Kanye West’s “Hey Mama” vs. “Love Lockdown” – Vote for the Best Song

When it comes to hip-hop in 2016, Kanye West has been dominating the conversation. Whether it's a new album, a surprise studio collaboration, teaming up with a major brand or using Twitter as a sounding board, he continuously makes headlines for every move he makes.

Last month, Yeezy dropped his seventh solo LP, The Life of Pablo, after four title changes, edited tracklists and a seemingly endless amount of collaborators. While his road to debuting the project was quite the journey of triumphs and tribulations, the music is what matters most. To get to this point, the Chi-town MC has blessed fans with solid, standout material ranging from mixtape cuts, album singles and Grammy-winning efforts over the years.

With so many songs in this rap powerhouse's catalog, XXL is highlighting some of the best and pitting them against each other to find out which one reigns supreme according to you, the fans. Thirty-two tracks have been selected from each of his seven albums to compete. "Hey Mama" vs. "Love Lockdown" is up for the competition.

As one of West’s most honest and touching records, “Hey Mama” is exactly how it sound -- a beautiful open letter to his mother, Donda West. The song first appeared on 'Ye's 2005 Freshmen Adjustment tape, before taking its final place on Late Registration. Sadly, on Nov. 10, 2007, Donda West died of heart disease after having plastic surgery. Though he rarely performs the track anymore, "Hey Mama" serves as a living eulogy to Kanye's first love.

When it comes to "Love Lockdown," the immense build up, tribal drums and synthy vibe made it a standout on the rapper's 2008 LP, 808s & Heartbreak. Through heavy Auto-Tune, Kanye recalls the push and pull of letting a lover go ("I can't keep myself and keep you too") and then being unsure in the decision ("Baby I'm confused, you choose.")

Now it's time to vote. Think hard and place your vote in the poll below for your favorite song: Kanye's "Hey Mama" or "Love Lockdown." The first round ends on March 7 so make your vote count. You can vote once per hour until the poll closes.

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