Watch: Patti LaBelle Is Everyone’s Favorite Mom

There’s something about Mrs. Wayne from A Different World.

She was a black mother personified: Adele Wayne would put you in check, was protective of her kin (Chipmunk!), witty and intelligent, and boy, could Mrs. Wayne cook.

In her role as Adele Wayne, Patti LaBelle did that.

Over the decades, the legendary singer has played the role of many mothers—and she’s played them so well. Most recently, LaBelle joined the cast of Star as a gun-toting mother. “She’s gangster Patti,” LaBelle tells The Root.

As a mother to five children, LaBelle has a bit of experience within the realm of motherhood.

LaBelle talked to The Root about motherhood, on- and offscreen, in what some would call the role of a lifetime.

See the full video above.