawolf began to work on Ghetto Cowboy.

Yelawolf appears in the film The Peanut Butter Falcon as "Rat Boy", co-starring Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson, Bruce Dern, Thomas Haden Church, and directed by Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz. [9] The film premiered at SXSW on March 9, 2019. [10] Several locations from the film (shot in Savannah, Georgia) are shown in the video for the album's second single "Opie Taylor". Around this time, Yelawolf revealed a vastly different fashion approach by dying his hair bright red, comparing himself to the character Opie Taylor, portrayed by Ron Howard for the popular television show The Andy Griffith Show. [11] The second single from the album is named in reference to the character.

On August 2, 2019, Yelawolf announced the first single for the album titled "Unnatural Born Killer, under the acronym "UBK", would be released on August 9, 2019. He made this announcement by playing a cassette preview of the single on a X-Bass boombox. He then lit the boombox on fire, with the burning fire determining how long of a snippet could be heard before the boombox and tape were destroyed. [12] The music video for the single was released on August 16, 2019. [13]

Yelawolf hosted his third annual "Devil's Pass" bike run, which traversed several states in the country, and then, on October 9, 2019, Yelawolf embarked on a 25-date North American tour in support of the album, appropriately titled the "Ghetto Cowboy Tour". The shows commenced in Colorado and finalized in Kentucky, visiting various venues in different areas of the United States, as well as Canada. [14]

Production and style

During a formal announcement of the album, Yelawolf stated "Ghetto Cowboy has been the most gratifying to me as an artist being that it's my first indie release on my own label. I have no one to answer to and that can be a scary responsibility. After Love Story, Trial By Fire and then Trunk Muzik 3, I feel like I got a well-rounded project that speaks to all the fans; hip hop, rock'n'roll, and southern fans alike". [15] When commenting on the stylistic approach of the album, Yelawolf stated "I ain't reinventing the wheel here, just doing what I love to do, doing what I think is dope and original. I never want to stop challenging the genre or the listener or become complacent or settled cause that's boring as fuck to me and the fans. [Ghetto Cowboy] is unapologetic, brutally honest and at times completely vulnerable." During this announcement, Yelawolf also stated that the album will first be available to stream through YouTube on Halloween, the day before it sees a wide release on November 1, 2019. [16]

Track listing

No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Mama Wolf" Yelawolf 1:27
2."Unnatural Born Killer"Brian Jones3:16
3."Opie Taylor" DJ Klever 3:52
4."Box Chevy 7"Mike Hartnett4:04
5."Here I Am"
  • Mike Hartnett
  • Yelawolf
3:52
6."Still Ridin'"DJ Klever2:54
7."Lightning"Mike Hartnett4:35
8."Renegades" Jim Jonsin 3:55
9."So Long"Jim Jonsin3:55
10."You and Me"Jim Jonsin4:02
11."A Message from DJ Paul"Yelawolf0:53
12."Country Rich" (featuring DJ Paul)
  • DJ Paul
  • TWhy Xclusive
3:53
13."Keep on Rollin" (featuring CookUpBoss & Big Henry)DJ Klever4:14
14."Ghetto Cowboy"
  • Brian Jones
  • Kenneth Howell
5:25
Total length:50:25

Charts

Chart (2019)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [17] 60
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [18] 47
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [19] 30
US Billboard 200 [20] 76
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [21] 40

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bubba Sparxxx</span> American rapper (born 1977)

Warren Anderson Mathis, better known by his stage name Bubba Sparxxx, is an American rapper. His 2001 single, "Ugly" peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and led him to sign with Timbaland's Beat Club Records, an imprint of Interscope Records to release his debut studio album, Dark Days, Bright Nights (2001). Met with critical and commercial success, it peaked at number three on the Billboard 200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shady Records</span> American record label

Shady Records is an American record label founded by rapper Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg in 1999, following the commercially successful release of The Slim Shady LP that same year. The label's name comes from the last name of Eminem's alter ego, Slim Shady.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Budden</span> American rapper and broadcaster (born 1980)

Joseph Anthony Budden II is an American broadcaster and rapper. He first gained recognition in the latter occupation with his 2003 single "Pump It Up", which peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded the release of his eponymous debut studio album (2003). Met with critical and commercial success, the album peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200, although it served as his only major label release for Def Jam Recordings; he thereafter released seven albums independently to continued critical praise. While doing so, he performed as a member of the hip hop supergroup Slaughterhouse, which were signed to Eminem's Shady Records in 2012; the group released two studio albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slaughterhouse (group)</span> American hip hop group

Slaughterhouse were an American hip hop supergroup consisting of rappers Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, Kxng Crooked, and Royce da 5'9". They released their eponymous debut studio album independently in 2009, and signed to Shady Records, an imprint of Interscope Records to release it's follow up, Welcome to: Our House in 2012. The group disbanded in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yelawolf</span> American rapper (born 1979)

Michael Wayne Atha, better known by his stage name Yelawolf, is an American rapper. Born in Gadsden, Alabama, and raised in Antioch, Tennessee, he embarked on his recording career in 2005, releasing four mixtapes to positive local reception. His fourth mixtape, Trunk Muzik (2010), earned him wider recognition and led him to sign a recording contract with Interscope Records. He re-worked the mixtape into his first major label release, Trunk Muzik 0-60 (2010).

