| Trial by Fire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 27, 2017 | |||
| Recorded | 2015–2017 | |||
| Studio | House of Blues Studios (Nashville, Tennessee) | |||
| Genre | Rap rock • country rap | |||
| Length | 59:21 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
| |||
| Yelawolf chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Trial by Fire | ||||
| ||||
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. [1] [2]
In August 2015, the same year as the release of Yelawolf's previous album, Love Story, he became mired in controversy when he decided to defend the confederate flag [3] before reconsidering his stance and entirely rejecting the flag with a non-album track titled "To Whom It May Concern", which was released on October 30, 2015. [4] The single addressed his upbringings and his disgust with the Charleston church shooting, a racially motivated mass shooting.
After the controversy had settled, on September 22, 2015, Yelawolf announced his fourth studio album, Trial By Fire. [5] He alluded to the record being much darker than its predecessor, and also being produced entirely by himself and constant collaborators DJ Klever and Bones Owens, which Bones Owens is a former member of his band.
Work on Trial by Fire began in the House of Blues studio in Nashville, Tennessee. Yelawolf produced the album in its entirety, and brought in a small group of musicians to commence work on the album, including his tour DJ, DJ Klever, guitarist Bones Owens, and keyboardist Peter Keys from Lynyrd Skynyrd. [6]
In order to support Trial By Fire, a tour was announced on July 18, 2016 and was due to run from October 13 to December 4. [7] However, during the Oregon show, Yelawolf was seen destroying equipment belonging to Bones Owens, which subsequently caused Owens to fallout with Yelawolf and quit the band indefinitely (DJ Klever also left the band but would reunite with Yelawolf the following year). The incident was followed by an altercation with a fan at the Sacramento show resulting in Yelawolf leaving the stage and cancelling the remaining seven dates. [8] After the cancellation of the tour, Yelawolf seemed to suffer an apparent mental breakdown and was admitted to a mental ward. After his release towards the end of December, Yelawolf announced via social media that he was dropping the "Yelawolf" stage name in favor of his birth name, the removed Instagram post announced "I decided to sober up and rebrand my new music as Michael Wayne Atha MWA". [9] This came as a result of the death of long-time friend and collaborator Shawty Fatt and his break-up with fiancé Fefe Dobson. During this time, Yelawolf also drastically changed the country style he had adopted during the release of Love Story to that a contemporary hip hop image, before retreating from public life for over six months. During this period, the status of the unreleased Trial By Fire album and Yelawolf's involvement with Shady Records were left undetermined. [9]
On June 6, 2017, Yelawolf announced a return to the music scene with the release of the third single for Trial By Fire titled "Row Your Boat", [10] with his "Yelawolf" moniker once again in use. Yelawolf launched another tour to support the album titled the "51/50" tour, with the name alluding to the term police or doctors use towards patients that are an endangerment to themselves and others, referencing his mental breakdown from the previous year. [11] During the tour, Yelawolf would re-visit all the venues that were cancelled during his previous tour, free of charge to those who had bought a ticket for the former.
Release of the album was also overshadowed by the release of Eminem's highly anticipated album, Revival . A picture uploaded by Shady Records CEO Paul Rosenberg holding a copy of Trial By Fire became the subject of intense online speculation after an advertisement was seen in the background promoting "Revival" medication. [12] The album was released on October 27, 2017 with little promotion and was seen as a commercial failure, selling only around 12,000 copies in its first week compared to Love Story 's 61,000, but was better received by critics. Yelawolf dismissed to the low sales by stating "If you're counting the first week record sales of your favorite artist these days, then you might have forgotten the reason why you love music". [13]
The album continues the blend of Country music and hip hop that began with the release of 2015's Love Story , and was described by Yelawolf as a "darker", loose-concept record that details his upbringing in the South. Several songs reference his birth, childhood, and the people that made an impact on him growing up. [14] The album also deals with various contemporary issues in his life, such as his struggles with alcoholism as well at the impact he is attempting to make on his family. The album begins with a skit of Yelawolf performing at a bar by recounting a tale about his birth, and describes himself as the reincarnation of an outlaw bank robber. [15] The track "Shadows" also recounts his childhood, growing up in a house full of criminal bikers. The song "Get Mine" featuring Kid Rock is described as a "throwback to the days of nu-metal", [16] while on "Son of a Gun", Yelawolf details the struggles of growing up without a father. The single "Daylight" was chronicled as an "ode to alcohol", and the political track "Row Your Boat" tackles the subject police brutality and uniqueness. [17] "Sabrina" recounts a fictional, first-person perspective of the horror of man who lost a child by way of drowning, [18] and the collaboration between Yelawolf and Lee Brice tells the perspectives of three different people, a war soldier with PTSD, an abused housewife, and the struggles Yelawolf himself faces. [19] The last song "Keeps Me Alive" features vocals from country singer Wynonna Judd, and reflects again with Yelawolf's short-comings as a child and young adult and how that translates to his current life as a father. [20]
