1. Know what you want out of the situation in and be honest. No one demonstrates this better than Musiq Soulchild, but not just on one track, he gives you two. On his very first single, Just Friends, he takes the nice guy approach of just kickin it with a nice shawty and letting it flow from there. If that’s not the way you wanna go, check out one of his more recent joints B.U.D.D.Y. an anthem about the beauty of being friends with benefits.

2. Ladies this one’s for you: keep it real with your heart, and don’t play us with the rebound game. The #2 joint on this week’s countdown is Danity Kane with Damaged. Although the topic makes for a nice song, emotional baggage isn’t cool at all. If you need someone to fix it, maybe you need Jesus. And besides, keepin’ it real upfront causes less stress down the road.

3. A lot of fellas meet the nice lookin chick and think they’re willing to take on any challenge for her. That is, until her 15 year old son shows up and he’s taller than you. That’s why comin in at #3 is Lyfe Jennings with She Got Kids. On the real, kids are an important part to any person’s life, man or woman. If you can’t handle that you probably don’t wanna date someone with kids.

4. The #1 reason relationships dissolve is lack of communication. The #2 reason is too much communication – from outside forces. Up at #4 is Brandy and Kanye West with Talk About Our Love. A good way to keep your relationship in perspective is to keep everyone else OUT.

5. Fellas and ladies, if your significant other has an unusual amount of contact with the one before you, it might be a sign. The #5 joint is Mya with Case of the Ex. Mya was onto something here; if the ex is too close, you might need to move on to the next. Midnight phone calls, text messages and unexpected cameos from the ex could end up turning you into the next ex.

6. Fellas don’t fool yourself: if she left him for you, she’d leave you for the next man. #6 is an artist who needs a search party to dig him out of his retirement: Ginuwine with What’s So Different? Keep it in perspective and ask yourself, what’s really so different? The answers may shock you…

7. If this song hits home for you, it might be time to pick up and move. The #7 jam is from a woman who could write a book on keeping relationships in perspective – and that’s because she’s in one of the most successful celebrity marriages of our time. It’s none other than Tamia’s smash single Stranger In My House. This song highlights trust issues, which is yet another reason for the failure of relationships. When the trust is gone, you’re just slow dancing in a burning room.

Mother's Day is coming up: Sunday May 11, and Sound-Savvy would like to take the time to shout out those special women who have done so much in our lives. Being a mother is about more than just pushing out a kid; we recognize the struggles, and appreciate the sacrifices. Fortunately, so do many music artists, so we dedicate this countdown to all the mothers, especially those moms rockin with Sound-Savvy!

Artist: Jay-Z

Song: December 4^th

What better way to honor your mom than to put her on a track? Jay and Mama Carter take a trip down memory lane on this opening track to the Black Album, Jay’s first exit to retirement. With mom narrating and Jay spittin’ the flow, could there be a better mother and son collaboration?

Artist: Jamie Foxx
Song: I Wish You Were Here

This song was written for the woman who raised Foxx, his grandmother. For many, grandmothers were mothers, and Jamie does a masterful job of paying homage to the special woman who raised and molded him. Grandmothers all over the world, we love ya’ll just as much.

Artist: Talib Kweli
Song: Momma Can You Hear Me

If you’ve never heard this, don’t fret – it’s unreleased. This joint was recorded during the Eardrum sessions but is set to be released on the forthcoming Prisoner of Conscious and was produced by Kanye West. Everybody knows how Kweli flows, just imagine him spittin a whole song to his mom. Very deep listening.

Artist: Raheem Devaughn
Song: Woman

Once again reppin the DMV, Raheem celebrates the beauty of women as a whole, from the things we love, to the things that drive us crazy – and yes, even the little things. Woman is featured on Raheem Devaughn’s sophomore studio release Love Behind The Melody.

Artist: GhostFace and Mary J. Blige
Song: All That I Got Is You

A heart wrenching shout to moms and grandmothers accompanied by a tear jerking video clip. From overcrowded living spaces, to borrowing food from your neighbors just to make it, this song delves into the struggles a mother will endure for her children.

Artist: Anthony Hamilton

Song: Mama Knew Love

This is the opening cut from his debut Comin From Where I’m From. This is a reminiscent cut with a simple message – no matter how hard life got, Mama always knew love for her children.

Artist: 2Pac
Song: Dear Mama

Without question, Tupac was a lyricist beyond his years and his peers in the rap game. ‘Pac wrote this song to symbolize his appreciation for the one woman who would always understand him -- in life and beyond the grave.

Artist: Mario
Song: Do Right

In 2007, Mario filmed a documentary, I Love You, But I won’t Love You to Death, which chronicled his struggles with his mother’s addiction to heroin. This song is featured on his latest project Go (2007) and explains his love for her in spite of her addiction and his admiration for her as she overcame it.

Artist: Kanye West
Song: Hey Mama

This cut is from The Louis Vuitton Don himself and it was a shout to the woman who single-handedly helped him reach his dreams. With the passing of his mother last year, one thing this joint teaches, is to honor your mother while she’s still here. Rest in Peace Dr. West.

Artist: Boyz II Men
Song: A Song For Mama

Timeless is this cut from those 4 Philly boys. This track was featured on their Evolution CD and the Soul Food soundtrack. Not since this classic was released has there been a better R&B dedication to mothers all over the world that simply says I love you.