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Shakur was kicked out by Afeni at age 17, and they had little contact for many years. She was often absent during his childhood in favor of being an activist, and also during his adolescence when she became addicted to crack cocaine. Shakur was born a month after his mother was acquitted of more than 150 charges of "Conspiracy against the United States government and New York landmarks" in the New York " Panther 21" court case. She and her husband were active members of the Black Panther Party in New York in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The song is a tribute to Shakur's mother, Afeni Shakur. In 2009, the song was added to the National Recording Registry in the Library of Congress, who deemed it a work that is "culturally, historically, or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." In a press release, the organization called the song "a moving and eloquent homage to both the murdered rapper's own mother and all mothers struggling to maintain a family in the face of addiction, poverty and societal indifference."
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"Dear Mama" has been consistently ranked among the best of its genre, appearing on numerous "greatest" lists. The single was certified Platinum by the RIAA on July 13, 1995. The song topped the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart for five weeks and also peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100. In the song, Shakur details his childhood poverty and his mother's addiction to crack cocaine, but argues that his love and deep respect for his mother supersede bad memories. The song is a tribute to his mother, Afeni Shakur. " Dear Mama" is a song by American hip hop recording artist 2Pac, released on February 21, 1995, as the lead single from his third studio album, Me Against the World.
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