MP3: Weekend Money – “Break Spinal” ft. Well$ and Kool AD

The 20-Year-Old Charlotte Rapper Joins Kool AD On Rapper/Producer Duo Weekend Money’s Latest Single, Debuted By Pigeons & Planes

12.11.2014

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:

“My vision too big to ever be signed to Stones Throw” raps 20-year-old Charlotte, NC rapper Well$ during his featured verse on rapper/producer duo Weekend Money‘s latest single. Premiered by Pigeons and Planes, “Break Spinal” also includes a guest spot by Kool AD. Pigeons & Planes states that “with a spacious beat and sedated deliveries, this is a chill affair, but thanks to revamped production from Baghdaddy, it still bangs.”

Following the release of his MTSYD: The Revenge of the African Booty Scratcher mixtape in May, Well$ was featured in P&P’s 5 On It section, where they stated that “Well$ has managed to cultivate a cohesive collection of beats, sampled quotes, and perceptive rhymes that points to his potential to give focused life to concepts.” In September, he celebrated his 20th birthday with a Week of Well$, where he debuted a series of new songs a videos, including a video for “Black Swan” that was shared via Billboard and the “’98 Juvie” single that debuted with Noisey.

The release of “Break Spinal” comes on the heels of Well$’s new loosie “TwoBrothers,” which features a strong production team in Sipho the Gift, Alec Lomami, and the Tutankhamun Brothers. The track premiered on XXL, who claim “the Charlotte rapper spits vivid rhymes over soothing drums,” adding that “Well$ raps about his dreams of the future and his hunger for more.” The loose single and guest verse drop in anticipation of a big 2015 for Well$, as he plans to release his Sophisticated Trap EP in the first quarter.

Listen to “Break Spinal”: https://soundcloud.com/weekendmoney/weekend-money-break-spinal-feat-well-kool-ad/s-HijDG

Read the Pigeons and Planes premiere: http://pigeonsandplanes.com/2014/12/weekend-money-wells-kool-ad-break-spinal/

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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.