Career
When she was 15, Ama was singing to herself on a platform at Hammersmith tube station, and was overheard by Kwame Kwaten, a producer at the FreakStreet record label.[1] In 1995, an unknown independent label released a single titled "Celebrate", which was a ballad produced by D'Influence. Although the single was not a commercial success, it did draw attention to Shola Ama as an artist. On her 16th birthday, she signed a recording contract with WEA.
The single "You're the One I Love" was Ama's first single release for WEA in 1996; it barely made an impact on the charts, only managing to reach No. 85. Her second WEA single, "You Might Need Somebody", remains her biggest hit. This Turley Richards cover reached No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart[2] in April 1997. It remained in the top 40 for almost two months, becoming one of 1997's biggest hits. A re-release of "You're the One I Love" followed in August 1997 and reached No. 3.[2] Her third single "Who's Loving My Baby" was released in November 1997 and reached No. 13.[2] At the age of 18, Shola Ama released her debut album Much Love (1997).
In May 1997, Ama performed her single "You Might Need Somebody" at Wembley Stadium as part of the build-up to the rugby league Challenge Cup Final.
On the success of the album, Ama won a Brit Award for Best British Female and two MOBO Awards for Best Newcomer and Best R&B Act.[3]
In 1999, Ama released her second album In Return. The project saw her working with the record producers Fred Jerkins III, Stargate, Shaun Labelle, Full Crew, D-Influence Productions and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (formerly of A Tribe Called Quest). Co-writers included Angie Stone and Babyface with David Foster.
Despite having support from her record label, In Return was a commercial flop. Following this, Ama took a break from recording.[4][5]
In 2002, Ama went back into the recording studio to record her third album, Supersonic. Unable to obtain a major label deal, she instead formed a distribution deal with Pony Canyon.
In 2004, Ama featured on the track "You Should Really Know" by the Pirates, a response in song to Mario Winans' "I Don't Wanna Know" which reached No. 8 on the UK chart.
Ama also mentored her sister Sadie Ama, who signed her own recording contract and released "So Sure" (2004) and "Fallin" (2007).
Ama featured as vocalist on the Perempay & Dee single "DJ Play". The song was released in October 2009 and received heavy rotation on the radio.[6] She also featured on one of rapper Giggs' songs, "Cut Above the Rest", and later featured on the bonus disc to his album, Let Em Ave It, on a song called "Blow Em Away".
In February 2010, Ama joined a new collective group formed by Wiley called A-List, alongside her sister Sadie Ama and grime musicians Roll Deep, Mz. Bratt, Wrigley, Margs, Young Kye and Kivanc.[7]
In 2013, Ama narrated on the show My Crazy Jamaican Life.
In October 2015, Ama released a new 8-track EP featuring new reggae influenced tracks titled Surreal on Necessary Mayhem Records, 13 years after her last album Supersonic in 2002.
In April 2016, she featured on the album System Killer by Frisco on the song "Rocket"
He Don't Know
Shola Ama Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I wasn't playing
He wouldn't listen
To what I was saying
He just ain't hitting it
The way that he needs too
I just ain't getting
So baby what you don't know won't hurt you
I'll be getting mine like I want to
You know that it's a shame
You think were cool
Now I'll be moving on
Used to feel you
He don't know that I'm out playing
Gave him every chance
To be the one for me
He don't know that I'm out here playing
Gonna let him go
When I find the one for me
Used to give me love
Don't know what happened
It was going somewhere
Now he just ain't there
Used to do me right
Now it so wrong
Maybe he'll figure out
Everything when I'm gone
So baby what you don't know won't hurt you
I'll be getting mine like I want to
You know that it's a shame
You think were cool
Now I'll be moving on
Used to feel you
He don't know that I'm out playing
Gonna let him go
When I find the one for me
He don't know that I'm out playing
Gave him every chance
To be the one for me
He don't know that I'm out playing
Gonna let him go
When I find the one for me
He don't know he don't know that I'm moving on
What I want he don't think nothing's wrong
He don't know what I'm doing
He don't know that I'm moving on
What I want he ain't doing
He don't think nothing's wrong
In Shola Ama's song "He Don't Know", she sings about a failing relationship where she has tried to communicate her needs and wants to her partner but he wouldn't listen. She states that he's not fulfilling her needs, and nothing she can do will change that. As a result, she decides to seek pleasure elsewhere, without his knowledge, and she tells him that what he doesn't know won't hurt him. She also mentions that she used to feel love from him but he's no longer meeting her needs. She believes that her partner may eventually realize everything he's lost when she's gone if he figures it out at all.
The song's overall meaning is about a relationship that has lost its communication and connection, and one partner decides to keep secrets and seek pleasure elsewhere. It suggests that sometimes people feel they have no choice but to keep secrets or move on because their needs are not being met in the relationship. It also highlights that communication is essential in a relationship, and when it breaks down, the relationship may not survive.
Line by Line Meaning
I tried to tell him
I attempted to communicate with him
That I wasn't playing
That I was serious
He wouldn't listen
He refused to hear me out
To what I was saying
To the message that I was trying to convey
He just ain't hitting it
He is not satisfying me
The way that he needs too
In the way that I require
I just ain't getting
I am not receiving
Nothing that I can do
There is nothing I can do about it
So baby what you don't know won't hurt you
If you do not know, it will not harm you
I'll be getting mine like I want to
I will be satisfying myself on my terms
You know that it's a shame
It is regrettable
You think were cool
You believe we are fine
Now I'll be moving on
I will be leaving
Used to feel you
I used to have feelings for you
He don't know that I'm out playing
He is not aware that I am involved with someone else
Gave him every chance
I gave him every opportunity
To be the one for me
To be my partner
Gonna let him go
I am going to end our relationship
When I find the one for me
When I discover my ideal partner
Used to give me love
He used to express affection towards me
Don't know what happened
I do not know what went wrong
It was going somewhere
We were progressing
Now he just ain't there
Now he is emotionally unavailable
Used to do me right
He used to treat me well
Now it so wrong
Now it is so different
Maybe he'll figure out
Perhaps he will understand
Everything when I'm gone
Everything when I leave him
He don't know he don't know that I'm moving on
He is not aware that I am leaving him
What I want he don't think nothing's wrong
He believes that everything is fine, but that is not what I desire
He don't know what I'm doing
He does not know my current actions
What I want he ain't doing
He is not fulfilling my desires
He don't think nothing's wrong
He does not believe that there are any issues
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BENSUSEN STEVIE CEDENO, SHAUN H. LABELLE, ROGER LYNCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind