What is Yelawolf's Net Worth?
Yelawolf is an American rapper who has a net worth of $4 million. Yelawolf first gained widespread recognition with his 2010 EP "Trunk Muzik." After signing to Eminem's record label Shady Records in 2011, he released the studio albums "Radioactive," "Love Story," "Trial by Fire," and "Trunk Muzik III." Yelawolf independently released his sixth and seventh studio albums, "Ghetto Cowboy" and "Mud Mouth," in 2019 and 2022, respectively.
Early Life
Yelawolf, whose real name is Michael Wayne Atha, was born on December 30, 1979 in Gadsden, Alabama. As a kid, he moved with his family to Antioch, Tennessee, and went to Carter Lawrence Middle School in Nashville. Yelawolf was introduced to hip hop early on in his life, in part due to his mother's boyfriend being the sound designer for Aerosmith during that band's famed collaboration with Run-DMC. He soon met and befriended the trio of Run-DMC, who visited his home and gave him cassette tapes by the Beastie Boys.
Career Beginnings
Yelawolf made his first major media appearance in 2005, when he was a contestant on the hip hop reality competition television show "The Road to Stardom with Missy Elliott." Following his elimination from the program, he released his debut album, "Creekwater." Shortly after this, he released a mixtape entitled "Pissin' in a Barrel of Beez." In 2007, Yelawolf signed to Columbia Records and released the single "Kickin'." He was soon dropped from the label. Subsequently, Yelawolf put out the mixtapes "Ball of Flames: The Ballad of Slick Rick E. Bobby" and "Stereo: A Hip Hop Tribute to Classic Rock." These were followed by "Arena Rap," Yelawolf's debut EP.
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Music Breakthroughs
In early 2010, Yelawolf had his breakthrough with the mixtape "Trunk Muzik." Later in the year, he signed to Interscope Records and re-released the mixtape as the EP "Trunk Muzik 0-60." Yelawolf continued to break out as a major artist when he signed to Eminem's label Shady Records in 2011 and released his debut studio album, "Radioactive." Receiving critical acclaim, the album debuted at number 13 on the Billboard 200 and launched the singles "Hard White (Up in the Club)" and "Let's Roll."
Further Solo Mixtapes and Albums
Following the success of "Radioactive," Yelawolf released the mixtape "Heart of Dixie" as a free download in 2012. The next year, he released the mixtape "Trunk Muzik Returns," also as a free digital download; it features appearances by such artists as Raekwon, ASAP Rocky, and Killer Mike. In 2014, Yelawolf teased his upcoming third studio album, "Love Story," with the release of the single "Box Chevy V." The album was eventually released in April of 2015, debuting at number three on the Billboard 200 to become Yelawolf's most commercially successful album yet. Moreover, the singles "Till It's Gone" and "Best Friend," the latter featuring Eminem, racked up more than 100 million views on YouTube. Yelawolf next released his EP "Hotel" in 2016.
After suffering a reported mental breakdown that resulted in a brief stay at a mental ward, Yelawolf released his fourth studio album, "Trial by Fire," in 2017. The album was supported by the singles "Daylight," "Shadows," "Row Your Boat," and "Punk." Two years later, Yelawolf released "Trunk Muzik III," the third major installment in the "Trunk Muzik" series. The last album he released on Eminem's label, "Trunk Muzik III" features appearances by Machine Gun Kelly, MopTop, Big Henri, and DJ Klever, among others. Yelawolf subsequently released "Ghetto Cowboy" on his independent label Slumerican; it was supported by the singles "Unnatural Born Killer" and "Opie Taylor." His next album, "Mud Mouth," came out in 2021.
Collaborative Projects
Beyond his solo work, Yelawolf has collaborated with various other artists on a number of projects. In 2012, he collaborated with English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran on the EP "The Slumdon Bridge." That same year, Yelawolf released another collaborative EP entitled "Psycho White," which he recorded with drummer Travis Barker. Subsequent collaborative EPs have included "Black Fall," with rapper DJ Paul; "Catfish Billy x Cub Cook Up Boss" and "Catfish Billy x Cub Cook Up Boss Slum Trap," both with Cook Up Boss; and "Slumafia," again with DJ Paul.
In 2020, Yelawolf collaborated with the nu metal band Korn on the studio album "Devil Went Down to Georgia." The following year, he held an informal event known as April Onslaught, and released the collaborative albums "Yelawolf Blacksheep," with Caskey; "Turquoise Tornado," with Riff Raff; and "Mile Zero," with DJ Muggs. In 2022, Yelawolf collaborated with Shooter Jennings on "Sometimes Y."
Musical Influences
Among Yelawolf's most prominent musical influences are Outkast, Dungeon Family, Black Star, Pete Rock, and CL Smooth. He has also cited such diverse artists as Black Sabbath, Johnny Cash, the Doors, Fleetwood Mac, Portishead, and N.W.A. as formative inspirations for his sound and style.
Acting
Yelawolf has done some acting on television and in film. In 2011, he appeared in an episode of the dramedy series "Single Ladies." Later, in 2019, Yelawolf played the part of Ratboy in the film "The Peanut Butter Falcon."
Personal Life
Yelawolf got engaged to singer-songwriter Fefe Dobson in 2013. The couple had three children, and eventually married in 2019.
