Carl Carlton, Voice of Funk Classic ‘She’s a Bad Mama Jama,’ Dead at 72

Carl Carlton on the cover of his 1981 self-titled album, which featured the Grammy-nominated hit “She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked).” The Detroit-born singer, who also scored with “Everlasting Love,” died Sunday at age 72. (Album cover image via 20th Century Records)

Carl Carlton — the R&B, soul and funk singer whose hits “Everlasting Love” and “She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked)” became part of America’s musical DNA — has died. He passed away Sunday at age 72, his son announced, following years of health challenges after a stroke.

“RIP Dad, Legend Carl Carlton,” his son, Carlton Hudgens II, wrote on Facebook. “Long hard fight in life and you will be missed… Always love you.”

Born Carlton Hudgens in Detroit in 1953, Carlton began performing as “Little Carl Carlton” in the 1960s, a nickname that stuck because of his resemblance in tone to Stevie Wonder. By the early ’70s, he dropped the “Little” and started making his own mark on the soul scene with “I Can Feel It,” his first appearance on Billboard’s soul chart.

His breakout came in 1974 with “Everlasting Love,” a triumphant cover of Robert Knight’s R&B song that shot into the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 and became the version most listeners remember. Nearly 50 years later, it remains a timeless anthem of devotion, with more than 25 million Spotify streams and steady rotation on classic-soul playlists.

Carlton’s defining moment, however, arrived in 1981 with “She’s a Bad Mama Jama (She’s Built, She’s Stacked).” Written by Leon Haywood and released on his self-titled album, the song was a master class in funk confidence — slick, strutting and impossible not to dance to. It earned Carlton a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance and later became a pop-culture fixture, appearing in everything from “Friends” to “Miss Congeniality 2.” The track’s bassline has been sampled or referenced by Foxy Brown, Flo Milli and Das EFX, among others, proving its groove never aged out.

Carlton recorded steadily through the early 1980s, then shifted focus but never stopped performing. In 2010, he released a gospel album, “God Is Good,” a project that reflected the faith and optimism that often underpinned his music.

Tributes poured in from across the soul and funk community after his death. The group Con Funk Shun wrote, “With heavy hearts, we mourn the passing of the legendary Carl Carlton. His voice, talent and contributions to soul and R&B music will forever be a part of our lives and the soundtrack of so many memories. Rest in power, Carl. Your legacy lives on.”

Music outlet Okayplayer added that Carlton’s “voice helped shape generations of rhythm-driven sound,” describing his catalog as “a blueprint for what authentic soul and funk should feel like.”

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Carlton’s career reflected a deep love for melody and groove — the kind that reached church pews, roller rinks and dance floors alike. His songs were built to last, and so was his influence.

He is survived by his son, Carlton Hudgens II, and a body of work that continues to find new life through samples, remixes and every DJ who still knows that when “Bad Mama Jama” drops, the room moves.

Lil Jon, Toys 'R' Us Flip Thanksgiving Parade Virality Into Autism Speaks Fundraiser

Lil Jon rides the Toys“R”Us float during the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. His viral “Turn Down for What” moment has since spun into a fundraising campaign for Autism Speaks, raffling the custom jacket he wore in the parade. (Courtesy photo)

Somewhere between the marching bands, the inflatable Pikachu, and a sea of corporate branding, Lil Jon managed to make the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade feel like a block party again.

His performance on the Toys“R”Us float went viral not because of any big-budget pyrotechnics, but because the Atlanta-born king of crunk somehow made a 99-year-old holiday institution shout back “Yeah!”

Now, a few weeks later, Lil Jon and Toys“R”Us are turning that unlikely viral moment into something bigger — and a little bit better — a charity raffle that supports Autism Speaks. The campaign, announced this week, lets fans donate through toysrus.com/donatenow for a chance to win the custom jacket Lil Jon wore during the parade. The top-tier prize includes a meet-and-greet with him in Los Angeles, airfare and one night’s hotel stay.

For every five-dollar donation, fans get a shot at the jacket. One hundred bucks? One hundred entries. And, naturally, there’s an “extra entry” if you tag a friend on Instagram.

It’s all in support of Autism Speaks, an organization that’s spent more than two decades funding research, services and advocacy for autistic individuals and families.

