Built to Bleed: “Whiskey & Roses”

Something’s bound to erupt when two artists from entirely different worlds collide. In the case of Yelawolf and J. Michael Phillips, that eruption takes the shape of “Whiskey & Roses.” The title encapsulates the delicate yet dangerous nature of the music — a gritty, melodic, genre-bending album forged in sweat, smoke, and soul. Released in July, this collaborative record was a brotherhood in bloom.

Yelawolf, born Michael Wayne Atha in Gadsden, Alabama, is the product of a unique upbringing, riding the rails between chaos and creativity. Raised in a rock-and-roll household by a single mother, his early years were a whirlwind of trailer parks and schools across the South. “I went to 15 different schools growing up,” he recalls. “Skateboarding was my escape.”

At 19, Yelawolf was skateboarding near a Def Jam-affiliated studio after a chance encounter with a studio representative while handing out Pepto-Bismol samples in San Francisco. He explains, “I skated right up to this Def Jam tour bus and told them I did music. The guy looked me up and down and told me, ‘If you’re serious, meet me in Oakland tomorrow.’” That studio turned out to be The Grill, where E-40, Tupac Shakur, and DJ Quik recorded. Yelawolf admits he wasn’t ready yet, but the mic started calling. “I didn’t want to be an artist,” he says. “I wanted to produce. But I was better than the people I was producing for.”

With nothing but hustle and a taste for destruction, Yelawolf carved his path. Two decades later, he’s delivered a string of acclaimed albums, built an empire with his Slumerican record label, and defied every genre box the industry tried to shove him in.

Then came Phillips.

Phillips, born in Tacoma, Washington, and raised in Ohio, came up in a single-parent household with music blasting through the cracks. His mom played everything from Alabama and Dolly Parton to The Beatles and Genesis. “Music was just my go-to from an early age,” he says. “My mom and I would sing together at community potlucks, Jehovah’s Witness gatherings, school assemblies, you name it.”

But childhood wasn’t easy for Phillips. Incarcerated at 15 years old for a retaliatory shooting, he spent over a year in juvenile detention, where a probation officer named Andre Hill encouraged him to pursue music seriously. “He said, ‘You’re talented. Let’s make a group when you get out,’” Phillips recalls. “We did talent shows, killed it. That’s when I knew music was it.”

Years later, prison came calling again. Phillips served eight and a half years on a drug trafficking charge, his final bid, as he puts it. “Music was therapy,” he says. “It was the only way I could escape.” It was during that stretch that he discovered Yelawolf. “’Pop the Trunk’ was my anthem,” he says. “I was working out to his music in prison. Now I’m sharing the stage with him. That’s insane.”

Their worlds merged under the guidance of Edward Crowe, longtime friend and manager of Yelawolf, and a creative powerhouse in his own right. Crowe’s cover art for “Whiskey & Roses,” painstakingly made petal by petal, sets the tone for the album’s raw precision. “The title came from a track we ended up cutting,” Yelawolf says. “But the phrase stuck. It’s delicate but dangerous. That’s the music. That’s us.”

From the smoky studio sessions at East Iris Studios to hours spent recording together, the collaboration pushed both artists to explore new territory. The result is a sound completely different from anything Yelawolf has done before. “I’ve never heard that sound come out of me,” he says. Phillips agrees: “We just locked in. Every piece — lyrics, visuals, energy — was hitting.”

The duo challenged each other’s instincts. Phillips, a natural vocalist with a gift for melody, highlighted a softer, more soulful side of Yelawolf. In turn, Yelawolf encouraged Phillips to lean into his fire. The chemistry between them is undeniable.

The sessions were not only productive but highly personal. Between takes, the two swapped stories, laughed, argued, and pushed each other to go deeper. “There was no ego in the room,” Phillips says. “It felt like we were building something that mattered, not just dropping songs.” That energy spills into every verse, every harmony, and every note.

That same chemistry fueled their summer run on the 45 Tour. Named after Yelawolf’s age, not the number of tours, the run was relentless — city after city, night after night, fans screaming every word back at them. “He jumped from the second balcony into the crowd in Portland,” Phillips says, referring to Yelawolf, adding with a laugh, “This man turns 45 and decides to start crowd surfing again.”

There was a definite connection that came along with the mayhem. The duo tapped tattoo artist Sam Lee to travel with them, offering fans in each city the chance to get tattooed during meet-and-greets. “It’s never been done like this,” Yelawolf says. “It’s intimate. Permanent. A way to take the experience home on your skin.”

Not surprisingly, their own tattoos tell a story. Yelawolf’s back adorns realistic portraits of his children and a towering image of Jesus, pieces he considers among his most meaningful. His more impulsive work, scattered across his knuckles and knees, reflects memories of whatever felt right in the moment, including the palm tattoo featured in the “Searching for Heaven” video.

Phillips, who got his first tattoo at 16, sports a bold portrait of Johnny Cash on his leg and sees ink as both homage and identity. One of his favorite memories is snapping a photo of Yelawolf mid-crab boil, tattooing their manager, Crowe, with a machine in one hand and seafood in the other. “Every time we’re at his place, someone’s getting inked,” he says. “It’s part of the culture.”

Between the sold-out shows, the impromptu tattoos, and the nightly madness onstage, one thing is clear: this collaboration hit a nerve. “Whiskey & Roses” resonated with fans and revealed new depths in both artists. Tracks such as “Amnesia” and “I Swear” leave a lasting impression long after the music stops playing. They embody strength, beauty, and an undeniable truth.

Yelawolf sees Phillips as much more than just a featured artist. “I’ve seen this before. I saw it with Jelly Roll, Ed Sheeran, and B.o.B.,” he says. “J. Michael’s got it. He’s a great songwriter. A beast on stage. I’ll be in the box seats at Bridgestone Arena when he headlines.”

For Phillips, that support means everything and more. “I came from nothing,” he says. “Statistically, I’m not supposed to be here, but Wolf believed in me. This isn’t just music. It’s legacy.”

Legacy isn’t solely defined by what you leave behind; it’s also about those who see your light and carry it forward. For Yelawolf and Phillips, this record, this tour, and this moment are powerful reminders that no one rises to greatness alone.

The Bliss and Bite of Life

On July 11, Yelawolf and J. Michael Phillips’ collaborative album, “Whiskey & Roses,” was released, echoing in earbuds worldwide. Featuring the previously released singles “I Swear,” “Searching for Heaven,” and “Amnesia” — the latter dropping its music video the same day — the album takes listeners through life’s highs and lows, emphasizing the perseverance needed to forge ahead. As Philips explained, “Life is harsh and it’s great. It’s whiskey and roses.”