Describing his sound as a mix of hip-hop, alternative and neo soul, local artist Mama’s Boy explains that, at the root, “my music is a lot about self reflection.” For the artist, creating music personal and essential. Through this, he’s found healing from baggage he didn’t even realize he carried: Thanks to music, “Now I realize there’s a lot of things that I need to get off my chest,” he says.
While art-making is now an integral part of Mama’s Boy, it wasn’t always part of his life: Originally, he had dreams to play professional football, an achievement that runs in his family. But after a semester playing football at Snow College, he lost his love for the sport and left school. For a moment, he didn’t know what would be next for him, until an invitation to make beats with a friend introduced him to music. He instantly fell in love with creating and the rest is history.
Most important to Mama’s Boy is honesty when making music. He says, “Being really honest in your music holds more of an impact … I feel like a lot of people try to fabricate their experiences.” Letting that openness happen gives music the opportunity to transform, both the artist and the listener.
Mama’s Boy explains how elements of his culture and experiences as a Black man make it into his songs, from painful lament to hopeful encouragement, equally. He talks about one of his recent releases, “Breathe,” which was written in response to the police brutality in 2020, namely the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Explaining the impact of that time on him, Mama’s Boy shares some of his lyrics and his goals with the song.
“Transformation,” a song about eager anticipation for the next chapter of life, will be released next month but you can catch a sneak peek here. Catch Mama’s Boy live at this month’s SLUG Picnic on August 27 performing with Cotes, Saysha and Ceyz. Keep up with Mama’s Boy on Twitter @MamasBoy___ and Instagram @mamasboy004, and listen to their music on all streaming platforms.