Among some of Tupac’s greatest works is his 1995 album, Me Against the World. What makes this album so widely accepted an popular is track number 9, the single, “Dear Mama”. This song is arguably one of Tupac’s greatest feats during his career. On top of the many accolades it received from the Billboard Hot 100, Rolling Stone, and the Library of Congress, this song enters an all time great category because of its, “gripping matriarchal appreciation” for mother’s in this world.(Serrano) Although Tupac was known to deeply express his thoughts and feelings about the political make-up and societal structure of the country within his music, he very rarely opened up about his personal relationships that he had with his mother, so in turn, “Dear Mama” became one of the first lyrical songs that Tupac created to show his transparency and vulnerability of feelings that he has for his mother. With such a unique insight into Tupac’s private life, the focus is to break down the many components that went into the production and creation of “Dear Mama”. By analyzing the symbolic meaning of motherhood in the black community, the sampling of legendary jazz musician Joe Sample, and the use of the synthesizer to solidify smooth jazzy hooks and riffs, we will be able to unpack why “Dear Mama” and it’s production was so widely accepted and popular.
