Dear Mama’s influence came from it’s near universal message about a sons feelings of gratefulness towards his mother. Based on research from 1961-2013, Chaney and Brown have found that within the black community the symbolic meaning of a mother are as such; 1) mama stands for a source of comfort and support, 2) mama symbolizes strength and self-confidence, 3) Mama is superior to fatherhood, 4) Mama is the teacher and disciplinarian, 5) Mama symbolizes unconditional and endless love.(Chaney & Brown) Dear Mama’s importance was the symbolic meaning of the mother in the black community which clearly had an impact that stretched beyond racial boundaries, hence the enormous amount of support the song gained being described as, “having a reach that extended outward for infinity.”(Serrano) The song really took a personal look into Tupac’s hardened rough thug life character, to reveal the softer side of his love for his mother. Lyrics such as, “And even as a crack-fiend, mama / you always been a black queen, mama.” explicitly displays how strong and powerful, within the black community, the notion of a mothers connection with her children. Also the lyrics, “To keep me happy there’s no limit to the things you did,” shows the consideration and care that a mother has for her child.(Serrano) These lyrics present a very real picture as to what it’s like growing up in a low-income environment. I believe that these lyrics hold power for the fact that it is able to encourage land explain an unconditional love between two people all while letting you know that the situations and circumstances that surrounded that love were tragic. “Dear Mama” reached a platinum status a few months after it’s release, holding the number one spot on the Billboard’s Hot Rap Chart for five weeks in a row, and also made its way into the National Recording Registry for preservation by the Library of Congress due to its creative symbolic meaning and depiction of what it means to be a mother.(Serrano) This song was described with the quote, “Fewer things are simpler, Fewer still more complex,” giving perfect meaning and understanding to the contradicting understanding of the simple but also complex love that Tupac had for his mother Afeni Shakur.
