Mama Said Knock You Out (song)

"Mama Said Knock You Out" is the fourth single by LL Cool J from his album of the same name. The song famously begins with the line "Don't call it a comeback/I've been here for years." Before "Mama Said Knock You Out" was released, many people felt that LL Cool J's career was waning; his grandmother, who still believed in his talent, told him to "knock out" all his critics.[1] The song was produced by Marley Marl[2] with help from DJ Bobcat along with LL. The single reached number 17[3] on the Billboard Hot 100, was certified Gold by the RIAA, and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. The song takes various shots at Kool Moe Dee.

"Mama Said Knock You Out"
Single by LL Cool J
from the album Mama Said Knock You Out
ReleasedFebruary 26, 1991 (1991-02-26)
GenreGolden age hip hop
Length4:50 (album version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
LL Cool J singles chronology
"Around the Way Girl"
(1990)		 "Mama Said Knock You Out"
(1991)		 "6 Minutes of Pleasure"
(1991)
Audio sample
  • file
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Music video
"Mama Said Knock You Out" on YouTube

Background

The song uses samples from James Brown's "Funky Drummer", the Chicago Gangsters' "Gangster Boogie", Sly & The Family Stone's "Trip to Your Heart", the drum break from Digital Underground's "The Humpty Dance", and LL Cool J's own "Rock the Bells" (from his debut album Radio). The music video features LL Cool J in a boxing ring, rapping into a microphone similar to the one an announcer would use in a boxing match. Intercut with this are clips of boxing matches and LL Cool J exercising.

LL Cool J said in his autobiography that the idea for the song came from a discussion with his grandmother. He had said to his grandmother that he felt that he couldn't survive as a rapper now that gangsta rap was popular and he was being dissed by several up-and-coming rappers. She responded, "Oh baby, just knock them out!"[4] She is featured in the closing scene of the music video, saying: "Todd! Todd! Get upstairs and take out that garbage."

Five Finger Death Punch version
"Mama Said Knock You Out"
Single by Five Finger Death Punch featuring Tech N9ne
from the album The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 1
ReleasedMarch 25, 2014 (2014-03-25)
Recorded2012 (2012)–13 (13)
Genre
Length2:48 (album version)
LabelProspect Park
Songwriter(s)
Five Finger Death Punch singles chronology
"House of the Rising Sun"
(2014)		 "Mama Said Knock You Out"
(2014)		 "Wrong Side of Heaven"
(2014)

American heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch covered the song for their fourth studio album, The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 1. The cover features rapper Tech N9ne.[5] The single was released on March 25, 2014 by Prospect Park Records.

Charts

Weekly charts
Chart (1990) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[6] 41
Chart (1991) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[7] 37
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[8] 47
US Billboard Hot 100[9] 17
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[10] 7
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[11] 12
US Rap Singles (Billboard)[12] 1

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[13] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. LaGrave, Katherine (August 21, 2015). "Why LL Cool J's Most Famous Album Almost Never Happened". Vanity Fair. Condé Nast. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  2. Pareles, Jon (November 18, 1990). "HOME ENTERTAINMENT/RECORDINGS: RECENT RELEASES". The New York Times. Retrieved February 23, 2012.
  3. "Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J Song Information". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  4. LL Cool J (1998). I Make My Own Rules. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 126–127. ISBN 9780312967314.
  5. Tobbe (May 30, 2013). "Interview with Five Finger Death Punch's Zoltán Báthory". Metal Covenant. Retrieved June 3, 2013. We had an idea to cover Mama Said Knock You Out. [...] Then we made the song heavy and when Tech N9ne came it, we thought 'Oh yeah, this is happening. Fuck it, Let's put it on the record.'
  6. "LL Cool J: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
  7. "Australian-charts.com – LL Cool J – Mama Said Knock You Out". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
  8. "Charts.nz – LL Cool J – Mama Said Knock You Out". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
  9. "LL Cool J Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
  10. "LL Cool J Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
  11. "LL Cool J Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
  12. "LL Cool J > Awards". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
  13. "American single certifications – L.L. Cool J – Mama Said Knock You Out". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
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