Since the album was released about one year after its initially planned date due, it features artists whom Yelawolf was not on good terms with at the time of the release, most notably guitarist Bones Owens, who quit Yelawolf's band after an on-stage meltdown. [21] Owens is still credited as co-producer for the majority of the tracks, however, and his vocals appear on the song "True to Yourself". [22]
The album's first single "Daylight" was released on September 23, 2016. [23] The album's second single "Shadows" featuring Joshua Hedley was released on October 28, 2016. [24] The third single "Row Your Boat" was released on June 2, 2017, [25] while the fourth single, "Punk" featuring Travis Barker and Juicy J, was released on September 1, 2017. [26]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Trial by Fire" (Intro) |
| 4:42 |
| 2. | "Shadows" (featuring Joshua Hedley) |
| 5:11 |
| 3. | "Get Mine" (featuring Kid Rock) |
| 4:23 |
| 4. | "Son of a Gun" |
| 4:58 |
| 5. | "Ride or Die" |
| 4:46 |
| 6. | "Struggle Speaks" (Interlude) |
| 1:27 |
| 7. | "Daylight" |
| 4:47 |
| 8. | "Do for Love" |
| 4:03 |
| 9. | "Punk" (featuring Travis Barker and Juicy J) |
| 3:34 |
| 10. | "Row Your Boat" |
| 4:15 |
| 11. | "True to Yourself" (featuring Bones Owens) |
| 5:17 |
| 12. | "Sabrina" | Atha | 2:54 |
| 13. | "Violin" (featuring Lee Brice) |
| 4:25 |
| 14. | "Keeps Me Alive" (featuring Wynonna Judd) |
| 4:39 |
| Total length: | 59:21 | ||
Adapted from the Trial by Fire liner notes. [29]
|
|
| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) [30] | 41 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) [31] | 16 |
| Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI) [32] | 89 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [33] | 40 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC) [34] | 98 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [35] | 76 |
| US Billboard 200 [36] | 42 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [37] | 23 |
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.
Joseph Anthony Budden II is an American media personality, broadcaster, cultural critic, and retired 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.
Slaughterhouse was an American hip hop supergroup consisting of rappers Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, Crooked I 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.
Gerald Joshua Walker, is an American rapper and singer from Chicago, Illinois. He signed to fellow Midwestern rapper Stalley's label, Blue Collar Gang in 2018. Walker is known for his soul influenced style of hip-hop, and his association with rappers Layzie Bone of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Yelawolf, Skyzoo and Rockie Fresh, as well as record producer Cardo.
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 mixtape Trunk Muzik (2010) gained Yelawolf mainstream recognition, leading him to sign a recording contract with Interscope Records. He re-worked the mixtape as his first major label release, Trunk Muzik 0-60 (2010).
Slaughterhouse is the only extended play by hip hop supergroup Slaughterhouse. It was released on February 8, 2011 through E1 Music. The album debuted at #132 on the Billboard charts, after having sold 5,100 copies.
The discography of American rapper Yelawolf consists of seven 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.
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.
Knock Madness is the third studio album by American rapper Hopsin. It was released on November 24, 2013, by Funk Volume and distributed by EMPIRE. Hopsin has said that the overall vibe of the album is different from his previous album Raw and that he has said all he needs to about leaving Ruthless Records. The album contains guest appearances from rappers SwizZz, Dizzy Wright, Jarren Benton, and Tech N9ne, among others. Like its predecessors, the album's production was entirely handled by Hopsin himself.
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.
"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.
"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.
"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.
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.
"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.
Anthony Tremaine Dixson, known professionally as Westside Boogie, is an American rapper. His debut mixtape, Thirst 48, was released on June 24, 2014, followed by his second, The Reach a year later. He signed a recording contract with Interscope Records in 2015, which entered a joint venture with Eminem's Shady Records two years later. His debut studio album, Everythings for Sale, was released on January 25, 2019. His second album, More Black Superheroes was released on June 17, 2022.
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.
William Curtis Harness Jr., professionally known as Struggle Jennings, is an American rapper from Nashville, Tennessee. Jennings was one of the original members of Yelawolf's Slumerican label roster along with Bubba Sparxxx.
Ghetto Cowboy is the sixth studio album by American rapper Yelawolf, released on October 31, 2019. 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. The album's title is a homage to the 1998 hit single of the same name by the hip hop collective Mo Thugs.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)