"Whenever I see something that makes me upset, I try to think, 'What can I do about this?'" says Lucy Dacus
Ebru Yildiz*Like people across America, Lucy Dacus was deeply troubled by this week’s news that Texas Senate Bill 8, the most extreme abortion ban in the country, had become law as the Supreme Court sat idle — effectively taking away the constitutional right to bodily autonomy for millions of Texans.
“Whenever I see something that makes me upset, I try to think, ‘What can I do about this?'” says the singer-songwriter, who is about to head out on a U.S tour that includes four shows in Texas this month. “If I can’t do anything, I try to not panic. But if I can, I try to mobilize.”
On September 2nd, Dacus pledged to donate all the money she makes at those Texas shows to the state’s grassroots abortion funds. “As I had the thought, I wrote the tweet,” she says. “It was just like, ‘That’s something I can do.'”
Dacus spoke with Rolling Stone about her pledge to stand up for reproductive justice.
I grew up in a really conservative area. A lot of people were pro-life. When I was a child, I understood things that way, because I was inheriting that view from the older people in my church. But as you get older and you meet people with many experiences, you realize the economic situation, and the mental and emotional strain of a pregnancy. I’ve had some life-changing friendships with people who are involved in abortion rights and any-outcome pregnancy support. I was talking to my friend who had a kid recently, who was like, “It’s hard enough when you want to have a child.” Being forced to carry a pregnancy to term is just evil.
This bill makes ending any pregnancy after six weeks illegal. A lot of people don’t even know they’re pregnant after six weeks. It’s so punitive and puritanical, and it’s rooted in so much shame and restrictiveness around sex. Every single bit of this law is completely disrespectful to human autonomy. Which is surprising, because the people who support this bill probably value freedom in other ways that actually do endanger other people — like not wearing masks. But abortions are going to keep happening. People have been having abortions forever. It’s a part of the human experience. Restricting access to them is only making it more dangerous for the people who need them.
I have been getting a wonderful flood of resources in, with names of funds. There’s one called the Lilith Fund. There’s one called Buckle Bunnies. And there’s this ActBlue Support Texas Abortion Funds link that splits your donation between Support Your Sistah at the Afiya Center, Whole Woman’s Health Alliance, the Bridge Collective, the Lilith Fund, Jane’s Due Process, Frontera Fund, Fund Texas Choice, Texas Equal Access Fund, Clinic Access Support Network, and West Fund. A lot of charities have a ton of overhead, and the money that you donate often goes to administrative costs and other expenses. But these smaller, grassroots organizations of volunteers, the money that you give is actually directly getting to people who need it most of the time. And there are hard costs with abortion that are often too much for an individual, but attainable enough that donations really result in something: Paying the cost for a procedure, or the pill, or travel.
So I’m donating everything we’re going to make at these shows on merch and from tickets. My management is going to waive their commission. My agent is working to ask venues if they’re willing to hand over what the venue will make as well. I was really grateful I didn’t have to think twice about anyone on my team being supportive of this. I feel very lucky to be surrounded with people who get it.
I tweeted, “If you’re not cool with me doing this, don’t come to the shows.” Maybe that came off as a little confrontational. I am pissed. I’m pissed at the politicians. But I’m not pissed at people who are misguided — that’s just what their combination of information has led them to believe. I believe people are capable of change. I don’t think it’s useful to blanket-statement hate Texans. I’m really angry at these laws. They are hateful and evil. But you have to believe that people are capable of change, and having experiences that lead them to care about people more, instead of less. I don’t think I can believe otherwise.
NEWS
Mustard has seemingly hit back at comments from Drake‘s producer Gordo, with a little help from JAY-Z.
Gordo, who worked on several Drizzy albums including $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, For All the Dogs and Honestly, Nevermind, called out the “Not Like Us” hitmaker this week after noticing that he was no longer following him on social media.
“omg just noticed mustard unfollowed me on ig…. Sad day,” he wrote sarcastically on X. “headlining chella must of got to his head.”
Despite unfollowing Gordo, Mustard appeared to catch wind of his post and issued a snarky yet subliminal response on Instagram.
Alongside a caption which read: “We not the same,” the producer posted a video of JAY-Z in an interview saying: “Are you kidding me? Who are you guys talking to? What have you done to even have an opinion on what I been doing? You done nothing to even have an opinion.”
Swipe below to see the clip.
Mustard hasn’t exactly been quiet about his disdain for Drake throughout the 6 God’s beef with Kendrick Lamar which erupted last year.
The multi-platinum producer and DJ graced the stage at Tyler, The Creator‘s Camp Flog Gnaw last November, where he surprised the crowd by appearing to cue up Drizzy’s Take Care hit “Crew Love” with The Weeknd.
Before the song could kick into gear, however, Mustard jumped on the mic and yelled, “Sike!” before quickly pivoting to Kendrick, Future and Metro Boomin‘s “Like That,” the blistering collaboration that ignited the heated feud between the Hip Hop titans.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times months earlier, the 10 Summers hitmaker took a shot at Drake’s character while ruling out a reunion with his “Who Do You Love?” collaborator.
“I don’t think I want to make a song with that dude. He’s a strange guy,” he said matter-of-factly.
Mustard would also offer Drake some advice on how to bounce back from the beef, saying to Big Boy: “I’m not speaking at Drake or for him, but a lot of shit that’s going on — the tactics, the things that you do just to get attention. You don’t need to do that. Just make music, man. Make good music and you’ll be fine.”
Mustard also made a surprise appearance during Kendrick Lamar’s historic Super Bowl halftime show performance, joining the Compton superstar for his climactic rendition of “TV Off” which he also produced.
