Ya Mama

Album: Halfway Between The Gutter And The Stars (2000)
Charted: 30
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Ya Mama" is a track by British big beat pioneer Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim. It was released as a double A-side single alongside "Song For Shelter," with both tracks appearing on his 2000 album Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars. The single peaked at #30 on the UK chart.
  • "Ya Mama" was featured in the first installment of the Charlie's Angels film series in 2000. The song is heard during a high-intensity scene where the Angels, played by Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu, board Eric Knox' helicopter and reprogram a missile in a bid to save Charlie.
  • The iconic "Push the tempo" line is a vocal sample from American hip-hop producer Doug Lazy's track "Let the Rhythm Pump." Interestingly, Lazy didn't know his sample had been used until he saw Charlie's Angels in theaters, where his wife first recognized it. In 2017, Lazy sold his public performance royalties for "Ya Mama" in an auction on Royalty Exchange, with a final bid of $18,500.

    The track also samples the guitar riff from Colosseum's "The Kettle" and borrows the recurring "Shake what ya mama gave ya" line from Stik-E & the Hoodz's "Shake Whatcha Mama Gave Ya."
  • The official music video for "Ya Mama" was directed by Traktor, the same filmmaking collective behind videos like Basement Jaxx' "Where's Your Head At?" and Madonna's "Die Another Day." The video features a cassette tape that causes anyone who hears it to uncontrollably perform wild, chaotic arm movements. To create these effects, actors were attached to a large pole and shaken to simulate the exaggerated movements.

    Filming took place in Carriacou, Grenada, where a fully constructed market town was dramatically destroyed during the shoot.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Frankie Valli

Frankie ValliSong Writing

An interview with Frankie Valli, who talks about why his songs - both solo and with The Four Seasons - have endured, and reflects on his time as Rusty Millio on The Sopranos.

The Girl in That Song

The Girl in That SongFact or Fiction

Billie Jean, Delilah, Sara, Laura and Sharona - do you know who the girls in the songs really are?

Michael Schenker

Michael SchenkerSongwriter Interviews

The Scorpions and UFO guitarist is also a very prolific songwriter - he explains how he writes with his various groups, and why he was so keen to get out of Germany and into England.

Actors With Hit Songs

Actors With Hit SongsMusic Quiz

Many actors have attempted music, but only a few have managed a hit. Do you know which of these thespians charted?

Charles Fox

Charles FoxSongwriter Interviews

After studying in Paris with a famous composition teacher, Charles became the most successful writer of TV theme songs.

Rock Revenge Songs

Rock Revenge SongsMusic Quiz

John Lennon, Paul Simon and Lynyrd Skynyrd are some of the artists who have written revenge songs. Do you know who they wrote them about?