Dimelo? What’s Up?
In honour of Mother’s Day, I have collected some songs from various genres so you can enjoy them, dedicate them to mom (where applicable) and to simply appreciate her on any given day. Mother’s Day is everyday. my condolences to those who don’t have their mothers to hug. But just know, she’s with you, always.
Amor De Madre-Aventura
[Coro]
“Esta es la historia de una madre insaciable
Que criando su hijo cometía un error
No oyó consejos, siguió sus sentimientos
Y aunque vendió su cuerpo, por su hijo luchó
Amor de madre es un amor infinito
Ese fruto en el vientre es un regalo de Dios
Algunas veces cometemos errores
Y esa pobre mujer no tuvo otra opción”
Translation:
“This is the story of an insatiable mother That raising her son made a mistake She didn’t listen to advice, she followed her feelings And though she sold her body, for her son she fought Mother’s love is an infinite love That fruit in the womb is a gift from God sometimes we make mistakes And that poor woman had no choice”
I remember when I first heard this song in high school. The way that Romeo Santos sang this song really squeezed people’s hearts because of how vividly he painted a picture of what he was singing about. The song tells a story of love, domestic abuse, murder, and regret. Amazing message. It’s a shame that they never made a music video for this song.
Los Caminos De La Vida- Los Diablitos Del Vallenato
“Porque mi viejita ya está cansada
De trabajar pa’ mi hermano y pa’ mí
Y ahora con gusto me toca ayudarla
Y por mi vieja lucharé hasta el fin
Por ella lucharé hasta que me muera
Y por ella no me quiero morir
Tampoco que se me muera mi vieja
Pero, qué va, si el destino es así”
Translation:
“Because my old lady is already tired To work for my brother and for me And now it’s my turn to help her. And for my old woman I will fight until the end I will fight for her until she dies And for her I don’t want to die. Nor that my old lady die But, what’s up, if fate is like this”
There have been many covers of this song including a Christian Bachata version by Richard Cepeda. It tells a story by the Colombian band about how they came to realize that life isn’t what they thought it’d be. They realize that the advice their mother gave them was true and sound.
Mama- Joe Arroyo
“Cuando tu cabello se ponga blanco
Por el paso de la edad
Cuando las arrugas colmen tu cara
Siempre estaré junto a ti
Porque soy el hijo que tanto te ama
Siempre estaré junto a ti”
Translation:
“When your hair turns white by the passage of age When wrinkles fill your face I will always be with you Because I am the son who loves you so much I will always be with you”
Joe was amazing at making songs that told great stories including La Rebelion. In this song, he makes a vow that as his mother grows old, he will look after her.
Querida Amiga- Pimpinela, Diego Maradona
“Madre, porque serás mientras yo viva
El amor que no se olvida
Madre, porque a mi lado has sufrido
Cuando me has visto vencido
Madre, es tanto lo que yo te debo
Y nunca te he dicho te quiero
Querida amiga, he tardado tanto tiempo
En decirte lo que siento por pensar sólo en mi vida
Querida amiga, cambiaría lo que tengo”
Translation:
“Mother, because you will be as long as I live The love that is not forgotten Mother, because by my side you have suffered When you have seen me defeated Mother, it is so much that I owe you And I have never told you I love you Dear friend, it took me so long To tell you what I feel for thinking only about my life Dear friend, I would trade what I have”
It seems like soccer legend Diego Maradona did it all when he was alive. He even recorded music. They lyrics seem like the composers were reflecting on their relationship with their mother and that they realize that their mom is their dearest friend and apologizing for thinking of themselves and confessing to her that they’d trade it all for her.
Mami-Vico C
“Mami, me consolastes en el tiempo en que estaba bien confundido
Cuando pensaba que al fin la droga me habia vencido
Sin importar como ya me encontraba me amabas tanto”
Translation:
“Mommy, you comforted me in the time when I was very confused When I thought that the drug had finally defeated me No matter how I was, you loved me so much”
If you grew up being a Vico C fan, you’d know that his story is one of highs and lows but in the end, he came out victorious. He dealt with heroine addiction for a great part of his life. He thanks his mother for never abandoning him even though he let like the drugs had won the battle in his life. When people are dealing with addiction, the most important thing is to have a strong support group. HE was blessed to have had one.
