Mario Mendell Winans (born August 29, 1974 in Orangeburg, SC) is an America… Read Full Bio ↴Mario Mendell Winans (born August 29, 1974 in Orangeburg, SC) is an American R&B producer, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist best known for his 2004 song "I Don't Wanna Know", which reached number 2 in the United States and number 1 in the United Kingdom. Winans also won a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance for co-writing CeCe Winans's song "Pray".

Early career:
Mario Winans was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina but grew up in Detroit. He is a member of gospel music's most notable family, the Winans, being the son of Marvin Winans and Vickie Winans. He is also the nephew of gospel singers BeBe Winans and CeCe Winans.

Winans started out learning music in school learning piano, keyboards, and drums. His mother Vicki Winans bought him a roomful of recording equipment, and he learnt the function of every piece of equipment. He started producing gospel groups straight out of high school and soon accumulated credits for Fred Hammond, The Anointed, and the Clark Sisters as well as various Winans family member albums.

In the mid-1990's, he signed a production deal with Dallas Austin's Rowdy Records. His breakthrough came with credits on the tracks "I Can't Sleep Baby" and "You Remind Me Of Something" on R. Kelly's R. Kelly album in 1995. Work with Pebbles and 98 Degrees soon followed.

Winans released his debut album Story of my Heart on Motown in 1997. While the song "Don't Know" reached the U.S. R&B top 50, the album failed to chart.

Soon after, Winans teamed up with P. Diddy and his Bad Boy roster. His first work with Bad Boy was playing drums on "Come With Me" in 1998 by Diddy and Jimmy Page, based on the classic Led Zeppelin song "Kashmir" from their 1975 album Physical Graffiti.

Over the past few years, Winans has racked a sizeable list of production credits for Bad Boy artists including Diddy, The Notorious B.I.G., Lil' Kim, Faith Evans, Loon, Black Rob, and 112. He has also worked with notable artists outside Bad Boy including Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston, Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Tamia, and Brian McKnight.

Winans co-wrote the 2-part song "I Need a Girl" with P. Diddy and appeared on the "Pt. 2" version with Loon, Ginuwine, and Diddy, which became a hit recording in 2002. He also produced the Bad Boy remix compilation We Invented The Remix in 2002.

Solo Success:

Winans recorded his second album Hurt No More in 2001, 2002, and 2003 in between his busy schedule working with other artists. The album is based on stories of love and betrayal.

The first single "I Don't Wanna Know" was based on a sample of the Fugees' 1996 hit single "Ready Or Not", which itself was based on a slowed-down sample of the instrumental track "Boadicea" by Enya from her 1987 self-titled album. Enya and her representatives became annoyed since Winans did not seek her approval for the sample, as he was unaware that the Fugees sample he had used had itself been a sample. So, a compromise was reached to credit the single as "Mario Winans featuring P. Diddy and Enya". [1]. The song features a rap by P. Diddy and radio programmers and club DJs started playing the track when it started appearing on mixtapes. The song was released as the single in early 2004 and became a worldwide hit going to #1 in Germany and on the rhythmic top 40 radio chart in the United States; to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, on the U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop singles chart, and on the world internet download charts; and to #3 on a composite world R&B chart (based on the R&B charts in the U.S., UK, Germany, France, and Australia) and on both the Australian and Norwegian singles charts. It also reached the top ten on a composite European singles chart.

Hurt No More was released on April 20, 2004 in the U.S. and, by early June 2004, had reached #1 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, #2 on the Billboard 200, and #3 on the UK's album chart.

The album's second single, "Never Really Was", used a sample of the orchestrated beginning of Madonna's 1986 hit, "Papa Don't Preach", as its background music. However, the song failed to chart in America.

How I Made It
Mario Winans Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yeah, this song right here
Is about a young man
Who's endured a lot of twists and turns in his life
Cause he always kept his head up, stayed focused
This man's name is Mario Winans, listen

[Chorus]
What makes you think I can't make it?

