Dear Mama

Lore & Background

The song is a tribute to Shakur's mother, Afeni Shakur, who was an active member of the Black Panther Party. Shakur was born a month after his mother was acquitted of more than 150 charges in the New York "Panther 21" court case. She was often absent during his childhood and became addicted to crack cocaine during his adolescence. Shakur was kicked out by Afeni at age 17, and they had little contact for many years.

After she completed a twelve-step program, they reconciled. In 2023, Billy Garland, Shakur's father, admitted he was upset about being labeled a "coward" in the song. Record producer Tony Pizarro recalled that Shakur frequently referenced the idea of "Dear Mama" across multiple songs, and later made a concept for the song referencing "In My Wildest Dreams" (1978) by Joe Sample. According to Master Tee's 2023 lawsuit, the initial version was recorded in October 1993, with Shakur writing the lyrics on a toilet.

The song was written shortly before Shakur served a prison term. Upon completion, Shakur called Jada Pinkett-Smith, remarking "I wrote this song about our mothers and I want you to hear it." In a 1995 interview, Shakur revealed he was influenced by emotionally expressive songs including Don McLean's "Vincent" (1972). In May 2016, DJ King Assassin shared an earlier version online, noting differences in the hook and the removal of a Yo-Yo sample and a Richard Pryor excerpt.

Reader's Guide

In "Dear Mama", Shakur praises his mother's courage and describes the "highs and lows" of her past. The song is one of notable hip-hop songs in which male rappers state their reverence for their mothers. Author Mickey Hess asserts that the mother's appearance in Shakur's music is designed to establish credibility with listeners, connecting him to black radical history. The song's most famous lyric is one in which Shakur declares his love for Afeni, as well as his disappointment. Michael Eric Dyson interprets that this line reflects Shakur's emotional maturity. Scholar George Yancy argued that the song's slow tempo contributes to a reflective tone, and described it as a praise song centered on Black motherhood.

Did You Know?

• "Dear Mama" was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2009, making it the first hip-hop recording by a soloist to be inducted.
• The song's initial version sampled a lyric from Ice Cube's "It's a Man's World" and featured scratching by DJ King Assassin.