1981’s ‘Ya Mama’ by Wuf Ticket is the first rap song I ever remember hearing. I was 9 years old at the time, which would put me in 4th or 5th grade. My friends and I learned this song by heart and sang it together after school.
I particularly remember the line “your butt’s so big you need two seats, extra strong to hold all that meat.” The rest of the song has escaped my memory over time but that verse was scribbled in permanent marker, probably displacing some bit of civics, mathematics or history I should have learned.
‘Ya Mama’ didn’t mark the beginning of a beautiful friendship with rap music, however. It was 10 years later that I discovered Public Enemy, through their Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black album, and I don’t think there was much in between, apart from a passing acknowledgment of Run DMC and Beastie Boys.
There hasn’t been much since, either. Rap just isn’t my genre. I still like Public Enemy, though I never really listen to them, and an occasional track by Snoop Dogg, Outkast and Dr. Dre. Eminem is the one rap artist who shows up in my CD collection more than once.
As for Wuf Ticket, this song remains their sole claim to fame. They don’t even rate a biography on Wikipedia or AllMusic. But I suppose when you have a classic such as ‘Ya Mama’ on your resume, everything else is gravy.
sometimes the things you say are way outa line.
You like to put me down but not to my face,
So I think it’s about time I put you in your place!
You see I’m so slick, I got so much style,
I can out-rap you by a country mile,
So just sit down, son, and watch me smoke,
Check out my style, and take some notes
Aw, notes from you, I don’t need
But I can take ’em if I had to; at least I can read,
And when it comes to rappin, you can’t compare;
I can out-rap you anytime, anywhere.
Aw come on, man, you know you can’t compete;
You’re not fast enough. You gotta think on your feet.
The style I’ve got, you don’t half-have!
I’ll make you sound so bad, It make YO MAMA laugh!
Well all right, Jack! You think that you’re so bad,
Always runnin it down about the things you have.
You got more style, superior taste–
You got bad breath! Get out my face!
My breath ain’t strong but your face is all wrong.
Your head’s too big; you got a nose like a pig.
You got a lot of nerve to talk about me!
At least my family don’t live in a tree.
You live in a tree; you eat coconuts!
And your whole family’s got buffalo butts.
When you sit down, you need TWO seats.
Extra strong to hold all that meat.
Well, that’s not bad, son, but don’t press your luck,
‘Cause you and yours got butts like ducks.
You got faces to match, with little-bitty eyes.
If I looked like you, I’d run and hide.
I know you figure that, but I don’t know why
Cause the way you look, you make babies cry.
I make babies cry, but when you make the scene,
They pass out and the girls all scream.
With me they scream, but not from fright;
With me they scream with sheer delight.
You can’t out-rap me, not at all.
You need some help? I think you better call–
Meet Me In Montauk 
Oh, this one brings me back. Very funny stuff!
You are pulling out some crazy songs this week. How did you even remember this one to look it up? I vaguely remember hearing this song at some point in my life, but I couldn’t recall a lyric if my life depended on it.
Quite fascinating is this glimpse into your pre-teen years.
How did I remember it? It’s been playing on a loop in my head for 28 years!
Please send me the complete set of lyrics to me for the song “YA. Mama” by Wuf Ticket ” I was crazy about this song back in the day. Any help you can give would be appreciated
You took it back with this one! The good ole days!