WASHINGTON (WUSA9) — Gun violence and racism are just two things people are talking about on Monday after watching a controversial video from TV and music star Donald Glover.
Glover is a Grammy award-winning musician who goes by the stage name Childish Gambino.
His new song called ‘This Is America’ has already hit more than 20-million views on YouTube since Saturday.
Childish Gambino dropped the video but did not explain what it meant.
The video starts with Glover dancing to soft music but things quickly take a turn.
An imitation, execution-style shooting got people in a Georgia Avenue barbershop talking on Monday.
“That’s basically what he’s doing is making the conversation,” Eris Dowery said.
The discussions were centered around gun violence and mass shootings in America.
WUSA9 did not show parts of the video because some may find it disturbing.
“The mass shooting kind of -- if you will -- where he hit the people with the assault rifle. That was deep bro,” one customer explained.
“If someone wasn’t paying attention to the message, they’d be like ‘oh my goodness he is a savage. He shot all of those people in the church.’ Yeah. That’s what Dylan Roof did,” Dowery told WUSA9.
Fans pointed out how the guns are gently taken out of each scene with a red cloth while human bodies are left there or dragged away.
That could possibly be a strong message in the middle of the current gun control debate.
As the video goes on, what is happening in the background gets intense.
Cars are on fire, and riots are breaking out.
Those scenes were reminiscent of protests following police-involved shootings, some people suggested.
“You can’t even get pulled over for like — I’m speeding. I’m going 10 miles over the speed limit, but I shouldn’t have to fear for my life because of that. But I do,” a customer said.
In the end, Glover is seen fearfully running away from a mob.
“It sounds like what he’s saying is white supremacy is coming back with a vengeance and because there is no help for us, all we can do is run,” Dowery said.
While many people think the video sparked an important conversation, others online said it is a little too much.
Glover is also an actor on a TV show called ‘Atlanta’ where he tackles many of the same topics brought up in the song.
