Since the Alabama-based rapper Yelawolf, aka Michael Atha, decided to make music his profession, he hasn’t looked back. After pursuing a career in skateboarding, Yelawolf has created a profession from personally revealing life in the darkest parts of America’s South. After dizzyingly being signed to Eminem’s Shady Records, was well as collaborating with him and Gangsta Boo on ‘Throw it Up’, his first studio album ‘Radioactive’ has been well-received by hip-hop heads. ACCLAIM talks to him in the lead up to his anticipated Australian tour about his unrelenting honesty, and why he has a lot more to howl about.

Can you tell us a little bit about how you became a musician after you were so involved in skating?

What happened was, I was always involved in skating, I still enjoy skateboarding but, you know, it came a time where I just wanted something in my life that would make me happy. I was getting hurt a lot in skateboarding and there was no sign of ever becoming a professional. And I wanted a profession. I wanted to make a living doing something I wanted to do…I’m not a worker, I can’t keep a job because I don’t like bosses (laughs). I already had the hobby of writing and rapping, and shit like that, so I decided it was something I wanted to do. I’m pretty extreme, so when I decided I was going to do it, I never looked back. That’s pretty much how I’ve done everything in life. I figured I was more talented at making music than I was at skateboarding. I still skate, for fun. But music is my career.

You’ve been really open with hailing from what you’ve called ‘the gutter’. Do you think it’s important for artists to recognise where they come from?

You know, I’ve had parts of my life where I wasn’t always stuck in a rut, and I wasn’t always at the very bottom, but I was at the very bottom a lot, you know? It was a series of ups-and-downs for me. And I’ve always looked at that influence to write. I think it’s important for anybody to be brutally honest with themselves. The song that I wrote Gutter, on Radioactive, is about not having to be from the projects, or a trailer to have experienced those things that are traumatising. There’s a lot of people growing up in the suburbs, that have a lot of money, live in big houses that are experiencing horrible things. That’s what the ‘gutter’ is for me…it’s a mental place. You can experience bullshit from anywhere. There are people living in Beverly Hills with millions of dollars, that are fucked up from everything—the parenting, you know.

You have openly talked about ‘quitting’ drugs and that your younger experiences have shaped who you are now. Do you think it’s important to not shy away from talking about that, despite itss controversy?

It’s my job to be honest. It’s in my character to be open, first of all. To talk about things that people don’t normally talk about. It’s also what I do, it’s like, ‘Take it or leave it. I’m gonna tell you how it is, I’m going to tell you what I’ve experienced’. There’s plenty more to talk about too (laughs) I’ve only given people the tip of the iceberg.

You said in an interview that the cover for your album Radioactive represents that you’d been writing that album all of your life. How hard is it to reveal a lot of personal information about yourself to a large audience?

What I meant by “Radioactive is an album I’ve been working on my whole life” is it’s my fresh release from Shady Records, it’s my major album release. Co-signed with Eminem, that’s what I meant by that. Not that it’s definitive of my life story, but it’s this moment—this moment of doors opening wide open for me—that’s been in the work. That’s what I meant, not I’ve been writing it my whole life, but this is the moment I’ve been waiting for. And it’s been doing really well, I mean, can’t complain. My shows are doing really well, this album is consistently selling and that’s great. But as far as opening up to people, I think, little by little, next album is called My Love Story and it’ll be coming out in 2013 and it’ll be more personal. I’ll just take it in steps. Every album has a concept, an idea – My Love Story is gonna be something pretty crazy. But right now I’m focused on Radioactive.

You’ve been signed on Eminem’s label Shady Records, and despite the comparisons, was Eminem a big influence for you?
Marshall is a huge influence. I never expected to be on Shady. I secretly would have loved to be on it, but I didn’t tell people. My managers, who were close to me in business, I would say ‘We should let Marshall hear this music, I’m telling you, he’ll get it,’ and they would kinda laugh it off like ‘Yeah, right.’ But he was a huge influence.

You’ve collaborated with artists like Kid Rock, Juelz Santana and Busta Rhymes, but who has been your favourite artist to work with and why?

Marshall. Definitely. I mean, I have a record called Throw it Up with him and Gangsta Boo. It’s my personal, off the album, just because of what it means, culturally—to have the three of us on one record. I’m pretty extreme, so when I decided I was going to do it, I never looked back. That’s pretty much how I’ve done everything in life

You’re known for your lively (and crazy) shows, what can Australia expect from your tour?

I’m just gonna be me. I’m the same usually – every time. I don’t know if you’ve seen YouTube footage of the live shows but I’m gonna be the same as I am in the States. I don’t know what to expect from Australia though! I have no idea. But I’m excited – I hear it goes off. I’m just gonna do what I normally do. I just wanna come out there and rock.

Check the latest from Yelawolf here and he’ll be hitting Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth at the end of March.