Anyone looking for easy answers as to the meaning behind Childish Gambino's incredible new "This Is America" videovideo is out of luck, as Childish won't be spilling the beans on video's message any time soon.
TMZ caught up with Childish walking out of The Peppermint Club in West Hollywood last night, were one of the photographers asked him about the true meaning of the video.
Childish rebuffs him casually, saying, "That's not for me to say."
There you have it. This isn't like your 9th grade English essay where you can have the book analyzed for you, this time we'll have to put the work in ourselves. There's a lot to unpack too. Childish's dancing and brutal executions are prominent and entrancing in the forefront, but there's so much going on in the background of the video that it's hard to catch everything without repeated viewings, especially since most of it is out of focus.
There are some clues we can garner from those responsible for the video. The creative director for the video, Ibra Ake, has stated that the purpose of the video was to "normalize blackness." Childish has even given some of his own context, saying that the video was made for the Fourth of July. Thats very fitting, considering the title.
The video has exploded in popularity over the few days since its release, and has inspired no lack of critical analysis since. If you're interesting in checking out our take on the video, check out our analysis here.