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Nov 23, 2011There's an argument to made that Yelawolf's entry into the world of official releases is a bit too cluttered with distractions -- stars, prime beats, and big-time hooks -- to be considered a proper showcase, but when given room, he shines through.
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Dec 1, 2011But when he's in his element – ruling over frenetic beats with rhymes that cut right to the bone – it's clear that Yelawolf's star is sure to shine for the foreseeable.
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Nov 23, 2011This kid may not have the voice of a generation, but there's certainly a demographic he could mean the world to. Once he figures out that it's what he has to say that should guide his singles, rather than what he imagines we want to hear, there may well be a great artist in Yelawolf.
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Nov 23, 2011The peaks overshadow the valleys here, leaving an adequate showing from a guy who deserves to be taken more seriously than his looks and background might warrant.
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Dec 2, 2011Radioactive [is] simultaneously the most and least mainstream friendly album of the year. It's a seeming contradiction that only someone who was supremely confident in their identity as an artist could pull off.
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Nov 22, 2011The self-proclaimed "White trash heartthrob" kicks off his show with a display of lyricism and content that aligns very closely with Yelawolf has always been about - sincerity, family, community and of course Chevrolet Caprice Classics.
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Nov 22, 2011The record's too long by a third, but Yela's smartmouthed, serpentine delivery (and it's hard not to make Eminem comparisons when Shady executive-produced the record) keeps the thing screwed together.
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Nov 23, 2011Yelawolf's got personality to spare as long as it's on his own terms. Which is half the time. The rest gets by on unceasing technical skill.
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Dec 1, 2011Outside the sagging middle section, the subject matter and production will be nothing new to those familiar with Yela's music; his voice and perspective remain sharp and unique, and he certainly hasn't lost any of his technical skill.
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Dec 14, 2011The end result is an album during which the main protagonist seems unaware of what's going on, playing second fiddle to the ruminations of backseat A&Rs and misguided grasps at populism.
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Dec 5, 2011It's hard to view Radioactive in any context that doesn't label as it a total artistic failure, to see the totality of Yelawolf's rolling over to commercial demands as anything but truly disheartening.
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Dec 20, 2011Radioactive is a mixed bag that has some outstanding tracks, while others fail from a lack of execution particularly in the production and hook department.
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Nov 22, 2011Hick-hop juggernaut Yelawolf may strike some as Alabama's answer to Eminem... but the boozy, stone-faced rhymes on his debut leave little room for laughs.
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Nov 22, 2011Much has been made of Yelawolf's Southern rock fandom, but Radioactive is more an ode to the Southern hip-hop movement that started to seep across the world a decade ago.
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Nov 29, 2011For an uncomfortable seven-song stretch, the rapper seems so alienated from his own album.
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Nov 28, 2011It seems a huge effort being expended to achieve so little.
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Nov 29, 2011The album is a standout effort that introduces the full-range of his talents as an MC with crafty songwriting abilities and deft ear for a sonic palette.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 38 out of 62
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Mixed: 10 out of 62
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Negative: 14 out of 62
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Nov 24, 2011
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Nov 23, 2011
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Nov 23, 2011