Today we’d like to introduce you to Mama’s Boy.
We’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Layton Utah, I was an only child for a little while until my sister was born when I was 8. Always around family and loved to play sports, Specifically football. I had a lot of fun for the most part. Loved video games, watching music videos with my cousins, playing football, you know, being a kid I was very shy, very to myself but for the most part, I had a good life thanks to my mother and grandmother who worked tirelessly to make sure I and my sister had what we needed and wanted as well. They make up the better part of who I am and I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done for me and my sister. My mother worked in the medical field, still does to this day as a respiratory therapist and my grandmother works at job corp with the youth and has done that for 20-plus years. My father wasn’t really around that much, more on that later, but he and my uncles were great football players. Both of my uncles played in the NFL. My dad didn’t quite make it but as he himself would tell you he just got in his own way. Today, I and my father have an amazing relationship with, he’s like a best friend to me which I’m grateful for. Over time I got to really tap into the other side of me and my relationship with my father has been nothing short of amazing. I pretty much tell him everything now which I’m thankful to have that opportunity. I went to Northridge high school and later Snow College to play football and to major in business, That life was short-lived as I didn’t really take it all that seriously when it got to that point. Didn’t go to class, partied, and football wasn’t really doing it for me anymore so I ended up leaving after a semester, mainly due to grades but as I said didn’t really take it all that seriously.
My best friends were and still are Taylor and Cesar. As kids we were inseparable. Our families knew each other and we all went to school together up until high school. We practically raised each other considering all the time we spent together. All 3 of our parents split at a young age so there were a lot of parallels in each of our lives; we could relate to each other in a lot of ways that not many people could and took care of each other. Those are my brothers and I love them dearly. They are a huge part as to who I am today.
My taste in music comes from my father. I remember listening to Lil Wayne, 50 cent, T.I, Scarface, Dipset, to name several and I instantly fell in love with the art of hip hop. My love for R&B though comes from my mother, the first piece of music I ever heard was in my mom’s white Nissan she was playing a song by Aaliyah from her self titled album ‘Aliyah’ the song was rock the boat. My god, to say I was transformed is an understatement! That moment was so profound I remember the time of day melted red crayon in the back seat, and remember burning myself from the seatbelt buckle, hahaha. I was 5 years old when I heard that.
It wasn’t until a couple of months later that I found music, Me and my best friends Taylor and Cesar would always go on drives and freestyle and then one night my friend Cesar got this program called FL studio and we started making beats. All 3 of us recorded our first song and the rest is history. We formed a group called Rapid Voids and since then we’ve been making music ever since we performed our very first show in June of 2017 which, afterwards, we all decided that we were going to take this music thing seriously. A moment that the 3 of us will never forget; it was for lack of a better term, a critical moment in our lives. Later came Ahmad, who I also consider a brother of mine, started making music with us and all 4 of us got really close over the years. The Rapid Voids saga lasted a little while until we later formed a group called Eight01’s finest around early to mid-2018 which comprised 7 people. We made a lot of great music and dropped an album which did really well and performed our first show together in 2019 which almost sold out. It was around that time that I really started to gain confidence in myself with music and I’ll forever be grateful for that moment in time. We all went out separate ways after about a year or so. And soon after Me, Cesar, Taylor, and Ahmad joined a collective called Darkest dawn which leads me to where I am today. I am a solo artist now and the journey has been very eye-opening. I had to basically re-learn everything I know and cultivate my own sound, basically find my identity. It’s a lot different making music yourself than with several other people, me and my brothers still make music together of course but the focus is in our paths as solo artists.
I took up the name Mama’s Boy which is what I am through and through. The reason why is because it’s a way of telling people who I am in terms of soul and mind. My mother played a huge part in my life and did most of the heavy lifting and I want people to understand that if you know me, you know her.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not in the slightest. Going back to my kid years, I had to grow up fast. It wasn’t until a couple of years after my sister was born my mother told me what was going on with my father, which is where things started to change. My dad was heavy into drugs and got in a lot of trouble which explained why he was gone a lot. I remember as a kid counting the days until he came back home even before my mother told me what was happening so after hearing all of what my mother told me made counting those days a lot more painful. I don’t blame my mother in the slightest for telling me those things. Her honesty and empathy molded me into the person I am today, as I said before I’m eternally grateful for that woman.
Once I started getting into my 20s, all the trauma I had bottled up for so long started to surface. I was slowly deteriorating and fell into a deep depression that I didn’t think I was going to make it out. Suicidal thoughts, didn’t care about hygiene, room always dirty, lack of confidence, lack of self-worth, it all consumed me so fast that you could say I was a dead man waking, I was empty. I wasn’t making music, it was a really dark time for me.
My mother pulled me out of it though. After explaining to her all these things I was going through, she opened my eyes which lead me on the path of self-awareness. After telling her what I’m feeling she told to research what an empath was. After digging into that rabbit hole things slowly started to become more clearer for me. I started to read, do my research, and eventually started to understand myself. Not to be dramatic but in a way, my mother saved my life that night. She always knew what to say and when to say it. We’ve always had this connection that I can’t really put into words. That is also the reason why I took up the name Mama’s Boy.
As far as challenges in music, just like in life I was very unsure of myself at some point I struggled to believe that I was doing what I was meant to do. When things don’t go the way you want them to it’s easy to have doubts and you second-guess yourself a lot. I felt that I didn’t really have much to say that people could gravitate to. I’m not the best-looking individual, I don’t know how to articulate my emotions and what I’ve been through, I’m not a good rapper, and I’m not as technically sound as some of my idols. Those were some of the thoughts I was battling with for a long time.
Then I realized that I don’t have to be those things. I just gotta be me. My story is my story and no one can undermine or criticize the things I’ve seen and what I’ve been through. I’m not here to compare my life story to others nor am I looking for sympathy or empathy when I talk about my shortcomings. Music is therapy to me and my personal journal and I’m proud that I’m able to share that with the world now. If there’s anything I want people to say about me is that what I say is real and that I don’t gotta lie to kick it. So I keep going and I keep growing and I want people to go on this journey with me.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a hip-hop artist and specialize in production. I’m mostly really hands-on with my music and like to make sure I put out quality material before I share it with everyone. Amongst my peers, I’m known for my presence and overall emotion when I record my music. I always try to convey what I’m feeling in the most clear way possible.
I’m proud of my growth as an artist as I’ve said before I struggled a lot with finding my sound and I can confidently say that I found the blueprint in what I want to do and how I want to do it. It’s been a long time coming but I’m at a good pace now and it feels nice.
What sets me apart is my authenticity. I’m very straightforward and tell it how it is. What you see and hear is what you get. I don’t hide from anything and will always keep it all the way real. Not just in my music but in life as well. In today’s world, I feel like authenticity is what sets you apart from most people.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I guess what I like best about my city is that it’s very familiar. What I mean by that is that most people know each other or a least has heard of each other so there are not too many surprises it’s a really comfortable city which is nice.
What I like least is the traffic! A lot of construction going on and it can get pretty intense I understand change is inevitable so I’m not too mad about it but I would say that is what I like the least.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://koji.to/@MamasBoy
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/mamasboy004
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mamasboy___
