Released August 30, 2005 Length 5:05 | Genre Hip hop Label Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam | |
Recorded 2000
The Record Plant
Grandmaster Recording Studios
(Hollywood, California)
Sony Music Studios
(New York, New York) Writer(s) Kanye West, Donal Leace | ||
"Hey Mama" is a song by American hip-hop artist Kanye West. It was released as the sixteenth song on the track-listing of his second studio album Late Registration. The song was produced by West and composer Jon Brion and the song contains a sample of "Today Won't Come Again" by Donal Leace. Though it appeared on his 2005 album, West had composed the song long before he had found fame, as early as 2000.
Contents
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 a heart attack 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 Dark 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. He ended his set at the 2011 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival by performing the song.
Chart performance
Despite the absence of a physical single release, "Hey Mama" managed to enter charts in North America. 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.
Live performances
An early live performance of "Hey Mama" took place in West's hometown of Chicago 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.
Personnel
Information taken from Late Registration liner notes.