A mother’s love is one that should be cherished and appreciated everyday, but on Mother’s Day, whoever has stepped into that maternal role should feel it even more.
Mothers are usually a child’s first teacher, nurse, therapist, chef, advocate, cheerleader and more, and often are waiting with their arms wide-open for when things go wrong. As children grow into adults and go off into the world — no matter how much success they may garner — a child always knows where home is. For musicians who have had the fortunate opportunity to make their dreams come true, many have used their talents to homage the maternal figures in their life. Whether it be 2Pac’s “Dear Mama” or “You Can’t Hurry Love” By The Supremes, the list of songs goes on and on of offerings that show gratitude and appreciation for mothers all over.
In the ’90s, Tupac Shakur spoke on his 3x certified Platinum song, “Dear Mama,” that has been deemed one of his most vulnerable tracks that he ever released.
“It’s a love song to my mama,” he spoke of his 1995 tribute to his mother Afeni Shakur with Bill Bellamy. “I wrote the song in the bathroom on the toilet on one of them early morning sit-down sessions. I just wrote it down and it came out like tears. After I wrote it, I called my mom and I rapped it to her over the phone laughing and she was crying. The lyrics are straight to the point because I wanted people to feel me. I wanted it to be an emotional thing.”
In honor of Mother’s Day (May 12) VIBE has comprised 12 songs that speak to the true essence of appreciating mothers not only on this special day, but everyday.
Vibe to the tunes below.
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"I'll Always Love My Mama" - The Intruders
The Intruders released “I’ll Always Love My Mama” in 1973 from their fourth studio album Save The Children. The popular heartwarming track — written by Philadelphia music icons Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff with assistance from Gene McFadden and John Whitehead — went on to reach No. 6 on the R&B charts and No. 36 on the pop charts upon its debut.
According to Black America Web, the song was inspired by Gamble’s late mother, Ruby, who passed away in 2012. The soulful melody paired with the upbeat track is a staple for Mother’s Day as it reminds you to appreciate the maternal figure in your life and all that she’s done, as “you only get one.”
“A mother’s love is so special, it’s something that can’t you can’t describe/ It’s the kind of love that stays with you, until the day you die.”
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"A Song for Mama" - Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men‘s “A Song For Mama” is one of the most recognized songs when it comes to expressing how you feel about that special lady in your life, whether it be your mother or grandmother. A serious tearjerker — the lyrics alone can bring you back to specific times in your life when your mom was by your side.
The track — written and produced by Babyface — not only held down the No. 1 spot on the US R&B chart but also became a synonymous with the 1997 film Soul Food. The song also appears on the group’s fourth album, Evolution.
“Mama, Mama you’re the queen of my heart, Your love is like tears from the stars/ Mama I just want you to know, Lovin’ you is like food to my soul.”
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"Smile" - Jay-Z
After Jay learned that his mother was hiding her sexual identity, he wrote the personal song “Smile,” which appeared on his thirteenth studio album, 4:44. The track served as not only an ode to his mother, but also as a reminder to everyone that our parents are still human and have their own lives to live. Reportedly, Gloria Carter first resisted her son speaking on her personal choices but eventually agreed that he could share her story on wax.
“Mama had four kids, but she’s a lesbian/ Had to pretend so long that she’s a thespian/ Had to hide in the closet, so she medicate/ Society shame and the pain was too much to take/ Cried tears of joy when you fell in love/ Don’t matter to me if it’s a him or her.”
Listen to “Smile” below.
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"Count On Me" - Whitney Houston, CeCe Winans
Whitney Houston and Cece Winans beautifully fused their vocals together for the uplifting duet, “Count On Me” in 1996. The Babyface and Houston-written masterpiece is another track that inspires true friendship but also speaks on the values that can be found between a mother and her child.
“If you tossin’ and you’re turnin’ and you just can’t fall asleep, I’ll sing a song beside you/ And if you ever forget how much you really mean to me, every day I will remind you,” they sing. The track appeared on the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack which Houston also starred in. The certified-Gold hit ballad peaked at No. 8 on the US Hot 100 chart.
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"All That I Got Is You" - Ghostface Killah
Ghostface Killah wrote “All That I Got Is You” featuring Mary J. Blige as a tribute to his mother who struggled to raise him and his siblings in the harsh conditions of the Staten Island projects. Truly a Hip-Hop aficionado when it comes to storytelling, Face shared his tribulations on wax, as many inner-city kids can relate to watching their mother make a way out of nothing.
The accompanying music video, directed by Terry Heller and Chuck Ozeas, also depicted a visual of his upbringing by showing a young him living with his family of 15, including his mother, grandmother, aunts, uncles, and cousins in a three-bedroom apartment.
“Check it, 15 of us in a three bedroom apartment/ Roaches everywhere, cousins and aunts was there/ Four in the bed, two at the foot, two at the head/ I didn’t like to sleep with Jon-Jon he peed the bed/ Seven o’clock, pluckin’ roaches out the cereal box/ Some shared the same spoon, watchin’ Saturday cartoons/ Sugar water was our thing, every meal was no thrill/ In the summer, free lunch held us down like steel.”
