“Dear Mama,” the new series examining the relationship between the late Tupac Shakur and Afeni Shakur, his mother, opened on a high note. Earlier today (April 28), FX revealed that the show debuted as its most-watched premiere for an unscripted series ever. “Dear Mama” debuted on April 21 and was available to stream the following day on Hulu, which was combined with the opening day stats.
As previously reported by REVOLT, director Allen Hughes promised the series will feature never-before-seen or heard footage and audio. “Wherever possible, we tried to find archival footage that hadn’t been seen, so there’s a lot that we have in the five parts,” he said at the FX TCA presentation back in January.
“It’s only fitting that Allen Hughes’ definitive piece on Tupac and Afeni Shakur delivered a record performance for us, and it speaks to Tupac’s enduring legacy,” said Nick Grad, president, FX Entertainment, via press release. “Allen’s examination of Tupac viewed through the prism of his mother, Afeni, is a fascinating take that really gets beneath the education and experience that shaped his life and inspired him to become one of the greatest artists ever.”
The newest episode of the series airs tonight. Titled “So Many Tears,” the third installment focuses on when his legal troubles began to escalate. The fourth episode, titled “Ambitionz Az A Ridah,” will premiere on May 5, and the season finale will be released on May 12.
Since the show made its debut, many viewers took to social media to share their thoughts. “Watching the ‘Dear Mama’ documentary. Lots of 2Pac footage I’ve never seen before,” tweeted Spotify’s Carl Chery.
“I already loved Tupac, but watching ‘Dear Mama’ is making me love this man even more. If you were thinking about it, watch it,” encouraged another user.
Revisit the official trailer for “Dear Mama” down below.