<i>Trunk Muzik</i>

Trunk Muzik is a mixtape by American rapper Yelawolf, released on January 1, 2010. It features ten all new songs and two remixes. It is hosted by DJ Burn One and contains production from WLPWR, Malay & KP and Kane Beatz and features guest appearances from Bun B, Rittz, Diamond, Raekwon and Juelz Santana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yelawolf discography</span> Rap rock recording artist discography

The discography of American rapper Yelawolf consists of eight studio albums, five collaborative albums, six mixtapes, nine EPs, 50 singles and 82 music videos. His music has been released on record labels Interscope Records, Shady Records and DGC Records, including independent record label Ghet-O-Vision and Slumerican which has released some of his independent material.

<i>Radioactive</i> (Yelawolf album) 2011 studio album by Yelawolf

Radioactive is the second studio album and major label debut by American rapper Yelawolf. It was released on November 21, 2011 through Shady Records and Interscope Records. The album features guest appearances from Shawty Fatt, Mystikal, Kid Rock, Lil Jon, Rittz, Gangsta Boo, Eminem, Poo Bear, Priscilla Renea, Fefe Dobson, Mona Moua and Killer Mike.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pop the Trunk</span> 2010 single by Yelawolf

"Pop the Trunk" is a song by American rapper Yelawolf from his mixtape Trunk Muzik. It was originally released, with a music video, on July 27, 2010 as a single to promote Trunk Muzik, and has since been re-released as the lead single from his second EP, Trunk Muzik 0-60. The reason this particular song was chosen to be included in his official release was because he wanted to include 5 "fan favorites" in addition to 7 new songs, as this track is indeed one of—if not the—most well-known song by Yelawolf to date. The song's concept revolves around life in Gadsden, Alabama and the environment that the artist grew up in, as Yelawolf is essentially just describing his surroundings and the different events he's witnessed. Yelawolf described in an interview that this track was actually the first one he wrote for Trunk Muzik, and the first verse was basically a nod to his stepfather, who raised him. The title of the song refers to a popular slang term which involves retrieving a firearm from the trunk of one's automobile.

<i>Trunk Muzik Returns</i> 2013 mixtape by Yelawolf

Trunk Muzik Returns is the sixth official mixtape by American rapper Yelawolf. The mixtape was released as a free digital download on March 14, 2013 on his Slumerican website and other mixtape hosting websites. It features production solely by WLPWR of SupaHotBeats, and guest appearances by Paul Wall, A$AP Rocky, Big Henry, Raekwon and Killer Mike.

Jonathan Matthew McCollum, better known by his stage name Rittz, is an American rapper. His debut album The Life and Times of Jonny Valiant was released on April 30, 2013, rising to number 8 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. His next two albums, Next to Nothing (2014) and Top of the Line (2016) peaked at number 3 on the same chart. His fourth album, Last Call (2017), hit number 43 on the Billboard 200. All of these were released under Tech N9ne's Strange Music label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Box Chevy V</span> 2014 single by Yelawolf

"Box Chevy V" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Yelawolf, featured on his 2015 album Love Story. Written by Yelawolf, producer WLPWR, guitarist Mike Hartnett and mixing engineer Matthew Hayes, it is the fifth entry in Yelawolf's "Box Chevy" song series. The song was released as the first single from the album on January 27, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Till It's Gone</span> 2014 single by Yelawolf

"Till It's Gone" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Yelawolf, featured on his 2015 album Love Story. Written by Yelawolf, producer WLPWR, guitarist Mike Hartnett and mixing engineer Matthew Hayes, it was originally featured on some versions of the 2014 Shady Records compilation Shady XV. The song was released as the second single from both albums on September 16, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whiskey in a Bottle</span> 2015 single by Yelawolf

"Whiskey in a Bottle" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Yelawolf, featured on his 2015 album Love Story. Written by Yelawolf and producer WLPWR, it contains elements of "Adormeceu", written by Cezar de Mercês and Jorge Amiden from the Brazilian band O Terço. The song was released as the third single from the album on February 17, 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLPWR</span> Musical artist

William Washington, known professionally as WLPWR is a musician and music producer who founded SupaHotBeats in 2002, as well as BNDWTH, a record label and production studio based out of Atlanta founded by Washington in 2018.

