Dear Mama
by 2Pac

Album: Me Against the World (1995)
Charted: 27 9
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Tupac wrote this for his mother, Afeni Shakur, to let her know that he appreciates all hardship she went through in raising him. It was one of the first popular rap songs to sing the praises of the artist's mother, something that became common as rappers like Kanye West and Nas dedicated songs to their mothers. Eminem also made his mother the subject of his rhymes, but in a very unflattering way. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Bertrand - Paris, France
  • This samples "In All My Wildest Dreams" by Joe Sample.
  • When the Me Against The World album entered the charts at #1 in March 1996, Tupac became the first artist to have a #1 album while in jail: he was serving a 4 ½ year prison sentence for sexual assault. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Bertrand - Paris, France
  • The video, which was filmed while Tupac was in prison, shows the rapper's mom looking through old photo albums. Model and magazine editor Tracii McGregor played Afeni in the clip.

    McGregor recalled to Watchloud in a 2015 interview: "For this role I looked like Afeni, I looked close enough. So they hired me for the role. [Afeni] came over and said hi and she was just marveling at how much I looked like her, couldn't believe the casting. We got to watch the parts where she was looking through the photos and it just made it more real and there was more pressure to get it right and not make it contrived."

Comments: 6

  • Obeid Daud Lyanga from TanzaniaGreat song of all time...!
  • Bamidele Jesse from Nigera I love this
  • AnonymousThe song remind me of my sweet morther each thing i lesting the song
  • Rupert from Delta State. Nigeria.I love this music.. I love 2pac.
  • Phillip from Tulsa, OkThis is possibly the best Hip Hop song ever in my eyes. every time i see the video its takes me back to my child hood sort of. i had it ruff but not as bad as the video depicts..
  • Barry from Greenville, NcThe chorus of this song is lifted from the Spinners' "Sadie," which went to #7 on the R&B charts in 1975.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Janis Ian

Janis IanSongwriter Interviews

One of the first successful female singer-songwriters, Janis had her first hit in 1967 at age 15.

Angelo Moore of Fishbone

Angelo Moore of FishboneSongwriter Interviews

Fishbone has always enjoyed much more acclaim than popularity - Angelo might know why.

70s Music Quiz 1

70s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

The '70s gave us Muppets, disco and Van Halen, all which show up in this groovy quiz.

Paul Williams

Paul WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

He's a singer and an actor, but as a songwriter Paul helped make Kermit a cultured frog, turned a bank commercial into a huge hit and made love both "exciting and new" and "soft as an easy chair."

Don Brewer of Grand Funk

Don Brewer of Grand FunkSongwriter Interviews

The drummer and one of the primary songwriters in Grand Funk talks rock stardom and Todd Rundgren.

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"They're Playing My Song

The first of Billy's five #1 hits was the song that propelled Madonna to stardom. You'd think that would get you a backstage pass, wouldn't you?