It’s Bigger Than Hip-Hop: AWKWORD’s Tribute to His Mother

I know it seems like I'm some mysterious, faceless force that posts booty shots and talks shit about rappers, but believe it or not I'm an actual, real life person. So when an artist like AWKWORD comes to me with a track dedicated to his mother, who was dying of breast cancer when he first played the song for me and has now passed away, I have an actual human reaction. At its best hip-hop offers both an escape and reflection of our actual lives, so in that spirit I'm going to turn things over to AWKWORD from here on out.

-----------------------------

The Greatest Woman of All Time Died on One-Two...

I wrote and recorded "Thank You (A Tribute To My Mommy)" in honor of my perfect mother, who died 1/2/12, before she even reached 60. She was smiling and beautiful, even in her last moments.

I wrote this song sitting beside my mom, as she stared at death -- with grace, as she did everything in her life. Without my mother, I wouldn't be here today. And thanks to my mother, I never shied away from expressing myself through the arts. "Thank You" is the most personal song I've released to date, and for me it's the most important. My #WorstMemoryof2011 was learning we'd run out of options. My #BestMemoryof2011 was witnessing my mom's expression as she listened to her tribute song and watched the accompanying slideshow.

To me, this song demonstrates the positive power of Hip Hop -- this is why I do what I do. Yet, I can't help but think my tribute only barely touches the surface in capturing all that my mother means and has meant to the people in her life and the plants, animals and insects all around her. Mother, daughter, sister, social worker, chef, activist, intellectual, to the highest degree. The only person I've ever know who practices what she preaches, adheres always to morality, and even challenges my theory that there is no true form of altruism.

In her honor, as her son, as someone who always admired -- and was often in awe of -- her, I present this song to my family, friends and fans, as well as to all those who have ever lost someone (especially due to cancer and metastatic breast cancer) they love, undoubtedly too early.

Full stream is below the video slideshow. AWKWORD's "World View" album drops soon via the mothership.



Thank You (A Tribute To My Mommy) by @AWKWORDrap