Hey Mama (Kanye West song)
Encyclopedia
"Hey Mama" is a song written by American
rap
artist Kanye West
. It appears on his 2005 second album, Late Registration
. Co-produced with Jon Brion
, the song contains a sample of "Today Won't Come Again" by Donal Leace. Though it first appeared on his 2005 album, West had composed the song long before he had found fame, as early as 2000.
tour. On November 17, 2007 at Le Zenith in Paris
, France
, during his first public performance since his mother's death a week before, West broke down into tears while attempting to perform the song. On February 11, 2008, West performed the song at the 50th Grammy Awards
& ended his set by performing it at the 2011 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
.
. In the United States
, the song entered the Billboard
Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles at number nine for the issue dated November 24, 2007. A few months later, on the issue dated March 1, 2008, "Hey Mama" appeared on the Hot Canadian Digital Singles chart in the sixty-fourth position.
at the conclusion of a concert with Dilated Peoples
held in the House of Blues
on May 5, 2004. West included "Hey Mama" within the setlist of his Touch the Sky Tour that occurred in late 2005. He provided a live rendition of "Hey Mama" as a tribute to his mother within the setlist of his Glow in the Dark Tour
. In the concert, West followed the performance up by dedicating a cover of Journey
's "Don't Stop Believin'
to her.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rap
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...
artist Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
. It appears on his 2005 second album, Late Registration
Late Registration
Late Registration is the second studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released August 30, 2005, on Roc-A-Fella Records. Recording sessions for the album took place over the course of a year at various recording studios located in New York City and Hollywood...
. Co-produced with Jon Brion
Jon Brion
Jon Brion is an American rock and pop multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, composer and record producer.-Early life:...
, the song contains a sample of "Today Won't Come Again" by Donal Leace. Though it first appeared on his 2005 album, West had composed the song long before he had found fame, as early as 2000.
Background
The song is a ballad dedicated to West's mother, Donda West, describing his affection and appreciation for her having raised him amidst personal hardships and instilling her values in him. After his mother died due to complications from cosmetic surgery on November 10, 2007, West used the song as a tribute to his late mother, most notably during all of his concerts on his Glow in the DarkGlow in the Dark Tour
The Glow in the Dark Tour is a critically acclaimed world concert tour by Kanye West featuring Rihanna, Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D, and Nas. It began on April 16, 2008 in Seattle, Washington and travelled to Latin America, Asia, Europe, New Zealand and Australia through to early December.The tour...
tour. On November 17, 2007 at Le Zenith in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, during his first public performance since his mother's death a week before, West broke down into tears while attempting to perform the song. On February 11, 2008, West performed the song at the 50th Grammy Awards
50th Grammy Awards
The 50th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on February 10, 2008. Kanye West received the most nominations, with eight. Amy Winehouse was the big winner, winning a total of five awards. Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters won Album of the Year,...
& ended his set by performing it at the 2011 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a three-day annual music and arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice and held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley...
.
Chart performance
Despite the absence of a physical single release, "Hey Mama" managed to enter charts in North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the song entered the 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...
Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles at number nine for the issue dated November 24, 2007. A few months later, on the issue dated March 1, 2008, "Hey Mama" appeared on the Hot Canadian Digital Singles chart in the sixty-fourth position.
Live performances
An early live performance of "Hey Mama" took place in West's hometown of ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
at the conclusion of a concert with Dilated Peoples
Dilated Peoples
Dilated Peoples is an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. The group achieved notability in the underground hip hop community, although they have had little mainstream success in the US, with the exception of the song "This Way," a 2004 collaboration with Kanye West and Xzibit...
held in the House of Blues
House of Blues
House of Blues is a chain of 13 live music concert halls and restaurants in major markets throughout the United States. House of Blues first location was in Cambridge's Harvard Square. It was opened in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, star of The Blues Brothers...
on May 5, 2004. West included "Hey Mama" within the setlist of his Touch the Sky Tour that occurred in late 2005. He provided a live rendition of "Hey Mama" as a tribute to his mother within the setlist of his Glow in the Dark Tour
Glow in the Dark Tour
The Glow in the Dark Tour is a critically acclaimed world concert tour by Kanye West featuring Rihanna, Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D, and Nas. It began on April 16, 2008 in Seattle, Washington and travelled to Latin America, Asia, Europe, New Zealand and Australia through to early December.The tour...
. In the concert, West followed the performance up by dedicating a cover of Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
's "Don't Stop Believin'
Don't Stop Believin'
"Don't Stop Believin is a popular song by the American rock band Journey, originally released as a single from their 1981 album Escape, which became a #9 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 on its original release. It re-entered the UK Singles Chart in 2009 as a result of increased prominence of digital...
to her.
Personnel
Information taken from Late Registration liner notes.- Songwriters: Kanye West, Donal Leace
- Producers: Kanye West, Jon Brion
- Recorders: Anthony Kilhoffer, Andrew Dawson, Tom Biller
- Mix engineer: Manny MarroquinManny MarroquinManny Marroquin, born 21 September 1971 in Guatemala, is a Grammy winning mixing engineer. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was nine due to the Guatemalan Civil War....
- Assistant engineers: Richard Reitz, Matt Green, Taylor Dow
- Additional vocals: John LegendJohn LegendJohn Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career...
Chart positions
| Chart (2007/2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles | 9 |
| Hot Canadian Digital Singles | 64 |