Countless rappers make “cameos” in Childish Gambino’s new animated video for “Feels Like Summer,” released over the weekend. As Gambino’s character walks through his neighborhood, he spots Travis Scott and Nicki Minaj playing with blocks, Drake chasing after Future, and Trippie Redd and Lil Pump running around.
The video, of course, couldn’t exist without a brief Kanye reference, but some people are taking issue with the way the Gambino-directed visual went about it, as BuzzFeed points out.
Around the 2-minute mark, Kanye is seen surrounded by darkness, sporting a MAGA hat (as he has before, and recently apologized for), and crying. Out of the darkness, Michelle Obama comes to console Yeezy with a beaming smile. The rapper stops crying to look at her, before the two are enveloped by the black background. Watch it below, if you haven't.
It’s difficult not to dote on the meaning behind this look into hip hop’s 2018. We’re talking about the guy who put in layer upon layer into his “This Is America” visual, after all.
So dote on it people did, and many of the responses were negative. The consensus seemed to be that Obama, as a black woman, is burdened with the responsibility of saving Kanye.
Others offered up a different theory.
And some wound up criticizing the people who criticized the video.
I suppose, until Gambino decides to tell us himself, that we’ll never know the true meaning behind this portrayal of Obama and Ye. Neither have shared their two cents about the cameo either, so for now, looks like it’s up to whoever can get the most retweets.
