Video: Well$ – “’98 Juvie” Remix ft. Deniro Farrar
Well$ and Deniro Farrar Explore the Darkest Corners of Charlotte As They Pay Tribute to Juvenile
7.18.2016
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$.” – Huffington Post
“Catching the frenetic electronic beat effortlessly, Well$ proved that he has talent that deserves to go well beyond a local stage.” – Noisey
The Video:
With tongue-twisting rhymes and a authoritative bark that belies his age, North Carolina’s Well$ brings a fierce energy to his songs and videos. In the video for “’98 Juvie (Remix),” the 21-year-old rapper recruits fellow Charlotte emcee Deniro Farrar for a tour of Charlotte’s less-frequented spots, including abandoned warehouses, project streets, and even a graveyard. Well$ and Farrar pay homage to Juvenile, as they trade aggressive, region-specific rhymes over Sipho The Gift‘s booming symphony of dramatic strings, skittering hi-hats, operatic vox, and marimba. “‘98 Juvie (Remix)” is the first single from the Immaculate Taste artist’s forthcoming mixtape The Way I’m Living Makes My Mom Nervous. The follow-up to 2014’s acclaimed MTSYD: The Revenge of the African Booty Scratcher, TWILMMMN comes out later this summer.
As told to 2DopeBoyz, Well$ explains, “Being born to strict Congolese parents, there wasn’t a lot of rap allowed in my home, but somehow I managed to listen to it and Juvie really stuck out to me. The Cartier frames, gold accents, and how he managed to stay so goddamn spiffy through the mud… that shit was just effortlessly cool to a young me. Then I starting going to New Orleans in the summer and that shit became real to me. The way he talked, he moved, was just embodying the spirit of the city. The influence goes beyond just the music and video, cause that’s what I wanna do with my career. I want to embody Charlotte, when you see me, you see the city, my niggas, my squad, my culture — I want to export that to the world like Juvie did back in 98′.”
“’98 Juvie” continues a busy 2016 for Well$, who looks to establish himself on the national stage with his new mixtape. In February, Well$ released “Heaven’s Door,” debuted by Billboard, which featured vocals from Alec Lomami and production by über-producer Metro Boomin. In March, Mass Appeal debuted a one-take video for TWILMMMN cut “130,” produced by Immaculate Taste rapper/producer Angelo Mota, and Pigeons & Planes premiered a more expansive version of the video. Last month, the rapper performed at Durham, NC’s Moogfest, garnering praise from Noisey, who listed Well$ as one of the Seven Sets at Moogfest That Expanded Our Consciousness Into New Realms. 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 says. 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.” The Way I’m Living Makes My Mom Nervous releases later this summer.
Watch “’98 Juvie”: https://youtu.be/6GoWYu6P164
Check out the 2DOPEBOYZ premiere: http://2dopeboyz.com/2016/07/18/wells-98-juvie-remix-deniro-farrar-video/
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
“’98 Juvie”: https://youtu.be/6GoWYu6P164
“98 Juvie” 2DOPEBOYZ premiere: http://2dopeboyz.com/2016/07/18/wells-98-juvie-remix-deniro-farrar-video/
“130” (official version): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YneUXoS3NZk
“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/