Such is the controversy swirling around "Chi-Raq" that director Spike Lee has already recut the trailer to appease those who are concerned that his satire makes light of the grave problem of gun violence on the streets of Chicago. Walking that line between drama and comedy, earnestness and schmaltz, can be difficult, and in the case of the latter two qualities, the formula isn’t quite right in the first official music video from the film.
READ MORE: Watch The First Trailer For Spike Lee’s ‘Chi-Raq’
Kevon Carter delivers “WGDB” — which stands for We Gotta Do Better — and it’s one thing that the song is kind of trite, but it’s another when the lyrics (via The Concourse) are as baffling as they are here. Here’s a sampling of the bizarre couplets that, for reasons that are unclear, reference everything from Bill Cosby to Cecil the Lion:
Let’s hope that Lee’s movie is far more nuanced and comprehensible that this rather scattershot summary of pop culture and social issues of 2015 (which frankly already feels dated — is anyone still talking about the Drake and Meek Mill beef?).
On a more serious note, Lee was recently featured on CNN along Louis Pfleger, a priest who inspired John Cusack‘s character in "Chi-Raq," to talk about the recent murder of a nine year-old on the streets of Chicago. It’s a sobering discussion. And on a lighter note, the director talks with Academy Originals about what movies mean to him.
"Chi-Raq" opens on December 4th.
