Sophia Michaels
There have been movies, books, and series based upon the life and career of Tupac Shakur, and another project of sorts is set to be available for fans. A new documentary titled Dear Mama is set to explore Tupac through the lens of his mother, Afeni Shakur. The director of the documentary is none other than Allen Hughes, who had a close and sometimes strained relationship with the late rapper. Dear Mama is set to air on FX.
Allen Hughes’ ‘Dear Mama’ documentary explained
Hughes was approached by Tupac’s own family to be part of the project. He was initially hesitant to attach his name, as his rollercoaster relationship with Tupac is well-documented. But after thinking on it, he gave it a go, noting at a panel at the 2022 ESSENCE Music Festival, “to know him [Tupac] is to love him.”
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But unlike other documentaries about Tupac, he opted to take a different approach by using his mother’s perception on her son. “Anybody who knows Tupac knows that he and his mother are like twins,” Hughes added, noting that Tupac’s activism – whether perceived as right or wrong – is a direct trait from Afeni.
“This is an eternal struggle,” Hughes said, “And she knew that.” He also describes the rapper’s mom as “an authentic Black woman” who inspired Tupac to create music praising the Black woman with songs like “Dear Mama” and “Keep Ya Head Up.” “I don’t know of an artist today who has two of those songs,” Hughes added.
Tupac and Allen Hughes had a public fallout
The main reason Hughes paused before agreeing to be part of the project is due to his own issues with Tupac while Tupac was alive. They were initially friends, with Hughes and his brother/business partner hiring him for a role in Menace II Society. But he was reportedly fired for causing trouble on set. Things spiraled out of control, and Tupac assaulted the Hughes brothers.
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Tupac actually admitted to Ed Lover on Yo! MTV Raps about the incident. “They fired me but did it in a round about punk snitch way. So I caught them on the streets and whipped their behinds. I was a menace to the Hughes Brothers and it ain’t over,” the rapper said in an interview.
Lover attempted to hush the rapper, noting that the admission could be used against him, but Tupac continued ranting. The Hughes Brothers used the MTV footage in court to help get the rapper convicted of assault. He eventually served 15 days in jail as a result.
The rapper’s estate also has major projects open to honor Tupac
In addition to Hughes’ documentary, there’s currently a traveling museum exhibit. Wake Me When I’m Free first opened in LA in Jan. 2022, and has since traveled to Northern California, with plans to have the exhibit in other major cities like New York and Baltimore, the latter of where he spent a significant amount of his childhood in. The exhibit pays homage to the rapper’s life and career, with 20,000 square feet of his artifacts, music, business plans, and more.
RELATED: Inside The Restaurant Tupac Shakur Was Planning to Open Before His Death
Written by: CheatSheet
