10 Artists Who've Featured Their Kids On Songs
When Mariah Carey was recording her latest album, Me. I Am Mariah…The Elusive Chanteuse, she wanted to find a way to get her twins Monroe and Moroccan involved. So she allowed both of them to appear on the song, "Supernatural." The result is something that Mariah will be able to cherish forever.
Even when her kids are all grown up one day—and possibly launching their own singing careers—Mariah can press play on "Supernatural" and hear what her kids used to sound like when they were babies. She's not the first musician parent to do this. Here, 10 artists who've added their children's vocals to tracks. How adorable.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
1
11
2
11
The Artist: Jay Z
The Child: Blue Ivy Carter
The Song: "Glory"
We knew Jay Z would probably have something to say about becoming a father when his daughter was born in January 2012. But we didn't know he would say it so quickly. He released "Glory" two days after Blue Ivy was born, and it featured her heartbeat and her crying on the song. It made Blue Ivy the youngest person ever to appear on a song that landed on a Billboard chart.
[videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]
Photo Credit: Getty Images
3
11
The Artist: Chris Martin (of Coldplay)
The Child: Apple Martin
The Song: "Always in My Head"
Even though the latest Coldplay album, Ghost Stories, was recorded while Martin was going through a lot of turmoil at home—he recently experienced a "conscious uncoupling" from his wife Gwyneth Paltrow—he still worked his 9-year-old daughter onto the project by having her sing backup vocals on this song, which was about "togetherness through life's challenges." It was a nice touch.
[videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]
Photo Credit: Getty Images
4
11
The Artist: Will Smith
The Child: Willard Smith III
The Song: "Just the Two of Us"
Will Smith wrote a song for his son in 1998. And at the beginning of that song, he included a short clip of his son saying, "Now daddy, this is a very sensitive subject." His son—nicknamed "Trey"—also made an appearance in the music video for the song, which was one of the biggest tracks of Will Smith's career.
[videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]
Photo Credit: Getty Images
5
11
The Artist: Big Boi
The Child: Bamboo
The Song: "Bamboo (Interlude)"
Bamboo sounded like he could hardly talk when his dad brought him into the studio to record what would eventually become an interlude on his album, Speakerboxx. Yet, he pulled it together enough to do his own version of Outkast's hit "The Whole World." Not bad for a little kid, huh?
[videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]
Photo Credit: Getty Images
6
11
The Artist: Eminem
The Child: Hailie Mathers
The Song: "My Dad's Gone Crazy"
Eminem's early music was definitely not kid friendly. Like, at all. But on his fourth album, The Eminem Show, Slim Shady still invited his young daughter to talk on a song about how crazy he was. It's one of the rare glimpses that he's provided into the relationship that he shares with Hailie.
[videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]
Photo Credit: Getty Images
7
11
The Artist: 50 Cent
The Child: Marquise Jackson
The Song: "These Niggas Ain't Hood"
This was kind of like when Will Smith put his son on "Just the Two of Us"…except not. Ha. Rather than include him on a sweet song about fatherhood, 50 put his son on a diss track that he directed at former G-Unit affiliate Bang 'Em Smurf. We'd say we were surprised, but this is 50 we're talking about. So of course he put his son on a diss track.
[videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]
Photo Credit: Getty Images
8
11
The Artist: Talib Kweli
The Child: Amani Fela Greene
The Song: "Oh My Stars"
In theory, this song—which featured Musiq Soulchild—could have been a single if Kweli had flipped it right. But that went out the window when he decided to have his son rap at the beginning of the track. Something tells us he doesn't care, though. If Amani ever makes it big, Kweli will be able to say that this is where it all started for him. And if not, well, he can say he got the chance to collaborate with his son once. It was a win/win for him.
[videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]
Photo Credit: Getty Images
9
11
The Artist: E-40
The Child: Earl Stevens Jr.
The Song: "Questions"
Lots of kids ask their parents about their jobs. But most of them don't ask their parents questions like the ones that E-40's son asked him here. He must have liked his dad's answers, though, because when he grew up, he followed in his father's footsteps and became a rapper, too. He now goes by the name "Droop-E."
[videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]
Photo Credit: Getty Images
10
11
The Artist: Notorious B.I.G.
The Child: T'yanna Wallace
The Song: "One More Chance"
Remember the little girl who recorded a voice mail "greeting" for Biggie on "One More Chance"? She's obviously all grown up now. But that was B.I.G.'s real-life daughter who left the message. And she is, by all accounts, a well-adjusted young lady now, despite that crude VM message.
[videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]
Photo Credit: Getty Images
11
11
The Artist: Mariah Carey
The Children: Monroe and Moroccan Cannon
The Song: "Supernatural"
Want to know how much Mother Mariah loves her kids? Enough to put them on a song that features her singing about her intense feelings for them. Now that is love.
[videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]
Photo Credit: Getty Images
The Vibe Mix Newsletter
All things VIBE.
Daily - Straight to your inbox.
Whoops!
All things VIBE.
You have signed up and will start receiving the Vibe Mix Newsletter immediately.