Madre Sola Hay Una- Anuel AA
“Ella me dijo hijo nunca olvides quién tú eres
Mi felicidad no se compra con un Mercedes
Te amo como tú amas al nene
Te veo a ti en sus ojos él es tú sangre amigos quiénes
El que piensa tener amigos enemigos tiene
Sólo son leales hasta que ya no les convienes
Previene previene que si la 3 dígitos va hacer que frenen
De la glopeta el piloto vendí la FN”
Translation:
“She told me son never forget who you are My happiness is not bought with a Mercedes I love you like you love the baby I see you in his eyes he is your blood friends who He who thinks that he has friends, enemies, has They’re only loyal until you no longer suit them Prevents prevents that if the 3 digits are going to make them brake From the glopeta the pilot sold the FN”
Anuel isn’t the best example of good music in my opinion, but sometimes, even the ones who’s music I don’t usually enjoy can have a track or two. This song shows a side of him that doesn’t appear to be consumed by foul content and is dedicated to his mother. He explains that his mother told him that he should never forget who he is and that her happiness cannot be bought even with a Mercedes-Benz. She taught him that material things aren’t important when it comes to love. By the looks of how he conducts himself in his life, he hasn’t learned this lesson. Hopefully he does, one day.
Dear Mama-2pac
“Pour out some liquor and I reminisce
Cause through the drama, I can always depend on my mama
And when it seems that I’m hopeless
You say the words that can get me back in focus
When I was sick as a little kid
To keep me happy there’s no limit to the things you did
And all my childhood memories
Are full of all the sweet things you did for me
And even though I act crazy
I gotta thank the Lord that you made me”
Tupac Shakur was one of the greatest writers in Hip Hop history. His mom was a Black Panther and activist and she really instilled in him important values although his street life would tell you otherwise. Regardless, this song was impactful and is still a classic song to listen to on Mother’s Day.
Hey Mama- Cuban Link, Tony Sunshine
“Hey mama sorry for the things that I have done
You will always be my number one
I’m sorry (Ooohhh yeah)
Hey mama you will always be my shining star
Held me tight when I was in your arms
I’m sorry (mami I’m sorry OoOoOoOoOhhhhhh yeah)
Madre querida se que te rompi el corazon
Vine a perdirte el perdon (ay mami OoOoOoOoOhhhhhh yea)
Tu eres mi vida porque es que yo canto esta cancion
Vine a pedirte el perdon (ay mami….mami perdona me)
Perdon madre mia”
This song always hits me in the feels. Although Tony Sunshine’s vocals could have been mixed better, the song was masterfully written and it reminds me of my upbringing. It reminds me of the days when I gave my mom a hard time during my youth and how I can never repay her for the patience she had with me and never giving up hope that I’d become an honourable person.
Hey Mama- Kanye West
“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”
See, you’re unbreakable, unmistakable
Highly capable lady that’s makin’ loot
A livin’ legend too, just look at what Heaven do
Sent us an angel, and I thank you, Mama”
If you’ve been a Kanye fan, you’d know how much he loved his mother and we got to see this in full display in his ‘Jeen-Yuhs’ documentary on Netflix. The passing of his mother really changed him and his music. He always honours her in all he does.
I Miss You- DMX. Faith Evans
“I thank you for the best times of my life
I thank you for when you first met her acceptin’ and lovin’ my wife
I thank you for those Sunday dinners, they were vital
I thank you for my life, I thank you for the Bible
I thank you for the songs that you’d sing in the mornin’
(Amazing Grace…) while I’m yawnin’ “
Even though this song is about X’s grandmother, he really poured his heart out for her in this track. It seems like he had a really close relationship with her, probably closer than the one he had with his own mother. In my personal opinion, one of the greatest gifts a parent or parent figure can give their child is the introduction to the Creator, YHWH and that’s why he mentions that he thanks his grandmother for the Bible.
