Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni and Tupac Shakur is an American television documentary miniseries directed by Allen Hughes, about Tupac Shakur and his mother Afeni Shakur.[1][2] It premiered on FX on April 21, 2023.[3][4] It received critical acclaim.
The docuseries was announced on May 21, 2019, with the Shakur Estate granting full access to Shakur's released and unreleased recordings, writings, and poetry.[9] It was originally titled Outlaw.[10] On January 12, 2023, FX announced the premiere date for Dear Mama.[11]Allen Hughes serves as writer, director, and executive producer, alongside writer and executive producer Lasse Järvi, and executive producers Quincy Jones III, Staci Robinson, Nelson George, Charles King, Peter Nelson, Adel Nur, Jamal Joseph, and Ted Skillman. He and his brother Albert directed the music video for Shakur's 1991 single "Brenda's Got a Baby."[12] The music score is by Atticus Ross, Leopold Ross, and Claudia Sarne.[12]
Release
The first trailer of Dear Mama was released on May 9, 2022.[13][14] The first episode was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 15, 2022.[10][15] The first two episodes premiered on FX on April 21, 2023, with the final episode on May 12, 2023.[16] It consists of five episodes.[17][18]
Reception
Audience viewership
According to FX, Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni and Tupac Shakur was the most-watched unscripted series premiere in the network’s history.[19][20][21]
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 7 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 9.00/10.[22]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 78 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "generally positive reviews."[23]
Judy Berman of Time wrote, "Paired with intimate reflections and philosophical insights from the Shakurs’ closest relatives as well as peers in hip-hop and activism, it adds up to one of the most thorough, sensitive portraits I’ve seen of an artist who has by now been eulogized for longer than he was alive—and of the remarkable woman who created him."[24] Johnny Loftus of Decider asserted, "The five-part series Dear Mama feels like the Tupac Shakur documentary of record as it connects the rapper’s enduring legacy to the philosophies at work in his upbringing and presents its story in a challenging, rewarding nonlinear fashion."[25]
Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter asserted, "Dear Mama has some real insights into the intersection of Black activism and popular music in the late 20th century," calling the documentary "challenging and not always successful, but the challenges feel right for the subject."[26] Martin Brown of Common Sense Media gave Dear Mama a grade of 5 out of 5 stars, praised the presence of positive messages and role models, citing compassion, loyalty, and the focus on Black activism.[27]
