Big Mama

Album: Sugar Honey Iced Tea (2024)
Charted: 92
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Latto's "Big Mama" is the kind of track that keeps you on your toes - part sultry R&B confession, part no-nonsense rap flex, and entirely designed to remind you that Latto can do just about anything she pleases.
  • The song begins with Latto in a sing-rap mode spitting bars about love, insecurity, and devotion in a style reminiscent of Drake. But then, just as you think you've settled in, the beat does a dramatic backflip, and suddenly we're in an entirely different song. The second half smacks you with a menacing, bass-heavy beat as Latto channels 21 Savage, tossing out cold-blooded rhymes with the confidence of someone who has never doubted themselves a day in their life.
  • Latto originally had two separate beats, but the second part wasn't hitting quite right. Enter the producer Coupe (21 Savage, GloRilla), who with just two hours' notice before the studio session, whipped up a new beat in 5-10 minutes.

    "I headed to the studio early and that's how we got the full beat to the song; Oz and Kid Masterpiece did the first portion, and I did the second," he told Billboard. "We put them together and they matched perfectly, and then we finished the song."
  • The "Big Mama" music video is exactly what you'd expect from a song that's half heartfelt croon and half lyrical smackdown: luxury, attitude, and a Miami backdrop that practically sweats excess. Directed by Hidji World and Latto, we see the rapper and her sister Brooklyn cruise through the city, dance on a yacht, and remind everyone that success looks particularly good when you're in control of the narrative.
  • Latto performed "Big Mama" at the 2024 BET Awards alongside "S/O to Me" and "Sunday Service."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Stephen Christian of Anberlin

Stephen Christian of AnberlinSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.

Emilio Castillo from Tower of Power

Emilio Castillo from Tower of PowerSongwriter Interviews

Emilio talks about what it's like to write and perform with the Tower of Power horns, and why every struggling band should have a friend like Huey Lewis.

Art Alexakis of Everclear

Art Alexakis of EverclearSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer of Everclear, Art is also their primary songwriter.

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)Songwriter Interviews

Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.

They Might Be Giants

They Might Be GiantsSongwriter Interviews

Who writes a song about a name they found in a phone book? That's just one of the everyday things these guys find to sing about. Anything in their field of vision or general scope of knowledge is fair game. If you cross paths with them, so are you.

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many Songs

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.