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Mama Said Knock You Out (song)

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Wikipedia article




{{Infobox song

| name = Mama Said Knock You Out

| cover = Mama Said Knock U Outt.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = LL Cool J

| album = Mama Said Knock You Out

| released =

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Golden age hip hop

| length = (album version)

| label =

| writer =

* James Todd Smith

* Marlon Williams

| producer = Marley Marl

| prev_title = Around the Way Girl

| prev_year = 1990

| next_title = 6 Minutes of Pleasure

| next_year = 1991

| misc =

}}

"'Mama Said Knock You Out'" is the fourth single by rapper LL Cool J from his fourth album of the same name. The song famously begins with the line, '"Don't call it a comeback/I 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. The song was produced by Marley Marl with help from DJ Bobcat along with LL. The single reached number 17 on the 'Billboard' Hot 100, was certified Platinum by the RIAA, and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. The song takes various shots at Kool Moe Dee.

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 Sly and the Family Stone's Sing a Simple Song, 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 the announcer's microphone. 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. LL's grandmother responded, "Oh baby, just knock them out!" She is featured in the closing scene of the music video, saying: "Todd! Todd! Get upstairs and take out that garbage."

Legacy



'Rolling Stone' ranked the song 29th on a 2012 list of the "50 Greatest Hip Hop Songs of All Time".

Bob Dylan played it in the final slot of the "Mothers" episode of Season 1 of 'Theme Time Radio Hour' in 2006. Dylan noted the song was "in the same tradition as the Dozens" and recited the first verse before playing it.

Five Finger Death Punch version



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. The single was released on March 25, 2014 by Prospect Park Records.

Charts



Weekly charts



{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

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!scope="col"| Chart (1991)

!scope="col"| Peak
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!scope="row"|US Rap Singles ('Billboard')

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Certifications



References




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