You know, he had already been shot and almost killed at that point. I mean, the album that it's on, 'Me Against the World,' deals, I mean, I think he's dealing with his own mortality, actually. And I think 'Dear Mama' became the selection in the end because it really stands out. But it also had a lot of support on the board. BARTON: It was nominated by the public, along with others by Tupac. MARTIN: Do you happen to know whether the Tupac piece was nominated by the public or what the process was by which it was included? Anybody can go to our website and submit a nomination. And ultimately, the final selections are made by the librarian of Congress and that's in consultation with a recording board, but also with the public. And it joined the Motion Picture Registry, which started about 10 years earlier. MARTIN: So, how do we decide what goes on to this registry? There are some 25 recordings that are chosen each year. So some days one curator doesn't seem like enough, but I like my job. It extends to things like broadcasts and field recordings and many, many other things. And it's not just music or even commercial releases. It's over three million individual items. BARTON: Yeah, I guess I'm the opposite of that, huh? Well, the Library of Congress has the world's largest collection of recorded sound. MARTIN: Not pump up the volume, you know. MARTIN: I think a lot of people might be surprised that there is a curator of recorded sound, given that I think a lot of us have the experience of the library of being one where people go, shh, you know. MATT BARTON (Curator of Recorded Sound, Library of Congress): Nice to be here. We wanted to know more about the whole process for being deemed a cultural treasure worthy of preservation, so we called Matt Barton, the curator of Recorded Sound at the Library of Congress, and he's with us now. But now it is officially a national treasure, part of the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress.ДЄmong the other works that were recently deemed culturally, historically or aesthetically significant, and thus deserving of preservation are Little Richard's 'Tutti Frutti,' Cliff Edwards' 'When You Wish Upon a Star,' Bill Cosby's second album titled 'I Started Out as a Child' and 'Azucar Pa'Ti' by Eddie Palmieri.

Now, of course, it's been treasured by Tupac fans for years. That is 'Dear Mama,' Tupac Shakur's 1995 homage to his mother and to all mothers struggling to survive. Ain't a woman alive that could take my mama's place. Though back at the time, I never thought I'd see her face. Seventeen years old kicked out on the streets.

TUPAC SHAKUR (Musician): (Rapping) When I was young me and mama had beef.

2pac dear mama album name