“Hey Mama” by Kanye West:

The Best Song for the Best Women in the World

(By: Thomas Rodriguez)

“I wanna tell the whole world about a friend of mine                                                                     This little light of mine and I’m finna let it shine
I’m finna take y’all back to them better times
I’m finna talk about my mama if y’all don’t mind”

One of the strongest bonds that we can have as people are the bonds that we have with our mothers. Whether they be biological mothers, mother-figures, or step-moms, these incredible women have such an important influence on our lives that it’s virtually impossible to ignore. A lot of what we have in life can be traced back to our moms: our physical appearances, our intelligence, our success, our values. A mother’s love is one of the most powerful things that can exist, and Mother’s Day is the most popular time of the year to sit back and think, “Damn, my mom is awesome”. A lot of music has been made to give thanks and love to different artists’ moms, but if you’re looking for a song to blast on a Mother’s Day playlist, no song can beat out “Hey Mama” by Kanye West.

“Hey Mama” is quite possibly one of the most tender songs ever recorded in hip hop, in all aspects. The instrumental itself is one of the most heartwarming, beautiful, and well constructed beats that Kanye has ever put together. Its lightly thumping bass, sugary handclaps, and affectionate “la-la” samples are the perfect soundtrack to your mom giving you your favorite warm soup on a cold night. Hearing this instrumental gives such a safe vibe to the listener, just like how we feel protected whenever we’re with those we love. It reminds me of the countless times that I’d have a bad day as a child, only to get smothered in a huge, warm hug by my mother. The subtle flourishes of cutesy keys in the latter half of the track are incredibly potent as a backdrop to Kanye’s heartfelt and energetic performance. They drive home the point that his mother, Donde West, is the most beautiful person in his life, just as we feel the same about our mothers. Nostalgia, love, happiness, they’re all brought to our minds with this production, and if your mom hears this song, she’s going to realize how much you freaking love her.

 

 

“Hey Mama” doesn’t just have one of the most powerful beats Kanye has ever crafted, but some of the most poignant lyrics in any song of his entire career. Despite how downright bonkers Ye has appeared to be, there’s no denying that he loves his mother Donda. As a dedication to his biological mother, “Hey Mama” excels not just by showing how much Ye loves his mama, but letting us relate to the simple feeling of wanting to make our mom proud and happy. Kanye’s descriptions of his promise to love his mama “‘’till you don’t hurt no more” is such a simple, yet strong line because we can all relate to it. Anytime my mom has a bad day, I just wish to take her sadness away, because of all she’s done for me to succeed. We can all remember a moment where our mothers haven’t agreed with our decisions but still supported us, just as Ye’s bars paint a vivid picture of Donda supporting him through his dropping out of college; she wanted him to succeed, regardless of what he did to do so. Kanye’s lyrics ultimately succeed because they put what we feel about our mothers into clever, catchy, and tear-inducing rhymes. Let’s face it, if we were as rich as Kanye, we’d all buy our moms a nice car just like he suggests here. If you show any maternal-figure in your life “Hey Mama”, the feelings that you may not be able to express on a funny card will come out here.

With Donda West’s passing in 2007, “Hey Mama” becomes more and more important as a reminder that we should appreciate all mothers every day. We never know when these important, wonderful women may go, so don’t take just Mother’s Day as an opportunity to show your mom you love her. In this track, West says to his mother “It don’t gotta be Mother’s Day, or your birthday”. If you play this track on your Mother’s Day playlist, remember this:

Every day is Mother’s Day, because all mothers rock all the time.

I love you, Mom.

Happy Mother’s Day!

What did you think about this track? Any comments or criticism? Comment down below and let me know; I’d love to hear what you think!

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