"Mama Didn't Raise No Fool," the single from my recently release eponymous debut release, is an anthem for me. It's a commentary on two different things:

First, it's a commentary on how people tend to underestimate others based on their appearance and first impressions. As an outgoing individual, people often mistake my jovial attitude for weakness, but I'm a pretty strong, independent person. All of my youth I was mocked as the "dumb blonde." My track record would prove that very wrong, but there's not much point in defending myself to the bullies. I've learned know my own worth and not to seek validation from others. I find that most people who are underestimated, tend to know it, and they often keep their mouths shut in response to comments meant to knock them down. There's no point in fighting over it. You just refrain from also belittling others and continue to be the best you can be. Eventually, people figure out that they were wrong about you.

Second, the song is a commentary on the common and unfortunate nature of relationships in our culture. Women often get played either by the full-on player (the guys that cheats with multiple women while in a committed relationship and all of the women think they're his #1) or by the secret player (he'll say something like, "we weren't technically boyfriend and girlfriend, so it's totally okay that I was dating other women"). Sure, it happens to men too, but, let's be honest, it's usually the woman who gets duped. Neither party should be receiving such treatment. Our culture exposes this dynamic, but we haven't made any advances to stop it. If anything, we're perpetuating it. We simply tell the played party to find a better partner next time, because "players never change." Well, maybe they should. What about mutual respect? Why don't we demand that women and men treat each other with enough respect not to step out on them or to "keep their options open" when they have something really great in front of them? This song is an aggressive response to that. It basically says, "I'll be sweet to you, but I can see through you. Don't mess with me."