Mama Said: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

2015.263.5a: An audio cassette tape. The cassette is clear plastic with white type on each side. Both sides have headers reading: [LENNY KRAVITZ • MAMA SAID] on Side A, and [LENNY KRAVITZ • MAMA SAID] on Side B. The header on both sides are followed by a list of the tracks. The Virgin Record logo, copyright information, and the cassette number [V4-86209] are featured on both sides.

2015.263.5b: An audio cassette paper jacket. The jacket is portrait orientation, and features a black-and-white image of Lenny Kravitz. Kravitz is wearing a jacket and pants in various prints and a boa around his neck. White text reading: [LENNY KRAVITZ / MAMA SAID] is along the top and bottom of the image. Production and manufacturing information and list of songs for each side is in white text on a black background on the back of jacket.

2015.263.5c: An audio cassette tape case made of clear plastic on the front and black plastic on the back. White smudges are on the back of the case. The case has interior holders to insert an audio cassette jacket.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1991
• Recorded by: Lenny Kravitz, American, born 1964
• Published by: Virgin Records America, Inc., founded 1986
• Manufactured by: Capitol Records, American, founded 1942
• Type: audio cassettes
• Medium: plastic , magnetic tape , ink on paper
• Dimensions: H x W x D (cassette): 2 1/2 × 4 × 1/2 in. (6.4 × 10.2 × 1.3 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (jacket): 4 × 5 1/2 in. (10.2 × 14 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W x D (case): 2 3/4 × 4 5/16 × 11/16 in. (7 × 11 × 1.7 cm)
• Place printed: United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Composers (Musicians)
• Topic: Rock and roll (Music)
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Topic: Soul (Music)
• Object number: 2015.263.5abc
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Timothy Anne Burnside
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © 1991 Virgin Records America, Inc Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.