Well$ Featured On CyHi The Prynce Remix, Honors Nelson Mandela

19-Year-Old Congolese Rapper Well$ Joins CyHi Da Prynce On Remix Of His Track, “Mandela,” Honoring the Leader On His Remembrance Day

07.18.2014

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

“…a startling peephole into something deeply personal within Well$.” – 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 Song:

In February, 2014, CyHi The Prynce released the single “Mandela” and its accompanying music video as a part of the Black Histori Project. Today, July 18, is Nelson Mandela‘s birthday, and the international day of remembrance for the revolutionary South African leader. CyHi has remixed his track, “Mandela,” to be released today in honor of Mandela’s life and accomplishments. The new track features 19-year-old Charlotte-born and based Congolese rapper Well$ and South African rapper Reason, and was produced by Sekou Muhammed and Tec Beatz. Although CyHi himself is American, between Well$’s Congolese roots and Reason’s time spent growing up in Johannesburg, it is easy to see how this story hits close to home. With powerful lyrics like, “Fist in the air, I’ma do it like Mandela, Nelson/I want my troops in the field like Mandela, Nelson,” and a heavy, hard-hitting beat the song makes a lasting impression on listeners.

Well$ makes it clear through his music that he is proud of his African roots. Born in Charlotte to Congolese illegal immigrants, he used to be made fun of for being African, which is what led to the Boyz n The Hood reference in his most recent mixtape’s title, MTSYD: 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. In the title track for the album he raps “These African-Americans making fun of they roots, like where the fuck do you think you come from?” MTSYD touches on other social issues, such as gun violence (in the haunting “Lil Tommy”) and the dark side to the strip club (“Black Swan” and “Major Paine.”) The release included 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.

“Mandela” by CyHi Da Prynce, feat. Well$ and Reason: https://soundcloud.com/1cyhitheprynce/mandela-remixfeaturing-reason-well

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.