Baby Mama
Encyclopedia
"Baby Mama" is an R&B
/hip-hop
song
by Fantasia
from her debut album
Free Yourself
. It was released as the album's third single
on May 3, 2005 and was produced by Co-Stars and Harold Lilly. It performed relatively well on the U.S Billboard
R&B/Hip-Hop Chart
, peaking at number 16.
The song is very meaningful to Fantasia because it was written as an anthem
to inspire single mothers
across the United States
to follow their dreams. Fantasia has stated that "Baby Mama" is dedicated to "all of those single moms out there who tough it out to take care of the kids and work two jobs, go to school". Critics have accused the song sending the wrong message about sexual activity and pregnancy
to teens. The song takes its title from the slang term baby mama
. A parody of the song was made by comedian Rickey Smiley
.
The song contains a sample of "There'll Never Be Any Peace (Until God Is Seated At The Conference Table)" by the Chi-Lites.
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
/hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
by Fantasia
Fantasia Barrino
Fantasia Monique Barrino commonly known as Fantasia, is an American R&B singer, Broadway and television actress who rose to fame as the winner of the third season of the reality television series American Idol in 2004. Following her victory, she released her debut single, "I Believe", which...
from her debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Free Yourself
Free Yourself
Free Yourself is the debut album by American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino, which was released on November 23, 2004. The album was a great success for Barrino, selling over 240,000 units in its first week, and reaching number eight on the United States Billboard 200 chart...
. It was released as the album's third single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
on May 3, 2005 and was produced by Co-Stars and Harold Lilly. It performed relatively well on the U.S Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
R&B/Hip-Hop Chart
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
, peaking at number 16.
The song is very meaningful to Fantasia because it was written as an anthem
Anthem
The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...
to inspire single mothers
Single parent
Single parent is a term that is mostly used to suggest that one parent has most of the day to day responsibilities in the raising of the child or children, which would categorize them as the dominant caregiver...
across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to follow their dreams. Fantasia has stated that "Baby Mama" is dedicated to "all of those single moms out there who tough it out to take care of the kids and work two jobs, go to school". Critics have accused the song sending the wrong message about sexual activity and pregnancy
Teenage pregnancy
Teenage pregnancy is a pregnancy of a female under the age of 20 when the pregnancy ends. It generally refers to a female who is unmarried and usually refers to an unplanned pregnancy...
to teens. The song takes its title from the slang term baby mama
Baby mama
A baby mama is generally defined as a mother who is not married to her child's father, although the term is often used with other meanings as well.-Definition:...
. A parody of the song was made by comedian Rickey Smiley
Rickey Smiley
Rickey Smiley is a standup comedian, television host, actor, and radio personality best known for his prank phone calls. The calls feature Smiley disguising his voice and carrying on a conversation with the recipient of the call....
.
The song contains a sample of "There'll Never Be Any Peace (Until God Is Seated At The Conference Table)" by the Chi-Lites.
Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
60 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
16 |