Video: Well$ – “130”
The 21-Year-Old Charlotte Native Stunts in the Forest in New Video, Premiered by Mass Appeal
03.29.2016
Critical praise for Well$:
“The album finds the 19-year-old straddling the line between trunk-rattling southern bounce and the witty 16s of any Freshman spitter.” – The Fader
“A charismatic live performer…the hometown hero is ready to shine whenever the national look is imminent. – Pitchfork
“Well$ 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
“Charlotte, N.C., may not be the first city to come to mind when thinking of hip hop hotbeds, but thanks to a rising echelon of talent, that’s about to change. Leading that charge is 19-year-old Leroy Shingu, who goes by the name of Well$.” – Huffington Post
The Video:
“Habits of the young and reckless, actually still young and reckless/ Make Forbes by 27, I’ll be right in the end,” croaks Charlotte rapper Well$ in the opening verse of the boastful “130,” produced by Angelo Motaand arriving today with a video shot entirely in one take. Debuted by Mass Appeal, the one-take version of the “130” video follows the release of his Metro Boomin-produced single “Heaven’s Door” and finds the 21-year-old rapper and his team full of youthful exuberance, mobbing out in a graveyard of abandoned school buses in a wintery North Carolina forest. The one-take version of Well$’s “130,” directed bySummit Collective, is the latest release from his forthcoming The Way I’m Living Makes My Mom Nervous project, a follow-up to 2014’s MTSYD: The Revenge of the African Booty Scratcher mixtape.
An artist with his own distinct style, Well$ never fails to explore a diverse range of subject matter, from breast-beating braggadocio to moody introspection. “My music is like me, sometimes it’s serious, sometimes it’s playful, sometimes it’s happy, sometimes it’s sad, sometimes it’s meaningful and sometimes it’s meaningless,” he explains. Well$ has been making waves for quite some time, with his 2014 MTSYD: The Revenge of the African Booty Scratcher mixtape garnering critical acclaim. “His firm, clear voice is a great instrument, and he knows how to make it work inside of different-sounding productions,” Pitchfork raved. “The mixtape is rich-sounding and crisply produced… [Well$ has] got some dope lines, too.” Fans can expect his forthcoming EP, The Way I’m Living Makes My Mom Nervous, in 2016.
Watch “130”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXpk1BwnFew
Check out the Mass Appeal premiere: http://massappeal.com/premiere-wells-130-video/
Listen to “130” on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/3qPykD9VSeiq3HZJSgPXjG
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-received by fans and critics alike. Well$ is gearing up for a busy 2016, starting with his The Way I’m Living Makes My Mom Nervous EP.
Links:
bandcamp | twitter | facebook | youtube | soundcloud
“130” (one-take version): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXpk1BwnFew
“Heaven’s Door” ft. Alec Lomami (Prod. by Metro Boomin): https://soundcloud.com/immaculate-taste/well-heavens-door-ft-alec-lomami-prod-by-metroboomin
Weekend Money – “Break Spinal” ft. Kool AD: https://soundcloud.com/weekendmoney/weekend-money-break-spinal-feat-well-kool-ad/s-HijDG
“TwoBrothers”: https://soundcloud.com/immaculate-taste/well-twobrothers
“Fight”: https://soundcloud.com/immaculate-taste/fight-prod-pgmw
“Stella 95”: https://soundcloud.com/immaculate-taste/well-stella-95-feat-lucho-prod-pgmw-thefacesblur
“’98 Juvie”: https://soundcloud.com/immaculate-taste/well-98-juvie-prod-sipho-the-gift
“Black Swan”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CFn5fFeCpw / https://soundcloud.com/wells-music/black-swan
“An Awfully Rude Reintroduction”: https://soundcloud.com/10deep/an-awfully-rude-reintroduction-prod-tutankhamen-brothers-the-blck-herts-club
“Youth In Revolt Pt. 2” ft. King Mez: https://soundcloud.com/immaculate-taste/youth-in-revolt-pt-2-feat-king-mez/
CyHi the Prynce – “Mandela” (Official remix feat. Well$): https://soundcloud.com/1cyhitheprynce/mandela-remixfeaturing-reason-well
“Savoir-Faire”: http://youtu.be/bVVggr8eheY
Download link for MTSYD: Revenge of the African Booty Scratcher: http://www.audiomack.com/album/well/mtsyd-the-revenge-of-the-african-booty-scratcher
Bio, pics, and more here: http://www.audibletreats.com/wells/