[Intro]
            
When i was pre

              
gnant in jail 

              
i thought i wa

              
s gonna have a

      
 baby and the 

baby would nev

er be with me
           
but I was quit

           
ted a month an

              
d 3 days befor

           
e tupac was bo

             
rn, i was real

          
 happy, becaus

e i had a son


[Verse 1]
           
When I was you

              
ng, me and my 

         
mama had beef
              
Seventeen year

           
s old, kicked 

           
out on the str

eets
              
Though back at

           
 the time I ne

              
ver thought I'

          
d see her face
              
Ain't a woman 

           
alive that cou

              
ld take my mam

    
a's place
              
Suspended from

           
 school, and s

            
cared to go ho

me, I was a fo

ol
           
With the big b

              
oys breakin' a

       
ll the rules
           
I shed tears w

              
ith my baby si

     
ster, over the

 years
           
We was poorer 

              
than the other

        
 little kids
           
And even thoug

              
h we had diffe

             
rent daddies, 

the same drama
           
When things we

              
nt wrong we'd 

   
blame Mama
           
I reminisce on

              
 the stress I 


caused, it was

 hell
           
Huggin' on my 

            
mama from a ja

il cell
           
And who'd thin

             
k in elementar

      
y, hey
              
I'd see the pe

  
nitentiary one

 day?
           
   And runnin'

          
 from the poli

ce, that's rig

ht
           
   Mama catch 

              
me, put a whoo


pin' to my bac

kside
           
  And even as 

  
a crack fiend,

 Mama
           
You always was

   
 a black queen

, Mama
           
   I finally u

    
nderstand
              
For a woman it

           
 ain't easy tr

              
yin' to raise 

  
a man
           
You always was

       
 committed
              
A poor single 

           
mother on welf

     
are, tell me h

ow you did it
           
There's no way

              
 I can pay you

     
 back, but the

 plan
           
Is to show you

              
 that I unders

    
tand: you are 

appreciated


[Chorus]
        
Lady, don't yo

          
u know we love

           
 ya? (Dear Mam

a)
             
Sweet lady, pl

         
ace no one abo


ve ya (You are

 appreciated)
        
Sweet lady,
N.C.
Don't you know we love ya?


[Verse 2]
           
Now, ain't nob

              
ody tell us it

     
 was fair
              
No love from m

           
y daddy, ‘caus

              
e the coward w

      
asn't there
           
He passed away

              
 and I didn't 

    
cry, ‘cause my

 anger
           
Wouldn't let m

             
e feel for a s

#
tranger
             
They say I'm w

#            
rong and I'm h

        
eartless, but 

all along
           
I was lookin' 

              
for a father, 

       
he was gone
  
I hung around 

with the thugs
    
And even thoug

h they sold dr

ugs
N.C.
They showed a young brother love
        
I moved out an

d started real

ly hangin'
             
  I needed mon

         
ey of my own, 

so I started s

langin'
           
  I ain't guil

           
ty, ‘cause eve

n though I sel

l rocks
             
  It feels goo

           
d puttin' mone

              
y in your mail

    
box
              
I love payin' 


rent when the 

rent is due
             
I hope you got

             
 the diamond n

#            
ecklace that I

             
 sent to you
              
‘Cause when I 

    
was low you wa

s there for me
             
  You never le

       
ft me alone, b

ecause you car

ed for me
           
  And I could 

              
see you comin'

 
 home after wo

rk late
             
  You're in th

              
e kitchen, try

           
in' to fix us 

            
a hot plate
           
You just worki

              
n' with the sc

             
raps you was g

iven
              
And Mama made 

           
miracles every

       
 Thanksgivin'
            
But now the ro

             
ad got rough, 

        
you're alone
              
You're tryin' 

           
to raise two b

              
ad kids on you

  
r own
              
And there's no

           
 way I can pay

         
 you back, but

 my plan
N.C.
Is to show you that I understand: you are appreciated


[Chorus]
        
Lady, don't yo

          
u know we love

           
 ya? (Dear Mam

a)
             
Sweet lady, pl

         
ace no one abo


ve ya (You are

 appreciated)
        
Sweet lady,
           
Don't you know

    
 we love ya?


[Verse 3]
              
Pour out some 

  
liquor and I r

eminisce
             
  ‘Cause throu

              
gh the drama I

           
 can always de

           
pend on my mam

a
            
And when it se


ems that I'm h

opeless
             
  You say the 

              
words that can

           
 get me back i

        
n focus
           
When I was sic

k as a little 

kid
             
  To keep me h

              
appy there's n

           
o limit to the

              
 things you di

  
d
           
And all my chi

ldhood memorie

s
             
  Are full of 

           
all the sweet 

              
things you did

        
 for me
           
And even thoug

           
h I act crazy
              
I gotta thank 

           
the Lord that 

           
you made me
             
There are no w

#            
ords that can 

              
express how I 


feel
              
You never kept

           
 a secret, alw

           
ays stayed rea

l
           
And I apprecia

te how you rai

sed me
             
  And all the 

      
extra love tha

t you gave me
       
I wish I could

 take the pain

 away
             
  If you can m

              
ake it through

           
 the night, th

              
ere's a bright

       
er day
              
Everything wil

       
l be alright i

f you hold on
             
  It's a strug

           
gle every day,

               
 gotta roll on
              
And there's no

           
 way I can pay

         
 you back, but

 my plan
N.C.
Is to show you that I understand: you are appreciated


[Chorus]
        
Lady, don't yo

          
u know we love

           
 ya? (Dear Mam

a)
             
Sweet lady, pl

         
ace no one abo


ve ya (You are

 appreciated)
        
Sweet lady,
          
Don't you know

    
 we love ya?
              
Sweet lady, la

                     (
dy (Dear Mama)