Hip Hop Speaks on Women’s Reproductive Rights
For forty-nine years a policy was in place to protect women’s reproductive rights in the United States. This policy was known as Roe v. Wade, which was designed as a legal and safe way for women to gain access to abortions. Long before this policy, many women took it upon themselves to terminate their unwanted pregnancies. These homemade abortions, a majority of the time, lead to long term health conditions, sterility, or death (Purdy 381). The exception is the wealthy classes, who are able to access safe abortions with their ability to travel to foreign countries or states. Only a year before Roe v. Wade was established, there was a report of thirty-nine maternal deaths, and prior to that, when penicillin was unavailable, that number was as high as 1,500 deaths due to these makeshift abortions and life-threatening pregnancies (Purdy 381).
The case of Roe v. Wade was established when a woman with the alias “Jane Roe ‘’ brought her case to the supreme court. This case involved her being raped and impregnated by a carnival worker. The state of Texas then denied her access to obtain a safe abortion. The 7–2 verdict of the supreme court defined that all states have to give access to safe abortions. They reached this ruling as they viewed abortion as a right to one’s own body and a right to privacy (Purdy 382). This conclusion was the first legal representation of reproductive rights for women.
“Reproductive rights” now is a term that stands for the right to privacy, basic human rights, the right to have a child or not, the right to access the highest form of reproductive health, the right to information on reproduction, and the right to have access to all of this without harassment or violence towards women. Due to the fact that women are the individuals affected, the term “reproductive rights’’ has been closely connected to women’s rights in general (“Reproductive rights” 183). In this year of 2022, a tragic overturn of Roe v. Wade occurred solely by a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court. This decision has now left many women, reproductive rights activists, gender activists, and even world leaders feeling that the Supreme Court just progressed backward on reproductive rights and constitutional women’s rights as well. “ Some of 40 million women of childbearing age will live in states where abortion will become more difficult to access…” (“Overturning of Roe v. Wade” 1). The overturn of Roe v. Wade is a strip off of basic human rights for women that can greatly affect a woman’s health and life. The effort must be made to bring attention to the issue so the United States society can reverse this overturn and gain back reproductive and gender rights for women.
One group that was quick to bring attention to how unfair this decision is for women was the music industry. Many artists showed their support for organizations, such as planned parenthood, and pro choice activists. Additionally, many artists were quick to develop music that related to the feelings of this issue (Ruggieri 1). There’s a certain genre of music that has been known not only for its ability to keep listeners in fun and high energy, but also for its ability to create music that can speak out about serious issues. This genre is called hip hop. Hip hop has primarily spoken out about societal and global issues; without exception, this includes the issue of abortion. “But it also has a track record of of speaking on abortion — no surprise, seeing as the concept of sex, body politics, power dynamics, and governmental control are steeped in this culture” (Harshaw 1). Most of the time, the subject of reproductive rights and how they affect women is not always obvious to listeners, because the lyrics can be woven into a story or made into references that are coded. This representation supporting reproductive and women’s rights through stories or parts of lyrics can be seen in rap songs, like Tupac’s “Keep Ya Head Up.” On the other hand, some hip-hop artists take a straightforward approach, like Coco Peila who wrote “I am Jane Roe ‘’ about reproductive justice. The title gives a clear message about the topic she is addressing in her song (Harshaw 1). Overall, hip hop has helped bring to light the importance of Roe v. Wade and protecting reproductive rights by using this popular platform to share the message.
Playlist for Reproductive Rights
“I am Jane Roe” by Coco Peila, Aima The Dreamer, and Ryan Nicole (2022)
The song, “I am Jane Roe” was produced and released following the overturn of Roe v. Wade this year. This song is a perfect summation as to how many pro-choice individuals feel about the overturn of Roe v. Wade. The artists incorporate the phrase “I am Jane Roe” to give the listeners a sense of empowerment, because every women is Jane Roe and deserves the right to have an abortion. Throughout the song are pro-choice sayings that reflect reproductive rights, such as “our bodies our choice.” The three women collaborated and featured their own raps on their feelings about the right to one’s own body and to choose to have a child or not. Overall, these women saw the current event around Roe v. Wade and used their musical outlet to make others feel heard and to relate their feelings about this issue.
“Keep ya head up” by Tupac (1993)
In this song, Tupac shines a light on his pro-choice feelings and appreciation of women. He used his platform as a famous rapper to speak about how to treat women, reaching many people. This song is one of the first that allowed women to feel heard, and men to potentially change their mindset under Tupac’s influence. The best line that represents the pro-choice feelings of this song is, “And since a man can’t make one. He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one.” In this line, Tupac is referring to the creation of a baby, and how a man does not have the right to tell a woman about her pregnancy. The fight for women’s reproductive rights has a long history. The mistreatment of women and lack of rights are mentioned when Tupac said, “I wonder why we take from our women. Why we rape our women, do we hate our women?” This song was relevant not only for its time in the ‘90s, but is still relevant in its message and feelings today.