<i>Love Story</i> (Yelawolf album) 2015 studio album by Yelawolf

Love Story is the third studio album by American rapper Yelawolf. It was released on April 21, 2015, by Interscope Records, Shady Records and Slumerican. The album was described by Yelawolf as a more passionate album than his debut album. Recording process took place primarily in Nashville, Tennessee from 2012 to 2015. The production on the album was handled by Yelawolf himself, along with Eminem, Malay and WLPWR, among others. The album was influenced by aspects of country and rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Best Friend (Yelawolf song)</span> 2015 single by Yelawolf featuring Eminem

"Best Friend" is a song by American rapper Yelawolf featuring fellow American rapper Eminem. It was released on April 14, 2015 as the fifth single from the former's second studio album Love Story (2015) via Shady and Interscope Records. It was later included on Eminem's second greatest hits album Curtain Call 2 (2022), with Shady, Interscope, and Aftermath Entertainment.

<i>Trial by Fire</i> (Yelawolf album) 2017 album by Yelawolf

Trial by Fire is the fourth studio album by American rapper Yelawolf. The album was released on October 27, 2017, by Slumerican, Shady Records and Interscope Records. This album was entirely produced by Yelawolf himself.

<i>Trunk Muzik 3</i> 2019 studio album by Yelawolf

Trunk Muzik III is the fifth studio album by American rapper Yelawolf, released on March 29, 2019. It is his final album under Eminem's imprint Shady Records, and was released in conjunction with Interscope Records and Yelawolf's own label Slumerican. The album marks a return to an emphasis on the southern hip hop sound that was predominant in Yelawolf's music at the start of the decade, a contrast to the country-folk and hip hop fusions of his previous two albums. While the album is titled as the third in the Trunk Muzik series, it is, technically, the fourth, following his 2009 mixtape Trunk Muzik, its subsequent 2010 reissue Trunk Muzik 0-60, and 2013's Trunk Muzik Returns.

<i>Slumafia</i> 2021 EP by Yelawolf and DJ Paul

Slumafia is the second collaborative extended play by American rappers Yelawolf and DJ Paul. It was released on April 16, 2021, by Slumerican and Scale-A-Ton. The album reunites Yelawolf with collaborator DJ Paul, of Three 6 Mafia, who produced the entirety of the EP. This marks the second Yelawolf project to be entirely produced by DJ Paul, following the release of the 2013 extended play, Black Fall. The album was part of Yelawolf's "April Onslaught", a series of weekly album releases in the month of April, which included Turquoise Tornado, Mile Zero, and Mudmouth. It was also released in close succession to the collaborative album Yelawolf Blacksheep, with rapper Caskey, which was released on February 19, 2021.

References

  1. ↑ "Ghetto Cowboy (CD) – Slumerican Made". Archived from the original on 2019-12-30. Retrieved 2019-12-30.
  2. ↑ "Yelawolf Announces Halloween Release for 'Ghetto Cowboy,' Sixth Studio Album Coming via Slumerican Records". Music Mayhem Magazine. 2019-10-03. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  3. ↑ Grant, Shawn (2018-08-16). "Yelawolf Announces the End of His Deal with Shady Records". The Source. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  4. ↑ "YelaWolf". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  5. ↑ "Yelawolf Announces Halloween Release for 'Ghetto Cowboy,' Sixth Studio Album Coming via Slumerican Records". Music Mayhem Magazine. 2019-10-03. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  6. ↑ "Yelawolf Reemerges With 'Unnatural Born Killer" Single". HotNewHipHop. 9 August 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  7. ↑ "Yelawolf Amicably Announces Departure From Shady Records". HotNewHipHop. 15 August 2018. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  8. ↑ "Yelawolf Delivers Last Shady Records Album With Impressive "Trunk Muzik 3"". HotNewHipHop. 29 March 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  9. ↑ Weintraub, Steve 'Frosty' (2019-08-26). "Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson & Zack Gottsagen on 'The Peanut Butter Falcon'". Collider. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  10. ↑ McNary, Dave (2019-05-15). "Shia LaBeouf's 'Peanut Butter Falcon' Bought by Roadside for U.S." Variety. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  11. ↑ "YelaWolf". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  12. ↑ First single off Ghetto Cowboy is "Unnatural Born Killer" (Preview) [IG Video] , retrieved 2019-10-08
  13. ↑ Yelawolf - Unnatural Born Killer (Official Video) , retrieved 2019-10-08
  14. ↑ "YELAWOLF EMBARKS ON GHETTO COWBOY TOUR OCTOBER 9 IN SUPPORT OF NEW ALBUM". Side Stage Magazine. 2019-10-01. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  15. ↑ "Yelawolf To Release "Ghetto Cowboy" Album On Halloween". HipHopDX. 2019-10-06. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  16. ↑ "Yelawolf Explains How He Prepared To Drop His First Solo Album "Ghetto Cowboy"". AllHipHop.com. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  17. ↑ "ARIA Chart Watch #550". auspOp. November 9, 2019. Archived from the original on November 9, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  18. ↑ "Yelawolf Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  19. ↑ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. November 11, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  20. ↑ "Yelawolf Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  21. ↑ "Yelawolf Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.