Look What You’ve Done- Drake
“They love your son, man, that boy gone
You get the operation you dreamed of
And I finally send you to Rome
And get to make good on my promise
It all worked out girl, we shoulda known
‘Cause you deserve it”
Drake is from my hometown of Toronto, Canada. He dedicated this song to his mother, uncle and grandmother. It’s every kid’s dream to be able to give their mother the world. He’s fortunate to be able to give her that and more.
I Love My Momma- Snoop Dogg
“My momma was my homey my daddy, and my best friend
Ask the Twinz, them my lil locos to the end
And Warren G and Nate Dogg, shit them my true friends
Time and time again, I’ma spit this rhyme again
She the queen in my life, and I’ma make sure she gon’ shine again
She taught me everythang, but she didn’t charge a fee”
Mr Crip from the LBC, Snoop Dogg has shown us his softer side through his music since the 90s. He gives his mother credit for teaching him everything he knows about life. Even the Dogg shows love to his mother and that’s the energy we need to show and example we should all give the younger generations.
Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)- Jay-Z
“Momma loved me, Pop left me
Mickey fed me, Annie dressed me
Eric fought me, made me tougher
Love you for that, my nigga, no matter what, bruh
Marcy raised me, and whether right or wrong
Streets gave me all I write in this song
Hootie babysitted, changed my diapers
Gil introduced me to the game that changed my life up”
In this song, Jay shows love to his mom and other family members. The concept of this song is probably what inspired Drake’s ‘Look What You’ve Done’ in my opinion.
Apparently- J. Cole
“But the only thing like home I’ve ever known
Until they snatched it from my mama
And foreclosed her on the loan
I’m so sorry that I left you there to deal with that alone
I was up in New York City chasin’ panties, gettin’ dome
Had no clue what you was goin’ through
How could you be so strong?
And how could I be so selfish, I know I can be so selfish
I could tell by how I treat you with my girl
Damn she so selfless, but she put up with my way
Because she loves me like you do
And though it do not always show
I love her just like I love you
And I need to treat you better
Wish you could live forever
So we could spend more time together
I love you mama”
J. Cloe reflects on his neglect of his mother while he was away for college in New York. He’s originally from North Carolina. I’m sure there are a lot of us who at one point or another have gotten caught up by the business of life that we forget our priorities and that we always need to be aware and involved in our aging parents’ lives. There’s always time to make things right if you’re fortunate enough to still have them with us.
Listen to the latest podcast episode titled: Blood In Blood Out. Mario talks about how this classic movie influenced his upbringing and his community. If you’ve watched the movie, then you’ll probably find the episode relatable. If you haven’t watched the movie yet go watch it before listening to the episode because there are a lot of spoilers.
You can find all of the episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and YouTube.
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**DISCLAIMER**
Reviews are based off of the team at Woke Up A Rebel’s personal taste and does not mean you should not listen to and form your own opinions of the songs/albums/EP’s that are mentioned.
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Body On Me- Genevea
5/5
Geneva is an artist from Toronto who continuously drops great sounding songs. The great thing about her is that she experiments with different genres. Another thing that I think is cool is that she allows producers to remix her tracks and the majority of them are done well. A lot of the success of her songs could be that she knows how to write and most definitely uses her voice like an instrument.
Her latest song ‘Body On Me’ is a sensual and tasteful song that continues to be a step in the right direction for this talented T-Dot native. Infused with a summer ready POP chorus, be sure to play this at the cookout. By the way, I absolutely loved the 80’s synth outro. Crazy! Check the song out on Spotify or this week’s Woke Up A Rebel Playlist
Old School Song Of The Week
Old School Song Of The Week
Mama Said Knock You Out- LL Cool J (1990)
Definitely not your typical Mother’s Day dedication, but we do things differently here at the Woke Up A Rebel studio. Classic song from the legendary originator of the term G.O.A.T. Mr. James Todd Smith aka LL Cool J with the song Mama Said Knock You Out. Definitely an album worth revisiting.