Michael Wayne Atha (born December 30, 1979), better known by his stage name… Read Full Bio ↴Michael Wayne Atha (born December 30, 1979), better known by his stage name Yelawolf, is an American rapper. He is currently signed to Shady Records, Ghet-O-Vision Entertainment and Interscope Records. He is co-managed by Redd Klay Entertainment along with his personal manager Jeremy "J Dot" Jones.

Raised in Gadsden, Alabama, Atha appeared on the reality series The Road to Stardom with Missy Elliott and released his independent debut album Creek Water in 2005. Two years later, Atha signed to Columbia Records and released the single "Kickin'" from his unreleased first studio album, before being released from the label later that same year. From 2008 to 2010, Atha released an extended play and four mixtapes with Ghet-O-Vision Entertainment. Trunk Muzik 0-60, Atha's fourth mixtape, was also released by Interscope Records. In 2011, Atha signed to Shady Records and his debut studio album Radioactive was released on November 21, 2011 to positive reviews. It entered the Billboard 200 at number 27. He spent much of his childhood in various locations around the southern United States, including Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Atlanta, Georgia, and Antioch, Tennessee.

Atha is half white and Cherokee, and the name Yelawolf is a reference to his Native American roots.

Yelawolf is an avid skateboarder and made attempts at a professional skateboarding career but was forced to abandon due to injuries. Yelawolf began releasing mixtapes independently in 2007. He was briefly signed to Columbia Records in 2007 and left the label the same year.

In 2009, Yelawolf was featured on the Slim Thug album Boss of All Bosses, and in the lead single Mixin' Up the Medicine from Juelz Santana's upcoming album Born to Lose, Built to Win. In 2010 he appeared in the track Down This Road from Bizarre's third studio album Friday Night at St. Andrews, in Big Boi's first solo album Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty track "You Ain't No DJ" which was produced by André 3000, and his most recent appareance is in Paul Wall's fifth studio album Heart of a Champion track "Live It" which also features Jay Electronica and Raekwon, produced by Travis Barker. In 2010, Atha confirmed he has signed with Interscope Records, he announced that he is working in his debut studio album with the label, and has a desire to work with Eminem.

In 2011 Yelawolf revealed that he went to visit Eminem in Detroit, Michigan and has subsequently been signed to Shady Records.

Ball And Chain
Yelawolf Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You made me
Everything that I am
You called me names 'till I became a name
Now that's all that I understand
Now the joke's on you
'cause the whole damn world's at the palm of the fool's hand
Now the fool's got to choose
And the joker's in the smoker with his palm on the hot pan

'Cause I'm that boy with the ball and chain
Floating through the sky, looking down from my jet plane
Looking down from my jet plane, oh
Yeah, I'm that boy with the ball and chain

The boy with the ball and chain
Now I'm looking down from my jet plane

Overall Meaning

In Yelawolf's song Ball and Chain, the lyrics describe the influence of another person on the singer's life. The first line, "You made me everything that I am," suggests that the singer was shaped by another's actions and words. This person "called me names 'till I became a name," indicating that the influence was negative, and that the singer's identity was formed by this abuse. These two lines set up the idea that the singer's life was controlled by someone else, and that they have carried this ball and chain with them throughout their life.

The chorus then shifts to a more triumphant tone, as the singer gains independence and flies high above their former oppressor. They declare themselves "that boy with the ball and chain," now floating through the sky "looking down from my jet plane." The juxtaposition of the weighty ball and chain with the lightness of flight illustrates how the singer has overcome the negative influence in their life and is free to soar. The repetition of the line "looking down from my jet plane" emphasizes the sense of superiority and freedom the singer feels.

Line by Line Meaning

You made me
You influenced me to become who I am

Everything that I am
My identity and personality

You called me names 'till I became a name
You belittled me to the point where my name became a representation of my flaws

Now that's all that I understand
I am defined by the names you gave me

Now the joke's on you
You are now the one being ridiculed

'cause the whole damn world's at the palm of the fool's hand
The foolish are in charge and have control over the world

Now the fool's got to choose
The foolish must make important decisions

And the joker's in the smoker with his palm on the hot pan
Those who manipulate and control others are at risk of getting burned

'Cause I'm that boy with the ball and chain
I am the individual restrained by my past experiences

Floating through the sky, looking down from my jet plane
Despite my past, I have found success and achieved great heights

Looking down from my jet plane, oh
I am content with where I am now