Weapons, cars, consumption, racism, urban violence: a 4-minute video by artist Childish Gambino, condensing his vision of America, gathered 75 million views in one week on You tube.
The music video, called “This is America”, was shot in a giant hangar, under the direction of Hiro Murai. It alternates festive scenes, around high school students dancing, and outbursts of violence evoking the typical news of the United States.
Aged 34, whose real name is Donald Glover, Childish Gambino confirms, by evolving bare-chested, the range of his talents: actor, screenwriter, director, producer, humorist, he is also a rapper, DJ, singer and musician.
Satire of a Lost America
“This is America”, with difficult to interpret lyrics and multiple references, seems full of more or less explicit messages. Activists see it as a masterful denunciation of gun violence, others a critique of the American penal system and police abuse, others a satire of the hyperconsumption of American society or even the commodification of the cause of Black.
In any case, the video sparked heated debates on social networks. Firearms seem to be treated better than human lives, noted Internet users, who also note the contrast between the rapper’s catchy rhythm and the images of chaos in the background. The sequence ends with a hunted Gambino, with bulging eyes, chased by the crowd. An end that also opens up a whole field of interpretations.
AFP / The Daily.
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