Wayne's Story

Last updated
"Wayne's Story"
Song by King Von
from the album Welcome to Oblock
ReleasedOctober 30, 2020
Genre
Length2:18
Label
Songwriter(s) Dayvon Bennett
Producer(s) Chopsquad DJ
Music video
"Wayne's Story" on YouTube

"Wayne's Story" is a song by American rapper King Von as the sixteenth and last track from his debut studio album Welcome to O'Block from 2020. It was released on October 30, 2020. [1] [2]

Contents

"Wayne's Story" was certified gold plate by Recording Industry Association of America on June 3, 2022. [3]

Like "Crazy Story," "Wayne’s Story" was created with the intention of it being a trilogy. While it was not completed, the first part of the treatment, serves as a certification to Bennett's talent and storytelling. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Composition

"Wayne's Story", finds Bennett telling the story of “Shorty”, a young guy from the block, and his downward spiral into a life of crime. Going through the murder of Shorty's cousin, who dies as a result of his actions. The story ends with Shorty that takes revenge from the antagonist called "Lil Wayne". [8]

Von explained in short the plot in one of his last interviews for Uproxx: “It’s a story about a shorty and he just grew up bad,”. “He started young. He trying to hit a lick. He tries to go rob a guy named Wayne. Wayne sees him trying to rob him and they get in a shootout. The boy gets away, but Wayne ends up killing the boy’s cousin.” [5] [9]

Iii Williams from Medium described "Wayne's Story" as an heartrending narrative that lays bare the unending cycle of conflict and vengeance, in which Bennett illustrates the challenges faced by a fourteen-year-old who opts for the gang lifestyle over education and sports. His life choices steer him towards adopting a shooter's mentality, and the subsequent retaliatory actions born out of sorrow and animosity. [10]

This was one of Von's favorite songs from his final project, Welcome to O'Block . [5]

The beat, which has a piano tune, was produced by Chopsquad DJ

Music video

The official video was published on December 8, 2020, on Youtube platform. Bennett was also starting to put in work as a script writer, in fact he wrote the screenplay for the video, that was directed by Joán. [2] It depicts the young man, "Shorty" that's shoots someone at a dice game, and eventually going down to a path of bank robberies and home invasions, mainly cinematically retracing everything that describes the song. [11] Shorty's story is yet to be concluded by the end of the video.

Wayne's Story video garnered over two million views on Youtube in just 12 hours. [11]

Critical reception

On January 4, 2021, the magazine Medium described "Wayne's Story" as a storytelling tune that takes on a more conventional narrative approach, describing Von's tone as unique and his delivery infusing the song with an originality that seizes the listener's focus right from the outset; and also saying that despite the melancholic nature of the content, the song's execution is truly compelling, with Von that doesn't squander a single breath, delivering meticulously crafted lyrics and a well written hook that draws attention. [10]

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [12] Gold500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

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References

  1. ↑ "King Von drops off new album 'Welcome To O'Block'", Revolt (TV network) , retrieved August 4, 2023
  2. 1 2 "King Von Makes A Statement With His Final Video, "Wayne's Story"", AllHipHop , retrieved August 4, 2023
  3. ↑ "KING VON - WAYNE'S STORY", Recording Industry Association of America , June 3, 2022, retrieved August 31, 2023
  4. ↑ "King Von Tells 'Wayne's Story' in Powerful Posthumous Music Video", Billboard , retrieved August 4, 2023
  5. 1 2 3 "Watch King Von's 'Wayne's Story' Video", Rap-Up , retrieved August 4, 2023
  6. ↑ "Wayne's Story – King Von", Lyrical Lemonade , retrieved August 4, 2023
  7. ↑ "Video: King Von – "Wayne's Story"", audibletreats.com, retrieved August 4, 2023
  8. ↑ "King Von's Bone-Chilling 'Wayne's Story' Video Details A Cycle Of Violence", Uproxx , retrieved August 4, 2023
  9. ↑ "A Final Conversation With King Von". Uproxx . November 19, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  10. 1 2 "King Von — Welcome to O'Block (Album Review)". Medium . January 4, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  11. 1 2 "Welcome to O'Block: King Von narrates "Wayne's Story" in first posthumous video", Hiphopcanada.com, retrieved August 4, 2023
  12. ↑ "American single certifications – King Von – Wayne's Story". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved August 4, 2023.
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