 

“I’m excited to partner once again with Toys“R”Us — giving fans the chance to win my custom jacket that I wore during the parade — in support of Autism Speaks,” Lil Jon said in a statement announcing the project. “Donate now, let’s gooo, YEAHHH!!”

If it sounds both genuine and absurd, that’s because it is. Lil Jon, the same artist who turned “Shots!” into a generational chant, cleaning up Turn Down for What for the Macy’s Parade, is the kind of cultural full circle that only hip-hop could pull off.

Kim Miller Olko, global CMO for Toys“R”Us, framed it as a continuation of their long-standing charity work. “We’re thrilled to carry that momentum forward through this unique initiative,” she said, adding that the company has previously supported Autism Speaks and wants to “expand that partnership.”

Still, there’s something poetic about it — a once-bankrupt toy company teaming with a former club-scene megastar to raise money for a cause that hits close to home for many families. A kid-friendly parade float turned into an act of giving.

Lil Jon has been on plenty of big stages — from Grammy wins to EDM festivals — but this particular spotlight, wholesome and weird as it may be, might be his most unexpectedly human. In a landscape where celebrity charity drives can feel transactional, this one at least carries some of the chaotic sincerity that’s kept the rapper relevant for twenty years.

Because sometmes, giving back doesn’t have to be quiet.

For more information or to participate click here. 

Tyrone ''Fly Ty' Williams, Cold Chillin’ Founder and Hip-Hop Pioneer, Dies at 68

Tyrone “Fly Ty” Williams, the pioneering founder of Cold Chillin’ Records and one of hip-hop’s first major-label executives, in an undated photo shared on his Instagram. The Brooklyn-born architect of rap’s golden age — who helped launch Biz Markie, Big Daddy Kane and Roxanne Shanté — died Monday. (Photo via Instagram / @flytywilliams)

Tyrone “Fly Ty” Williams, a foundational architect of hip-hop’s golden era who founded Cold Chillin’ Records and helped launch some of rap’s most influential artists, died Monday in New York. He was 68.

Williams’ passing was confirmed on social media by the Hip-Hop Museum and peers in the culture, though no official cause of death has been publicly disclosed.

Rocky Bucano, CEO of the Hip-Hop Museum, shared a personal tribute on Facebook:

“This afternoon I received the heartbreaking news that my friend and brother in this culture, Tyrone ‘Fly Ty’ Williams, has passed away,” Bucano wrote. “Fly Ty was more than the former CEO of Cold Chillin’ Records — he was a pillar in the architecture of hip-hop. A trusted colleague, a champion for artists and one of the earliest executives to truly understand the power and potential of our culture.”

Artists and fans flooded social platforms with remembrances, celebrating Williams not just as a label head but as a mentor and cultural catalyst. Among them was MC Shan, a longtime Juice Crew member whose career Williams helped shepherd. Popular hip-hop feeds on Instagram and Facebook honored his legacy with tributes citing his vision and influence.

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Born and raised in Brooklyn, Williams came of age deeply steeped in music and culture before finding his calling in hip-hop. In 1986, at 27, he founded Cold Chillin’ Records — originally a subsidiary of Prism Records — which went on to become one of rap’s most influential labels during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Under his leadership, Cold Chillin’ became synonymous with the Juice Crew, the groundbreaking collective that included artists such as Biz Markie, Big Daddy Kane, Roxanne Shanté, Kool G Rap and MC Shan. Their records helped define New York rap’s early identity and set the template for lyricism and cohesion in hip-hop.

Williams’ business acumen played a crucial role in positioning hip-hop for broader audiences. A distribution partnership with Warner Bros. Records helped bring Cold Chillin’ releases into national markets without diluting the music’s authenticity — a rare achievement at a time when major labels were only tentatively embracing rap as a commercial art form.

Before his label tenure, Williams worked as a radio executive and producer, collaborating closely with influential DJ Mr. Magic and helping to expand dedicated hip-hop programming on commercial airwaves — the first steps toward bringing the culture out of block parties and into mainstream listening rooms.

Though Cold Chillin’ closed in 1998, its influence persists through the artists it championed and the career pathways it opened. Generations of rappers and producers have cited the label’s work as foundational to hip-hop’s culture and business evolution.

Williams’ death marks the loss of one of hip-hop’s earliest visionaries — an executive who, at a time when few in the broader industry grasped the cultural potential of rap, believed in the music’s power and helped turn that belief into reality.