MP3: 19-year old rapper Well$ shares latest single from controversial mixtape

“Major Paine (Daddy’s Little Girl)” Off Recent Mixtape, MTYSD: Revenge Of The African Booty Scratcher, Shows The Woman’s Side Of The Strip Club, Challenges Negative Stereotypes

07.10.2014

Critical praise for Well$:

“The album finds the 19-year-old straddling the line between trunk-rattling southern bounce and the witty 16s of any Freshman spitter.” – The Fader

“Well$ uses inspiration from his own heritage as well as popular American culture to develop a sound that is distinctly his own, drawing on southern influences as well as his own African culture.” – Complex

The Song:

Following several singles and videos earlier this year, 19-year-old Charlotte, NC-based rapper Well$ released his mixtape, MTYSD: Revenge of the African Booty Scratchervia The FADER. Pitchfork reviewed the album, calling it “a startling peephole into something deeply personal within Well$.” While the project features some upbeat songs such as “Savoire-Faire,” it also delves into issues such as gun violence (as in the haunting “Lil’ Tommy”), and the difficulties of growing up as an African immigrant in the U.S. With the mixtapes first single, “Black Swan,” Well$ addresses adversities faced by many women forced into stripping. Today, we’re sharing its response track, “Major Paine (Daddy’s Little Girl),” produced by Austin Celaya and THE BL∆CK HE∆RTS CLUB, as the mixtapes latest single.

“Black Swan” serves as an eye-opening piece on the woman’s side of the strip club. Strippers are often looked down upon by the public, but Well$ offers a new perspective to the story, showing that oftentimes girls are forced into this lifestyle. In an interview with HipHopDX, Well$ clarified that “Major Paine (Daddy’s Little Girl)” was an extension of the story he told in “Black Swan.” While “Black Swan” discusses how many women end up in the strip club because of troubled family lives, or the often-seen theme of an absent father, “Major Paine” talks about how this isn’t true for all who travel this path, that it may have been the woman’s choice to take that route, that the parent(s) might not be to blame. Throughout the song, you can hear a resounding chopped-and-screwed voice saying, “Bands Make Her Dance,” a subtle reminder to pay attention to the overarching premise of the song. “Major Paine” might have a serious theme, but the thumping, sinister bassline distracts from the well-crafted lyrics just enough for the song to remain relatively buoyant.

Well$ was born in Charlotte to Congolese illegal immigrants. As a child he was made fun of for being African, leading to the Boyz n The Hood reference, “Revenge of the African Booty Scratcher.” “Watching that kid get made fun of made me think of my childhood and how bad I wanna shit on people from back then, even musically it transferred over,” says Well$ about the title of his mixtape. The release includes production from Ryan Hemsworth and DJ Dahi, in addition to a feature from Pac Div’s Mibbs.

Hopscotch Music Festival recently announced Well$ as a feature artist for their forthcoming event in Raleigh, NC.

“Major Paine (Daddy’s Little Girl): https://soundcloud.com/wells-music/major-paine-daddys-little-girl-prod-austin-celaya-the-blck-herts-club

Listen to MTSYD: The Revenge of the African Booty Scratcher: https://soundcloud.com/wells-music/sets/mtsyd-the-revenge-of-the

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Well$ Background:

Like most kids in his native town of Charlotte, North Carolina, Leroy Shingu had a head filled with hip-hop dreams growing up, even trying his hand at freestyling when he was all of nine years old. But a trying background starkly different from the blissful suburban reality of his peers would compel the rapper better known as Well$ to turn that childhood fantasy into a promising career as a rapper. Quietly released in 2012, $ay La V, Well$’ debut EP rose steadily on the Bandcamp charts to peak at number 5 and eventually become the most downloaded album in the Charlotte area. This remarkable ascent as well as the video for the song “State of Ecstasy The Interlude Part 1″ hauled Well$ out of virtual anonymity, and shoved him onto high profile stage performances with artists such as G Eazy, Chris Webby, Johnny Polygon, and one of his idols, Pac Div. His most recent project, MTSYD: Revenge of the African Booty Scratcher was well-recieved by fans and critics alike.