Playlist for Mama

My Mama was there when I bought my first album and the person who taught me to love music. I would be surprised if a lot of you weren't in the same boat. So this mother's day let's have a little music for the Mamas and probably the mamacitas too.

Mama Said Knock You Out – LL Cool J
“LL Cool J is hard as hell,” but not too hard to seek his mother’s advice on how to dispense with sucka MCs, like the never named adversary in this, perhaps the only song with the word mama in the title to feature boxing in its video.



Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
This might seem like a strange choice for starting a mix for the women who brought you into this world, but few songs more heavily features the word mama. When your down on you're luck and there are few others to turn to, lean heavy on mama.



Renegade - Styx
Speaking of which...
It's eerie how similar the lead-ins on these two songs are. "Oh mama!"



Mrs. Jackson – Outkast
Maybe your mama would be offended by Big Boi’s verse in this song, but to this critic’s way of thinking, this song is all about Andre 3000. It is his failed relationship with Erykah Badu that inspired the song, it is his baby mama's mama that is aggrieved in the situation and it is his verse that carries the day. “Forever. For-ever-ever?”



Don’t Sniff the Coke – Pato Banton
Like an indulgent mother, even when Pato Banton is telling us to avoid cocaine he is telling us that weed is ok. On top of, what I would argue is, some pretty good advice, Pato Banton lets us know that his drive starts at home with his mother.



Whip You With a Strap – Ghostface Killah
It has long been a point of pride among a certain contingent of sadists that they were victims of corporal punishments as children. This song has a home in that audience. Aside from spankings, the song seems to be bragging about a deeply flawed woman. Ghost is effusive about his mother even though the person he describes is pretty far from anything in the Clever household. “Despite the alcohol I had a great old mama.” If you're unconditional with your mom, you should have no trouble nodding your head on this tune.



Shaft Theme - Isaac Hayes
This one’s for the bad Mother…



Grandma’s Hands – Bill Withers
A new generation was introduced to one of souls finest grooves when Blackstreet sampled the opening to Grandma’s Hands. But what the song lost was the story, a the kind hagiography any kid with a great mama’s mama ought to relate too.



Loves Me Like A Rock - Paul Simon
If you're gonna praise mama it's hard to go wrong with that gospel sound.



If you want more playlists check this out