Keepin' Heads on Straight

My wife has Lupus. She was diagnosed in 2001. The disease manifests itself in her via Kidney disease. If you know anything about Hip Hop then you’ve heard of, and admire, J Dilla, who passed away in 2006 from complications with Lupus. Trick Daddy has also come out to acknowledge his Lupus diagnosis.

Lupus affects approx. 1.5 million people in the United States. More americans than cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, sickle-cell anemia and cystic fibrosis combined. Black, Brown, Yellow and Red women are 3x more likely to develop lupus than White women. It’s a disease who’s cause is unknown and is responsible for complications with the skin, brain, heart, lungs, blood and kidneys. Shit is ill....really, really ill.

Not only has the disease taken one of our brightest stars, it stands to effect our mothers, wives, girlfriends, sisters, nieces, aunts and cousins. We need Hip Hop to make a statement about Lupus. We need Hip Hop to encourage woman to take care of themselves...so they can take care of our sorry asses.

I bring this up, partly to bring some light to the disease in particular, but also to communicate my feelings on the importance of physical health within the Hip Hop community.  Especially among our most valuable resource...women.

There is no need for me to communicate the feelings surrounding health and doctors we know to be common among our generation and past generations. Our health has not been, and is not currently, the major focus it should be. Within the music, we rarely hear verses that encourage our physical health. Little communication about the need to see the doctor for a check-up. No urging of the masses to exercise, eat right and take medication if it’s determined that medication will help manage illness.

My wife has been fortunate enough to have health insurance and access to doctors who seem to have a vested interest in her health and well-being. Too many people aren’t as fortunate. Too many are without health insurance. Too many are without quality doctors who really care about their health.  Too many are a part of Hip Hop culture.  

For more information about Lupus, visit www.lupus.org. You can also check out www.jdillafoundation.org to support the legacy of Dilla.

Peace. Power.