Benz and a Backpack

YelaWolf guest modeling for KarmaLoop.com

If you have a hip-hop pulse you’ve heard of YelaWolf, the mohawked white-boy from Gadsden, Alabama. If you haven’t got the run down on him, you’re a little behind (see: Benz and a Backpack’s 5 Freshmen Who Might Make XXL Look Stupid and Benz and a Backpack Presents: Listening Sessions Vol. 1), but you’re in for a treat right here.

Starting, it seemed, as just another southern white boy from a broken home, Yela’s already come a long way. If you think rappers like Lil Wayne or Eminem have lived interesting lives, you gotta check this dude’s story. Between substantial drug use, life as a drifter, a short-lived skateboarding career in Berkeley California, and a season up in Alaska on a fishing boat, Yela’s led an exceedingly eclectic life. He even had a stint as a graffiti muralist along the way (he fucks with my boy Banksy). Having signed with Interscope in March, Yela’s on the brink of real stardom. (Hit the skip for three must-read interviews that tell Yela’s story in great detail)

My real interest in YelaWolf, beyond his personal story, is the evolution of his sound since his arrival on the scene. His first mixtape Balls of Flame was an honest effort at rapping. Though it really doesn’t hold much in terms of creative or hard hitting tracks, songs like “Doughnuts” and “My Box Chevy” are worth a listen. The real value of YelaWolf’s first go round is the promise that it holds. Throughout the tape, Yela busts out a variety of flows: slow, on beat, double-time, syncopated. Though it doesn’t all come together musically, you can hear the seeds of his talent.

YelaWolf – Donuts

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YelaWolf – My Chevy Box

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Looks like Jim Jones is gonna have some serious competition in the upcoming Converse Band of Ballers Tourney in Atlanta on May 1st. Participants include Pill, Donnis, OJ Da Juiceman, Shawty Lo, So So Def, Jay Electronica, Sean Price, and of course, last year’s winner, Jim Jones. Check it out (and peep highlights of last year’s tourny here).

Jay Electronica:
“What’s gonna set us apart is that our basketball ability is magic. Not skill, not hard work, it’s not hustle, it’s none of that. The only reason we’re here is to teach Jim Jones a lesson. See, he’s relying completely on skill, you can’t rely completely on skill. Luck is the key word.”

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As a whole, this mixtape is only as good as its collective parts. And though Nipsey Hussle, Big Sean, Freddie Gibbs, Wiz Khalifa and J. Cole throw down on tracks 3-8, DJ Whoo Kid makes sure to remind all of us why the artists are always better than the DJ when he’s on the joint. Yes, whooooo kiiiiiid, we know its you, we know you like cutting in with little kids in the playground and horror noises, but da Juiceman has said “bread in the kitchen” enough… there is no need to “throw that shit back.”

Highlights are a dope beat on track 6, Fashawn going in on track 4, and J Cole showing his NY state of mind on “Who’s World.” All in all, its a good product from 10 esteemed young artists.

Since datpiff doesn’t want to tell you the artist order, and since its an incomplete version of the tape, we’ll post it below the jump for you. Download the full tape at XXLmag.com

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On Monday XXL released the cover for its 10 Freshmen for ’10 issue following a month-long promo campaign that featured videos of each rapper on the list flowing. After doing some digging I found out a few fun facts:

1. Drake and Nicki Minaj turned down the opportunity to be on the list because they felt they were too good for it at this point.
2. Apparently Drake also felt like it was a huge snub that he didn’t make the list in ’09, but it may have been better for his career seeing as half of the people on that list (see: Ace Hood, Cory Gunz, Mickey Factz, Asher Roth, Charles Hamilton) have plateaued like a motherfucker.
3. Either way, XXL missed out on the boy from T Dot and may have made another gaffe this year: XV. Dude made major noise with Everybody’s Nobody and has been steadily releasing material since. XXL better hope he stays below the radar so they don’t go 2-for-2!
4. Check back for more details about the XXL Top 10 Freshmen Party going down in NYC later this month. Seeing all these dudes at one time would be pretty ill.

Hit the skip for the 10 videos. Watch them all the way through (the longest is only about a minute), vote for whose verse you thought was the best, and if you have a sec leave a comment explaining why.
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The N(Y)C native is at the helm of this new school of rappers with the tiller firmly in his hand, rudder at his command. Easily the coldest spitter of the group, Cole has an advantage on every other rapper in XXL’s Top 10 Freshmen. Hit the skip for a breakdown of the list, plus music from Cole you may have missed over the past couple months.

J. Cole – College Boy

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J. Cole – Shook Ones Freestyle

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Almost all the boxes on my Friday checklist have Nike swooshes through them, which means that the weekend is just an arms-length away. To celebrate, here’s a compilation of the most recent freestyles, including verses from Black Thought, Q-Tip, and more! Speaking of swooshes, the boy John Wall (who will no doubt be the first overall selection in the draft this year) had some jersey issues in this most recent Kentucky photo shoot (take a close look at his jersey, haha). Way to be, Nike! Shouts to the boy Dellogs.
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