As Latto was revealing each feature on her blockbuster fourth album, Big Mama, through a series of cryptic emblems, she suddenly shared a familiar-looking skull adorned with her signature cheetah print. The crowned skull turned out to be Jelly Roll's trademark symbol from his 2024 studio album, Beautifully Broken, with Latto confirming the genre-blurring crooner's appearance on Big Mama.

Jelly features on ‘Mama’, a touching ode to Latto and Jelly's respective mothers. The track is made all the more moving by the fact that Latto has just become a mother herself, giving birth to a child with fellow rapper, 21 Savage, shortly before the album's release. In the lyrics to ‘Mama’, Latto seemingly shares that they have welcomed a baby girl, although she has not officially unveiled the gender.

‘Mama’ opens with the soulful hook, with Jelly leaning into his trademark raspy, guttural vocals across a piano-driven, choir-backed instrumental. As Latto takes the mic for the verses, the choir drifts in and out to add weight to her punchlines, while most of her emotionally charged bars are delivered over an uptempo set of drums.

While Latto and Jelly are both able to craft brilliant darker textures across their respective solo catalogues, ‘Mama’ is permeated by a refreshingly uplifting and joyful ambience.

Over the course of ‘Mama’, Latto and Jelly pay homage to their mothers, underlining that they want to express their gratitude for everything their respective moms have done for them. As Jelly sings in the chorus, you never know how much time you have left with your parents, so he determines to leave no words unspoken.

They both detail the various ways in which their mothers have helped them over the years, with Latto thanking her mother for how she inherited her beauty and character, and for not giving her any trauma in her upbringing. The ‘GOMF’ rapper explains that she regularly thanks God for her mother (“My face so prеtty, let it hang, you the reason, it's all your fault / Gave me all your perfect features, but ain't passed me down no trauma / I wouldn't be the woman that I am today without my mama, yeah (On God) / Say a prayer, you know I thank Him for you”).

In Latto's second verse, the perspective shifts so that she's now singing to her new daughter. Latto is yet to publicly announce the gender of her baby with 21 Savage, who was born a matter of days before Big Mama's arrival, but judging by these lyrics, it seems it's a girl. Latto excitedly shares her plans to shower her baby in extravagant gifts, before expressing her overwhelming joy at having a daughter (“I'm the type of mom to pass you down a Chanaynay purse (On God) / Now you look just like your daddy, but you got my curls / Can't believe my life right now, I feel on top of the world / Should've seen my face when they told me it's a baby girl").

Latto hasn't delved into the creation of ‘Mama’ specifically just yet, but in a heartfelt Instagram comment, Jelly emphasised how honoured he is to be involved in this track, gushing, “Honored is an understatement - so proud to be on this record”. Then, via his Instagram Stories, the Nashville native celebrated the final version of their momentous collaboration, “Can't BELIEVE how good this turned out”.

Vocalist Key: Jelly Roll, Latto, Both

“It's been a long road
I took the I-20 back home
I wanna thank you now 'fore the time runs out
'Cause we'll never know
I know that sometimes we don't see eye to eye
There ain't no love stronger than the one from my mama
And I put that on God, mama (Yeah)

-

For all them times you made a way so we could have our way
Yeah, you could ask the bank, I don't play 'bout Misti Jane (At all)
Went AP on your wrist, put a big ribbon on that Range (Skrrt)
Get whatever you want 'cause you was there when I ain't have a thing (Yeah)
You stayеd at work so late, now I'm beggin' you to quit that job (That job)
My face so prеtty, let it hang, you the reason, it's all your fault
Gave me all your perfect features, but ain't passed me down no trauma
I wouldn't be the woman that I am today without my mama, yeah (On God)
Say a prayer, you know I thank Him for you (I thank Him for you)
When I'm on the road, missing home, I be thinking of you (I be thinking of you)
Truck got no miles, but you know how far I'll take it for you (Skrrt)
And if I can't give you the world, then I'ma make one for you, mama

-

It's been a long road (On God)
I took the I-20 back home
I wanna thank you now 'fore the time runs out
'Cause we'll never know
I know that sometimes we don't see eye to eye
There ain't no love stronger than the one from my mama
And I put that on God, mama

-

I'm the type of mom to pass you down a Chanaynay purse (On God)
Now you look just like your daddy, but you got my curls
Can't believe my life right now, I feel on top of the world
Should've seen my face when they told me it's a baby girl
Ms in your account 'fore my baby even breathe
Put that shit on my mama, now you can put it on me
How you got your first Birkin 'fore you got your first teeth?
Show you how to be a boss just like my mama raised me

-

'Cause she always held it down through all the downs and the ups
I remember we was broke, but we was rich with the love
Now my pockets got thick, but nothing thicker than blood
Oh, mama, mama (Yeah)

-

It's been a long road (Skrrt)
I took the I-20 back home (On God)
I wanna thank you now 'fore the time runs out
'Cause we'll never know (We'll never know)
I know that sometimes we don't see eye to eye (Uh-huh)
There ain't no love stronger than the one from my mama
And I put that on God, mama

-

Where would I be? Tell me, where would I be?
What would I do? Tell me, what would I do?
Ain't nobody ever, ever loved me like you
Oh, mama, mama
Where would I be? Tell me, where would I be?
What would I do? Tell me, what would I do?
Ain't nobody ever, ever loved me like you
Oh, mama, mama (On my mama)”

For more on Jelly Roll, see below:

Jelly Roll

Artist

Latto

Artist