Put me to the test, I'll take it
I've been through more trials
But I've overcome all of them
And I've never been one for faking
I kept on moving and shaking
And that's how I made it

I've seen it all
But I never let no one
Tell me it's right, when it's wrong
Cause I heard it all before
And it gives me a reason to fight for
A right for, to do what I gotta do

[Chorus]

All of my life
I was told that you had to go through
Just to get where you want
And if you come across a storm
You just gotta keep holding on, and stay strong
And do what you gotta do

[Chorus]

Hey yo I came from the bottom, worked my way up
Ran wit big dudes, had to get my weight up
Now my cake up, now it's lights, cameras, make up
Trips to Jacob, foreign countries
Reminisce of times when we all was hungry
Now I made it, and all y'all niggaz can hate it
Seeing that I sound like Mase and
Knowing that I came from the basement
Did my own thing, so face it
Now they coming wit cases, now wit this hand I'm racist
I'm so close I can taste it
Sometimes I just wanna grab toast and take it
But I'm a keep moving and shaking

Stay true to my faith and
I ain't worried about you, I'm a make it (I'm a make it)

Overall Meaning

The song "How I Made It" by Mario Winans is a self-reflective and motivational track that details the struggles and successes of his life. In the opening lines of the song, Winans talks about a young man who has gone through various ups and downs in life but remained determined to succeed. Throughout the song, Winans emphasizes the importance of perseverance and determination, highlighting his own personal journey as evidence that anyone can overcome adversity with the right mindset.

The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea that nothing is impossible and that anyone can achieve their dreams if they stay focused and work hard. Winans speaks about his struggles and never backing down despite the obstacles he faced. He explains that he has seen it all, but he never lets anyone else dictate his path or what he knows to be right.

The verses of the song provide personal anecdotes that illustrate how Winans overcame obstacles in his life. From his humble beginnings to the present day, he did what he needed to do in order to get where he wanted to go. The second verse in particular emphasizes the idea that one must hold on and stay strong when faced with a storm. The final verse underscores the notion that despite his success, he will keep moving forward, sticking to his principles and relying on his faith.

Overall, "How I Made It" is a motivational song that encourages listeners to persevere in the face of adversity and pursue their goals with dedication and focus.

Line by Line Meaning

Yeah, this song right here Is about a young man Who's endured a lot of twists and turns in his life Cause he always kept his head up, stayed focused This man's name is Mario Winans, listen
This song is Mario Winans' story. He has faced many challenges but he always stayed positive and focused towards his goals.

What makes you think I can't make it? Put me to the test, I'll take it I've been through more trials But I've overcome all of them And I've never been one for faking I kept on moving and shaking And that's how I made it
Mario Winans challenges anyone who questions his ability to succeed. He has faced tough situations but he never gave up and pushed through. He never fakes success but rather continued to work hard towards his goals.

I've seen it all But I never let no one Tell me it's right, when it's wrong Cause I heard it all before And it gives me a reason to fight for A right for, to do what I gotta do
Mario Winans has experienced a lot in life but he never lets anyone tell him what is right or wrong. He learned from past experiences and uses it as a motivator to fight for his goals and to do what is right.

All of my life I was told that you had to go through Just to get where you want And if you come across a storm You just gotta keep holding on, and stay strong And do what you gotta do
Mario Winans was told from a young age that hard work and perseverance are necessary to achieve success. Even when faced with difficulties, he never gave up and stayed strong to accomplish his goals.

Hey yo I came from the bottom, worked my way up Ran wit big dudes, had to get my weight up Now my cake up, now it's lights, cameras, make up Trips to Jacob, foreign countries Reminisce of times when we all was hungry Now I made it, and all y'all niggaz can hate it Seeing that I sound like Mase and Knowing that I came from the basement Did my own thing, so face it Now they coming wit cases, now wit this hand I'm racist I'm so close I can taste it Sometimes I just wanna grab toast and take it But I'm a keep moving and shaking Stay true to my faith and I ain't worried about you, I'm a make it (I'm a make it)
Mario Winans started at the bottom and worked hard to improve himself. He put in the work and now enjoys the fruits of his labor. He now remembers his struggles and reflects on them. Despite facing negativity, he will continue to work hard, have faith and succeed.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHAUNCEY LAMONT HAWKINS, HAROLD HUDSON, LARRY DAVIS, MARIO WINANS, MARIO MENDELL WINANS, THOMAS MC CLARY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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