Mama Kelis

You know Kelis as the woman behind “Milkshake” and “Bossy”. I love her to death and I have taken to affectionately calling her Mama Kelis. Which, is really not a good idea. When, I went out to buy her latest album Food, I could not find it anywhere.

I asked a clerk if they had the Mama Kelis album Food and he looked it up and he said they didn't carry any artists named Mama Kelis. I had to explain to him that is just what I call her. I did end up getting the album. It came out the same day as when Iggy dropped The New Classic. If you read the Friday Favorites article last week you know how underwhelmed I was with that album.

Kelis to so many people is just a footnote in pop culture. She is more popular in Europe. Her first hit song was “Caught Out There” and the chorus is a screaming match of “I hate you so much right now!” She kills her man in the video. It kills. It was a minor hit in the United States, but over the seas it was immensely and launched her career.  

Buy "Caught Out There"

Her second album was not even released in the United States. It was her third album Tasty that achieved the greatest chart success for her in her home country. It produced the ubiquitous “Milkshake” and is an all around great record.

Kelis is an albums artist. She releases fantastic works. All of her albums have received critical acclaim, the critics love her. Radio just tends not to. Even, when she turned to dance music for a little moment, radio said LOL. No.  

Buy "Tasty"

That's too bad, because she's fantastic. You may also know Kelis for her marriage with nasty Nas. That boy. I kind of love their love, but it was ratchet. The music they did together, though. Oh, my god. They were having good sex. I am sure of it. Listen to either “In Public” or “Blindfold Me” and you will be like god damn.

Buy "In Public"

Buy "Blindfold Me"

It is steamy. It is hot. It's nasty of course. Their collaborations are everything. The reason I probably refer to Kelis as Mama Kelis now is that since she had her child the music has changed. Not in a bad way. I love it all, but when she was doing the music video for “Acapella ” if you find that the reason her life is no longer acapella is because of her baby.

She's also a very mature 35. I see her as a vivacious sexy mother figure. I'm not really sure why. I love Jenny Lewis and I hardly call her Mama Jenny and she's almost forty. There's just this deep love between me and Kelis. I want everyone to love her.

Speaking of that. I love Food, but if you are not into soulful retro R&B, stay far away. Go for the more contemporary Tasty or Kelis Was Here. If you want that dance music pick up Flesh Tone. She also supplied these fizzy seductive vocals to a fantastic Calvin Harris song, “Bounce”.  

Buy "Bounce"

Critically speaking Kelis Was Here was nominated for a Grammy award for best contemporary R&B album, so I suppose it's better then Tasty. I would disagree. Kelis Was Here did not win, but she was up against Beyonce and it's Beyonce. Like if Kelis had won. She would have been murdered. No one beats Beyonce. That doesn't happen.

Hopefully you have been reminded of “Milkshake” if nothing else and honestly. If that's all Kelis ever contributes to pop culture. Her stay has been more then welcome.