Rapsody, Dionne Warwick, Durand Bernarr and More Share What Their Moms Said When They Wanted to Pursue Music

Before the tours and sold-out shows, there was usually the one person artists shared their dreams with first: their moms.

For many artists, pursuing music didn’t come with certainty, nor did it come with a blueprint to follow. It came with risk, ambition, sometimes fear and the possibility of the people closest to them not fully understanding what they were trying to accomplish. Some artists were encouraged immediately, while others were met with hesitation, questions or concerns about choosing a career that doesn’t always come with stability or guarantees.

Then there are the artists who found themselves balancing music with school, family expectations and the pressure of still needing a backup plan. During a recent episode of The Almanac of Rap, Reuben Vincent reflected on telling his mother he wanted to fully pursue music after secretly stepping away from college.

“She was like, ‘You need backup. What’s wrong with you?’” he recalled. “And she was snapping on me.”

But after revealing he had a Roc Nation deal on the table, her response changed.

“She was like, ‘OK… I trust you,’” he said. “But she did say this to me: ‘Stay educated. Stay informed.’”

Regardless of the response, those conversations became defining moments long before the world knew their names.

So for Mother’s Day, Okayplayer asked some of your favorite artists — seasoned and rising — a simple question: What did your mom say when you told her you wanted to pursue music?

Their answers are filled with honesty, humor, support and belief that existed long before the world was put on.

Rapsody

“‘I believe in you, and mom will always be here to support you.’ I still cry tears of gratitude and overwhelming sense of love every time I think about that night.”

Durand Bernarr 

“I never had the chance to tell my mother I wanted to pursue music. Instead, music pursued me through my mother. From piano lessons, voice lessons, theatre, concerts and church, I was engulfed in music before I had words to communicate. However, she’s extremely proud of all that I’ve been able to achieve!”

Dionne Warwick 

“When I said I was going to be recording, mommy said how are you going to do that, you're in school. I said I’ll record during weekends only and she said as long as it doesn’t interfere with your education.”

Reason

“I started music later in my life, and she understood my regrets in pursuing a career in sports. She just told me if I’m going to do it, to pursue it in a way where when it’s all said and done I have no regrets. There’s no ‘what ifs’ left on the table which is why I operate fearlessly when navigating through this space.”

Jai’Len Josey

“When I told my mom I wanted to pursue music, I explained to her that my purpose was to minister to people through it. She looked at me and said, ‘OK, anytime you forget, I’m going to remind you of this.’ And she’s stood behind me ten toes down ever since.”

Arin Ray

“In all honesty, my mother saw the potential way before I decided to accept it. She always sort of pushed me in this direction. She had me in church choir, singing background for her, made me audition for the arts school I was in from 6th-12th grade. It wasn't until after my first run on The X Factor (which she also auditioned for) that I definitively decided to make it my career. Everything I did before graduating was purely from her urging me to go after it. Even after the accomplishments, success, she still manages to push me to be better. I know she's proud because she saw it all along. I wouldn't exist without her, obviously, but I'd be lying if I said I would've made it here on my own. I'm blessed to have a mother like her.”

Armani White

"She wasn’t a fan at all hahaha. She didn’t want her son to be no ‘Thug’ was her words, which is fair because I was super young and the culture of rap was all gangsta sh*t. She was supportive behind the scenes, though. She used to send emails to Will Smith’s people for me and she did buy my first microphone in high school, though. So there was something there! However, she strongly encouraged a ‘Plan B,’ which was really her ‘Plan A’ hahaha."

Ben Reilly

“When I first came to my mother and told her I wanted to pursue music and become a rapper, she was incredibly supportive. Throughout every phase of the process. I remember being young spitting some rhymes I came up with for her, and she told me, flat out: ‘You’ve got it, honestly.’ Because my father and my mother were both on the come up as artists locally back in the day, she felt it was bound to happen for me to eventually find interest in the art form myself.

 For years, I was part of a group called Abstract Media. We would record and rehearse at my house every single day. I’m sure it wrecked her nerves. She took me and my friends to our first performance at Apache cafe in ATL my senior year of high school. She says she was truly floored by how unafraid and confident I was, while being able to control a crowd. That was the moment she realized, 'Oh he’s really serious about this.' By the time I got to college, I finally came to her fully committed to the idea of dropping out of school to pursue music as a career. She was extremely receptive. At the time, I was working a bartending job to take care of myself, but still living with her. She told me, ‘You’ve got five years, pour everything you make and everything you’ve got into the music. If you don’t make it within the next five years. You’re gonna have to do your own thing, but I believe in you and what you’re doing. Keep at it.’ Of course, I’d help with bills and whatever else she needed, but she gave me the room and the space to dedicate myself to my music while having a good foundation.”