by AD Carson, University of Virginia
Songs to and about mothers are so common in hip-hop music that audiences sometimes seem to take it for granted.
As someone who studies hip-hop and how it is shaped and shaped by society and culture, I am skeptical of the idea that artists are expected to write songs that rap dedicates to mothers and motherhood. We believe that we have never abandoned
The past few years have seen many notable contributions to the genre. Two of my favorites of his are her 2019 song “Black Soul” from 7xvethegenius, where she sings about her grandmother’s death and not wanting to disappoint her mother. Another one of hers is Tierra Whack’s 2021 “Cutting Onions,” which mourns the death of her grandmother. .
Of the long list of lyrical tributes to mothers recorded by rap artists over the last 50 years, none may have had more lasting impact than Tupac Shakur’s “Dear Mama.” The song peaked at number nine on her Hot 100 on Billboard in 1995 and has since generated her over 257 million streams on Spotify. For comparison, Kanye West’s “Hey Mama” was only a fraction of that with 85 million streams on Spotify.
The popularity of “Dear Mama” will undoubtedly continue as it shares the same title as the FX documentary series about Tupac and his mother Afeni Shakur, directed by Allen Hughes, co-director of “The Menace II Society.” will continue to rise. “Dead Presidents” with her twin brother Albert.
The director also had a history of violence with rappers, which resulted in Tupac being sentenced to 15 days in prison in 1994 for assault.
The controversial relationship may be a hallmark of Tupac’s short but prolific career. In his documentary series ‘Diamama’, the relationship between him and his mother is told inside and out. The documentary series explores Afeni’s radical politics, her involvement with the Black Panther Party, and the impact her politics had on Tupac’s life and music. The song “Dear Mama” was released in 1995, the year before the rapper was murdered in Las Vegas.
Sound that transcends generations
If the song has any cross-generational appeal, it’s easy to understand from the fact that Tupac raps along to Joe Sample’s 1978 sample of ‘In All My Wildest Dreams’. . And in the song’s hook, the singers borrow from her 1974 song “Sadie,” which the Spinners dedicated to her mother.
Tupac’s autobiographical hymn to his mother showcases the rapper’s storytelling abilities with vivid and vulnerable details of the struggles and battles they shared. His family’s poverty, his mother’s struggles with drug addiction, his rebellion against authority, and the love they shared through it all were fundamental lyrical elements, and Tupac’s signature punchy singing. expressed in rhythm. To the voice of “Black Queen, Mama,” he offers variations, “I can’t pay you back/But my plan is to show you that I understand.” To do. / I am grateful. ” to punctuate each verse.
Below are some of my other favorite rap songs with lyrics dedicated to mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and other maternal figures who raised them through the hardships the artists faced. There are also works in which the artist addresses mothers directly in the style of “Dear Mama.”
Because my academic and artistic work is about “dope” and hip-hop music as one of its forms, many of these tragic stories are about how men who rap It’s worth pointing out that it offers similar reasons for engaging in alternative economies. Illegal drug sales in America. For the most part, they talk of their work as a way to realize the American Dream, which includes ensuring a better standard of living for their mothers.
Tupac himself wrote in “Dear Mama”:
“I’m innocent ’cause I’m selling stones/It feels good to put money in the mailbox.”/I love to pay the rent when it’s due. / I hope you received the diamond necklace I sent. ”
Before “Dear Mama,” Above the Law’s “Black Superman” struck a similar chord with the group.
“I called my mom out of there./Because all the mothers don’t care./Oh, you want to know why I sold you crap./Because you’re my best mom./Shit. Mothers won’t understand / But to my mom, I’m her real Negro Superman.”
Tupac isn’t the only rapper to write a lyric about using the proceeds from selling illegal drugs to give his mother material gifts.
Featured in the 2021 article “How Jay-Z went From Teenage Drug Dealer to World’s Richest Musician”, Jay-Z said in “I Made It” that he wrote about how she couldn’t believe how much she had changed from her “old life.” to stand on stage. ”
“Now you’re a misfit / Make sure it’s Christmas every day. / Write out your wish list. / Six, your wrist / shines. / You don’t even like jewelry. / But you can go missing anywhere.”
Along similar lines and using a similar title, Benny the Butcher has created a 2020 song titled “Thank God I Made It.” In it, he raps about surviving his racism and how it impacted his life choices, but I hope he can handle all the stress it caused him as a problem child. I am still grateful to his mother. In many ways, it’s consistent with Tupac’s “how to reminisce.” of the stress he put on his mother, and that “it was hell holding her out of prison.”
“I was raised by women, so shout out to the single moms who had to teach their teenage sons how to use rubber. / Why did the school call me home asking me why I had a wiretap? I wondered if I would use / because it would just add more stress on top of the effort. / I have very little to show you because I feel like I owe you. / You made me who I am.I never told you./You gave me a hand-me-down because you couldn’t afford a polo./Top 2 How do you feel when you see someone’s boy’s name in the logo?”
Some artists candidly portray the subtle interactions and respective vices between mother and son.
In the 2021 song “Life of the Party” by artists Ye and Andre 3000, formerly known as Kanye West, Andre 3000 prays for Ye’s mother, Donda West, who passed away in 2007, I hope the mothers will meet each other. Still offering motherly advice from the afterlife.
“Miss Donda, you can see Mama, tell her I’m lost. / Look, she always lit a cigarette. Let’s talk. I’m coughing. / I’m exaggerating a bit to get her to the point/trying to get her to quit smoking.I’d walk away and light a joint.”
While many artists dedicate their lyrics to the complex relationship they have with their mothers, others provide more mundane but vivid depictions of the daily life of the head of the family at home.
In the 2023 song “The Weather” by Black Thought and El Michel’s Affair, Black Thought raps about his grandmother:
“Minnie will be grinning knowing I spent the day pinching pennies and sinning. / Watch her cook fish and poultry in the kitchen. / It depends on the day. / If I’m there, yes, that’s exactly what it is. / If she says so. / In Minnie’s crib, time has stopped. / After sunset, curtains and blinds. keep the closed.”
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AD Carson, Assistant Professor of Hip Hop, University of Virginia
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Please read the original article.