Max Johnson

Alabama rapper Yelawolf will be returning to the Blue Moose this Friday, April 11, with Chicago’s Tone Da Boss. After a killer show two years ago, also at Blue Moose, this is a show that should not be missed. Yelawolf has made a name for himself for his explicitly Southern style of hip-hop. Whether he’s using samples from classic rock or collaborating with Kid Rock, Yelawolf sticks to and celebrates his back-country upbringing. However, his tracks are most compelling when he, David Lynch-like, takes a peek at the darker underbelly of small-town life and shows us a gritty world of violence and methamphetamine addicts. Sure, he’s got songs with titles like “Let’s Roll” and “I Like to Party,” but he also delivers the equivalent of a 21st century murder ballad on a track like “Pop the Trunk.”