The Rock & Roll Pop Culture Auction July 2017

Lot #131:

Tupac Shakur "Dear Mama" Handwritten and Signed Lyrics

Tupac Shakur handwritten lyrics to one of his most important songs and biggest hits "Dear Mama". Written as a tribute to his mother, this song was released on February 21, 1995 as the lead single from Tupac's third studio album," Me Against the World". Tupac has handwritten and signed these lyrics in black ink on a sheet of 8.5 x 11.5 lined notebook paper. An extremely historically important song in the history of hip-hop as Tupac talks about his childhood and his mother's addiction to crack cocaine, but how his love and connection to her are more important than all the bad times. It is a poignant and heartfelt song that echoes the problems and feelings of the hip cop community at that time, and it was recognized as such by its critical acclaim and popularity, going platinum in 1995. In 2010, 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." 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." Very good condition. Comes with a Gotta Have Rock & Roll™ Certificate of Authenticity.