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

Michael Bolton

Michael BoltonSongwriter Interviews

Into the vaults for this talk with Bolton from the '80s when he was a focused on writing songs for other artists.

Dave Edmunds

Dave EdmundsSongwriter Interviews

A renowned guitarist and rock revivalist, Dave took "I Hear You Knocking" to the top of the UK charts and was the first to record Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk."

Concert Disasters

Concert DisastersFact or Fiction

Ozzy biting a dove? Alice Cooper causing mayhem with a chicken? Creed so bad they were sued? See if you can spot the real concert mishaps.

Bible Lyrics

Bible LyricsMusic Quiz

Rockers, rappers and pop stars have been known to quote the Bible in their songs. See if you match the artist to the biblical lyric.

Jon Anderson

Jon AndersonSongwriter Interviews

Jon Anderson breaks down the Yes classic "Seen All Good People" and talks about his 1000 Hands album, which features Chick Corea, Rick Derringer, Ian Anderson, and many other luminaries.

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired Men

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired MenSong Writing

Bowie's "activist" days of 1964 led to Ziggy Stardust.