Typically rap music and hip-hop culture is singled out as being abrasive, misogynistic and degrading. Being a hip-hop head, I know that there is much more to the culture than the media and society try to portray. In fact, hip-hop has historically given a voice to those who are not often heard or spoken of. So once again, for Women’s History Month, I am giving praise to the women. Today’s list contains five hip-hop songs that praise the women around them. It is important to note that all the songs chosen for this list are written by men to show that not all of hip-hop is misogynistic and degrading to women.
1. Common, “The Light”
This is one of the greatest love songs ever written. On Common’s 2000 breakout album, “Like Water for Chocolate,” Common had begun working with legendary producer J. Dilla and was moving toward a more soul oriented sound. Containing a sample of Bobby Caldwell’s “Open Your Eyes," Common pens a love letter to his then-partner Erykah Badu. This isn’t your typical masculine obsession with the female figure. It's more so an ode to her being and qualities. With lyrics such as:
“It's important, we communicate
And tune the fate of this union, to the right pitch
I never call you my bitch or even my boo
There's so much in a name and so much more in you
Few understand the union of woman and man
And sex and a tingle is where they assume that it land
But that's fly by night for you and the sky I write
For in these cold Chi night's moon, you my light,”
We see Common’s true love for her as a person, as it ought to be.
2. Lecrae, “All I Need Is You”
Lecrae is known for spitting rhymes that are not only cultural relevant, but also for being explicit and open about how his faith in God shapes his life. This did not stop him from penning his 2013 single, “All I Need Is You.” The song is dedicated to his wife and how she has been there for him through thick and thin, and how he has devoted himself to the same. The catchy song was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rap Performance the same year.
3. Tupac, “Keep Ya Head Up”
While Pac was known for his “thug life” motto, he also had a sensitive and poetic side. Raised by predominately women, he was always passionate about women and their rights. With songs like "Dear Mama" and "Changes," he has never kept that a secret. This 1993 single is somewhat of a feminist anthem that praises the women around him and challenging the culture around him. It praises black women and asks the men around him to reevaluate how they treat the women in their lives. If you aren’t privy to this song you might want to check yourself; this is arguably one of Pac’s best.
4. Kendrick Lamar, “Complexion (Zulu Love)”
This is one of the sleeper songs on Kendrick Lamar’s 2015 album "To Pimp a Butterfly." While the song is inherently about colorism and its effects on the black community, the song also challenges the society’s standards of beauty as it pertains to color. The song is written from the perspective of a field slave’s (a dark-skinned man) love for a house-working slave (a lighter complexion woman), saying that complexion should not matter. This concept has multiple layers, one of which tells darker-skinned women that their complexion does not hold them back. Further, as someone who has many friends in interracial relationships, this song can also be seen as an ode to them. Kendrick also featured a darker-skinned woman on the song to get his message across.
5. OutKast, “Ms. Jackson”
A song by the greatest duo in hip-hop history, this one features Andre 3000 telling his girlfriend’s mom that he loves her daughter — and the kid they have on the way — by apologizing to her in person. What more do I need to say?