The home-hitting track peaked at No. 51 on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay.
Revisit the video below.
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"Wind Beneath My Wings" - Bette Midler
Mother’s Day is a day to celebrate the woman who gave you life, but can also be a somber reminder of losing one of the most important women in your life. Bette Midler‘s “Wind Beneath My Wings” can bring on the waterworks for anyone, as the touching lyrics speak on the admiration for someone who’s been a hero in someone else’s story. The 1989 remake perfectly describes a parent who guides from the sidelines as their child gets older.
“Did you ever know that you’re my hero, and everything I would like to be?/ I can fly higher than an eagle, for you are the wind beneath my wings.”
The song spent weeks at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart upon its release and won Grammy nods for Record of the Year and Song of the Year in 1990. Midler’s version of the multi-recorded song also went on to become certified Platinum.
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"Hey Mama" - Kanye West
Before the passing of Kanye West‘s mother Donda West in 2007, the Chicago MC made the tribute song “Hey Mama” two years prior. The sentimental offering reflects on his upbringing with the women who he witnessed make a miracle many of times. As this Mother’s Day may be another reminder of Ye who lost, this song is relatable to many son-mother dynamics all over.
He raps, “Seven years old, caught you with tears in your eyes/ ‘Cause a n- cheating, telling you lies, then I started to cry/ As we knelt on the kitchen floor/ I said, “Mommy I’ma love you ’til you don’t hurt no more/ And when I’m older, you ain’t gotta work no more/ And I’ma get you that mansion that we couldn’t afford.”
West performed the song in memory of his mom on tour in 2008, and in tribute of her at the Grammy Awards in the same year. The gold-certified track hails from Yeezy’s second studio album Late Registration.
Listen below.
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"African Queen" - 2Baba
“African Queen” by Nigerian music icon Innocent Ujah Idibia MON — now known as 2Baba and formerly as 2face Idibi — is a ballad that homages women of African descent everywhere.
The feel-good record captivates the beauty of a Black woman with it’s admirable lyrics like: “No one can never take your place, can never take your space/ Thats a fact I cannot erase/ And you, you are the one that makes me smile/ Make me float like a boat upon the nile.”
According to 2Baba, the song isn’t directed to any particular person. “It’s a general song. I can sing it to my mum, sing it to my sister, sing it to anybody. The song is just my own way of paying my tribute and respect to the African woman and at the same time celebrate their strength,” he expressed in 2006. “It can also be related to anybody in the world, it’s just about respect for the African woman.”
He added, “I am from Africa that’s why I chose to call it African Queen. To me African women are very warm and they know how to take care of their family. I wanted a way to say I love you because I love each of them.”
Listen below.
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"Oh, Mother of Mine" - The Temptations
“Oh, Mother of Mine” by The Temptations is an upbeat ode to the matriarch of their lives. The 1961 track — sang by original group members Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, Al Bryant, and Otis Williams — is about living to make your mother proud even after making a few mistakes along the way.
The lyrics hear the quintet show appreciation for their mothers as they were always there with open arms through life’s challenges.
“Oh mother of mine, I’ve, I’ve been blind/ The things that you tell me, yeah, I paid, I really paid it no mind/ Oh please, oh please forgive me, yes, I know I was wrong/ But now, now I know, yeah, my place, my place is at home,” they sing.
Listen below.
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"Look What You've Done" - Drake
Drake always speaks of his mother Sandra and how much she sacrificed for him to have the life he has today.
As mothers often put their lives on hold to support their children and see them become successful, in “Look What You’ve Done,” Drizzy recalls the many times his mother was there for him. As a leading artist of today, the Toronto artist raps about how he will forever owe his mom for all that she’s done and will repay her by giving her the life she deserves.
“Look what you’ve done for me now, yeah/ You knew that I was gon’ be something/ When you’re stressed out and you need somethin’, I got you, yeah/ Look what you’ve done, look what you’ve done,” he raps.
Listen below.
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"Mother" - Ashanti
Image Credit: Ashanti Ashanti wrote the tribute song “Mother” in 2008 to show gratitude for the close bond that she shares with her “momager” Tina Douglas. In the track, the Grammy-winning singer details all of the teachings her mom gave her from a young girl to becoming a grown woman. The soon-to-be mother reflects on all the time she made mistakes and her mother still showered her with love and support.
As a mother is often her daughter’s first model of how to be a woman, Ashanti shared through song that her mom showed her what strength looks like while also guiding her on how to “carry on” after life’s challenges.
“You mean so much and I’m so thankful that you’re in my life/ And I appreciate your love and all your sacrifice/ Without you by my side, I never could survive/ I wouldn’t be the woman standing here before your eyes,” she sings.
Take a listen below.
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"Best Friend" - Brandy
Brandy‘s 1995 single “Best Friend” was actually dedicated to her brother Ray J, but the lyrics can also be applied to a relationship between a child and their parent. The song speaks of a special bond between two people who have each other’s backs “through the good times and the bad.”
The popular lo-fi hit appears on Brandy’s 1994 self-titled debut studio album Brandy and peaked at No. 7 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.