Artist/Group: 2Pac
Album: Me Against the World
Released: 1995
Label: Interscope
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"Dear Mama" is a song by American hip hop recording artist 2Pac, released on February 9, 1995, as the lead single from his third studio album, Me Against the World. The song is a tribute to his mother, Afeni Shakur. In the song, Shakur details his childhood poverty and his mother's addiction to crack cocaine, but argues that his love and deep respect for his mother supersede bad memories. The song topped the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart for five weeks and also peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was certified Platinum by the RIAA on July 13, 1995.
"Dear Mama" has been consistently ranked among the best of its genre, appearing on numerous "greatest" lists. In 2009, the song was added to the National Recording Registry in the Library of Congress, who deemed it a work that is "culturally, historically, or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." In a press release, the organization called the song "a moving and eloquent homage to both the murdered rapper's own mother and all mothers struggling to maintain a family in the face of addiction, poverty and societal indifference."
The song is a tribute to Shakur's mother, Afeni Shakur. She and her husband were active members of the Black Panther Party in New York in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Shakur was born a month after his mother was acquitted of more than 150 charges of "Conspiracy against the United States government and New York landmarks" in the New York "Panther 21" court case. She was often absent during his childhood in favor of being an activist, and also during his adolescence when she became addicted to crack cocaine. Shakur was kicked out by Afeni at age 17, and they had little contact for many years. Having "lost all respect" for his mother, he subsequently moved into a vacant apartment with friends and began writing poetry and rap lyrics. In 1990, realizing her habit was out-of-control, she enrolled in a 12-step program at a drug and alcohol treatment center in Norwalk, Connecticut. After completion, she reconciled with her son, who was at this point a successful recording artist.
Record producer Tony Pizarro, explained that
Pac used to make references to 'Dear Mama' in a lot of different songs and I'd always be like 'You know that's a songs in itself.' And one day he was like 'I got somethin' for that.' And he was like 'Man, you have In My Wildest Dreams by the Crusaders' and I was like 'Yeah.' He was like 'Yeah, I got something for that.' So I got the track ready. Pac just came through and just dropped it and blessed it with them vocals.
The song was written shortly before Shakur served a prison term. Upon completion of the track, Shakur phoned longtime friend Jada Pinkett-Smith, remarking, "I wrote this song about our mothers and I want you to hear it." Pinkett-Smith's mother too had struggled with drug addiction, and their experiences growing up with this as children led to their friendship. She later remarked that the song gave her a "rush of emotions" upon her first listen. Johnny J, one of the rapper's producers, noted that "The emotional, the sad songs, were his personal favorites." Shakur mentioned the song and his intentions behind it in a 1995 interview with the Los Angeles Times: "I'm the kind of guy who is moved by a song like Don McLean's "Vincent," that one about Van Gogh. The lyric on that song is so touching. That's how I want to make my songs feel. Take "Dear Mama" — I aimed that one straight for my homies' heartstrings." When questioned on possible misogyny in his lyrics, Shakur defended his music, noting that he worked in the studio with women and played his songs for women pre-release, remarking, "Why do you think I wrote 'Dear Mama'? I wrote it for my mama because I love her and I felt I owed her something deep."
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