“La Femme Fetal” by Digable Planets (1993)
This song raps about not only feelings of pro-choice and abortion, but also paints a story of a young woman in need of an abortion. “But due to our youth and economic state, we wish to terminate.” This part of the song tells about two young kids that get together. The girl becomes pregnant, yet she is young and does not have the money to support a child. “And for a child born to the unprepared it might even just get worse.” This lyric describes the internal battle that potential parents go through when dealing with an unexpected child in an unideal environment. Parents can deal with various issues that lead them to debate what is better for the unborn child and themselves. Additionally, this song presents feelings about the government’s control over women, and hate that is spread to women who make the difficult choice of having an abortion. This was shown in lyrics such as “They just don’t want women to control her body” and “The pro-lifer harass me outside of the clinic.” One of the important points this rapper makes is the idea of women’s health. Many women get abortions due to their health. These abortions may even be doctor recommended. Women’s health is put on the line when legal abortions aren’t available, because many women may resort to make-shift abortions. These make-shift abortions can result in health risks and even death. The line “Leaving young girls to risk their healths” is a reminder that many women are left at serious health risks if abortion is not made available to them. Digable Planets used their music and rap to tell a story and clearly express the feelings of many pro-choice advocates.
“Lost Ones” by J. Cole (2011)
J. Cole wrote his song from the perspective of a male getting a woman pregnant. The lyrics describe the internal struggle from the viewpoint of the man and the feelings of the pregnant women. “Think about it baby me and you we still kids, ourself. How we gon’ raise a kid by ourselves?” The male in this song projects his thought process of still being young, and not being able to provide for an unexpected child. “And girl I know it hurt but if this world was perfect then we could make it work but I doubt it.” These lyrics show the hurtful emotions of not being able to have the perfect situation to bring a child into. The song continues on with telling the pregnant women’s feelings of not wanting an abortion, and being hurt by the man’s expression of not wanting a child. This brings up the idea that — even if you don’t want an abortion — it should still be accessible to those who need one. It is clear in the song that there are two conflicting sides. While the song doesn’t resolve the issue or tell an ending for the couple, it does leave the listener to reflect on the different feelings of wanting and not wanting an abortion. J. Cole expressed real feelings of sorrow, anger, and guilt on both the male and female’s part. He allowed the listeners to have their own take away about the situation. One takeaway is that there are many situations like that described in the song, and that’s why abortion should be available for those who choose it. The option should be there for all women, whether they want one or not.
My final thoughts
The subject of reproductive rights is very important to me because I feel that human and reproductive rights should be for everyone. A women’s right to abortion in her state should be legal. The overturn of Roe v. Wade will not allow abortions to be legal in all states. Therefore, many women will not be able to have access to one since they may not be able to afford out-of-state travel to obtain one. My biggest concern is the health risks that now come into play. There are various reasons that one chooses to get an abortion, and many of them are due to health risks for the mother. I have researched and discovered an abundance of different scenarios where a women’s life is on the line, or in serious risk, if she does not get an abortion. Another aspect is the history of makeshift abortions before abortion was made legal and medical care was available. The policies of the time resulted in many women's’ deaths. It is possible that women in poverty may choose these makeshift methods due to the overturn of Roe v. Wade; overall, causing more death and health risks to women. This issue is one that affects a woman’s human rights, reproductive rights, health, and life choices. As a women, I feel for these women that need the choice of an abortion — and have had people close to me that needed that choice. The overturn did not take away abortion, but it made it a lot more difficult to access, especially for those without financial resources and needing an immediate medical abortion. Roe v. Wade should be reinstated. The primary way we can make a change is by speaking up about our rights. We must also vote into local, state, and government offices those who will fight to gain our rights again. Since this was a government decision, it is up to us to put different people in government to overturn again what was overturned. My body, My choice! Bans off our bodies!
- Harshaw, Pendarvis. “How Hip-Hop Talks about Abortion in Ways Other Art Forms Can’t.” KQED, 30 June 2022, www.kqed.org/arts/13915289/hip-hop-songs-lyrics-abortion. Accessed December 8, 2022.
- “Overturning of Roe vs Wade robs women of basic rights.” Pioneer [New Delhi, India], 2 July 2022, p. NA. Gale OneFile: News, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A708800189/STND?u=mcc_chandler&sid=bookmark-STND&xid=e4625005.
- Purdy, Elizabeth Rholetter. “Roe v. Wade.” St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, edited by Thomas Riggs, 2nd ed., vol. 4, St. James Press, 2013, pp. 380–382. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX2735802319/GVRL?u=mcc_chandler&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=ae3b4834.
- “Reproductive Rights.” International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, edited by William A. Darity, Jr., 2nd ed., vol. 7, Macmillan Reference USA, 2008, pp. 182–184. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3045302246/GVRL?u=mcc_chandler&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=34eeb533.
- Ruggieri, Melissa. “10 Songs about Abortion Rights That Hit Differently after Roe v. Wade Repeal, from ‘Sara’ to ‘Sally’s Pigeons.’” USA TODAY, 3 Aug. 2022, www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2022/08/03/songs-about-abortion-rights-roe-reversal/10205584002/. Accessed December 8, 2022.
