Kanye West has shared a musical tribute to his late mother, Donda West, on what would have been her 71st birthday.
The hip-hop star posted the new song “DONDA,” which opens with a recording of his mom reciting the lyrics of KRS-One’s “Sound of da Police”.
In the second part, ‘Ye leaps in with both feet as he ruminates on racism, the Devil and “fake leaders,” all set to an uplifting soundbed.
On it, he says, “Mama I need you to tuck me in/ I done made some mistakes and they rubbed it in/ I know you and grandma had enough of them/ Why I gotta be so stubborn then/ I’m doin this one for y’all/ So we can end racism once and for all.”
Earlier in the day, Kim Kardashian West posted a vintage video of her husband and his mom singing his song “Hey Mama”, from 2005’s Late Registration.
West told Oprah Winfrey in 2005 that he wrote the piece for his mother back in 2000. “It’s one of my favorite songs,” he said at the time. Kanye opened his Sunday Service on Mother’s Day 2019 with a rendition of the song.
Donda died in 2007 from post-surgery complications. She was 58.
In loving memory of my incredible mother on her birthday 🕊 My mom reciting KRS1 lyrics This song is called DONDA pic.twitter.com/YWKhqYYu2E
— ye (@kanyewest) July 13, 2020