HIP-HOP

Childish Gambino's 'Feels Like Summer' Video Draws Mixed Reaction Over Michelle Obama Comforting Kanye West

9/3/2018 by Mitchell Peters

Courtesy Photo.
An illustration of Michelle Obama hugging a crying Kanye West in Childish Gambino's music video for "Feels Like Summer."

A standout scene in Childish Gambino's new cameo-filled animated video for "Feels Like Summer" is drawing mixed reactions from fans on social media.

The animated video depicts Gambino walking down the street of a suburban neighborhood and encountering a host of hip-hop stars engaging in various unusual activities, ranging from Drake chasing down Future on a bicycle to Nicki Minaj and Travis Scott playing with children's blocks.

The video's most controversial scene arrives during a dream sequence when a crying Kanye West, seen wearing a Make America Great Again hat, is being comforted by Michelle Obama.

Some of the more angry viewers saw the moment as an insult to black women, while others believed Obama represents Kanye's late mother.  

"@donaldglover Just so you know, it is not the job of Black women to heal or fix Black men. Black women do not exist to be other people's mules," @LegalSojourner, who describes herself as lawyer and black feminist, tweeted."

Twitter user @13Xum, a self-described songwriter, took a different view. "Michelle Obama comforting Kanye West in ‘Feels like Summer’ video was suppose to depict her being a mother like figure for Kanye being that Kanye seems lost in life and doesn’t have a mother," he wrote.

See more social media reactions to Childish Gambino's "Feels Like Summer" and watch the video below.

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