20 songs with children singing the hook

People have often told children that they can be anything they want to be when they grow up, and rapper Nas brought those words to song in his 2003 single “I Can.” Using a sample of Beethoven’s “Für Elise,” Nas raps inspirational lyrics for children to accomplish their dreams with hard work and determination. As the kids sing on the hook, “I know I can be what I want to be / If I work hard at it, I’ll be where I want to be.” 

In 2004, Eminem released his fifth album, Encore, and one of the standout singles was “Like Toy Soldiers.” On the track, Eminem samples the 1989 Martika track “Toy Soldiers,” as the rapper finds himself growing as a person and highlighting the importance of friendship and respect.

The 1982 Annie movie already had a popular song with “It’s A Hard Knock Life.” Jay-Z samples the track for his 1998 single “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” as he details his rags-to-riches life story. While the children singing the hook is borrowed from the Annie song, it’s the perfect summation of how Jay may have felt growing up. 

On Jaheim’s 2002 track “Fabulous,” he details the different life experiences of people who grew up in his neighborhood. He implies that just because circumstances may cause people to have a rougher life than others, people shouldn’t give up on persevering through it all. 

Michael Jackson wanted to bring awareness about human rights and racism with his 1995 single “They Don’t Care About Us.” On this track, Jackson uses children on the intro hook while he takes over the remainder. As the world continues to fight for basic human rights to this day, "They Don't Care About Us" is a track that still rings true nearly 30 years later since its release.

On M.I.A.’s 2008 single “Paper Planes,” she details dealing with her immigration status and her attempt to get a work permit in another country. On the hook, she uses more satire to describe how native citizens may feel about immigrants migrating to take some of their jobs.

On Pink Floyd’s 1979 track “Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2,” the band enlists a choir for a protest song about the education system. The song doesn’t necessarily protest what kids learn in school. However, they feel that schools should always be a place for students to express free thinking. 

One of the most prominent liberating and empowering anthems for Black people is James Brown’s 1968 track “Say It Loud - I’m Black and I’m Proud.” No matter how much the world makes Black people feel inferior, there’s something impactful about showing pride in one’s culture. The world may try to always bring people down, but James Brown is ready to uplift. 

On Quincy Jones’ 1989 single “Tomorrow (A Better You, A Better Me),” he enlists Tevin Campbell and a children’s choir to highlight how kids can follow their dreams and make the world a bit better for everyone. As the children sing, “Everybody say tomorrow is just for us to share / And we’re gonna send our message of love out everywhere / There’s a promise of love, tomorrow has something special.” 

On Kanye West’s 2004 track “We Don’t Care,” the rapper details how some people get into drug dealing just to make ends meet. It may not be the most kid-friendly song, but the children singing on the track give a sense of having a young person's mind. As the kids sing on the hook, “Drug dealin’ just to get by / Stack your money ‘til it get sky high / We wasn’t supposed to make it past 25 / Joke’s on you, we still alive.” 

In 2005, the animated band Gorillaz released its second album, Demon Days. In the third single, "Dirty Harry," children sing throughout the song to help depict soldiers going through a war. 

On Gucci Mane’s 2009 single “Lemonade,” kids join him on the hook as he raps about a lot of his favorite things in the color yellow. Everything from yellow rims on his fly ride to eating lemon pepper wings, wearing yellow diamonds, and drinking lemonade — adding the children gives the song an element that people of different generations can enjoy, even if the song isn't the most kid-friendly.

After a five-year hiatus, Mase released his fittingly titled single “Welcome Back.” Mase had initially announced his retirement in the late ‘90s and then felt the music world wasn’t the same without him. The children heard on the hook was perfect to help with the music video parody of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. 

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ “Wing$” details the infatuation people have with buying name-brand items and high-ticket items. The protagonist tells the story of getting his first pair of Jordan sneakers while other kids couldn’t afford them. The song has more of a bigger meaning that people shouldn’t deem other people’s worth based on what they can or can not afford. 

For music lovers who need a lighthearted and feel-good track, then Nappy Roots' 2007 single “Good Day” is the perfect song. On the hook, the children are heard singing, “We’re gonna have a good day / And all my homies gonna ride today / And all these mommies look fly today / And all we wanna do is get by today.” 

Throughout life, people can only hope that progress is made with each generation. This mindset is heard in the Nas and Damian Marley single “My Generation.” The track expresses the sentiment that young people will continue to make the world a better place than it was yesterday. 

In 2009, indie pop band Passion Pit came onto the scene with their debut album, Manners. On the third single "Little Secrets," the band teams up with PS22 Chorus to reflect the song's meaning of a person feeling high off life. 

Lil Durk teamed up with J. Cole on his 2023 single “All My Life.” On the track, Durk details the ups and downs he’s endured in his life and career and how he continues to overcome any obstacles that come his way. As the kids sing on the hook, “All my life / They been trying to keep me down / All this time / Never thought I would make it out.” 

On Trick Daddy’s 2001 single “I’m a Thug,” he details how his personality, mannerisms, and fashion sense may subject him to criticism, but he’s not changing who he is for anyone else. The hook finds children singing about thug life being the life they want to live, the types of lyrics that may not sit well with every parent that hears it. 

In 1998, hip hop trio The Lox released its debut studio album Money, Power & Respect. The album dropped nearly a year after their labelmate, The Notorious B.I.G,  tragically lost his life. In Biggie's honor, The Lox released the track "We'll Always Love Big Poppa." Children are heard singing the title lyrics on the hook as the group lyrically reflects on Biggie's friends trying to deal with grief.