DaBaby has people talking.
The rapper, born Jonathan Kirk, is receiving praise and criticism for his “Save Me” music video, which shows a re-enactment of Ukrainian immigrant Iryna Zarutska’s slaying on a commuter train in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Zarutska, 23, entered the train wearing a work uniform just before 10 p.m. on Aug. 22. After taking a seat in front of a man with a knife, an unsuspecting Zarutska was stabbed to death.
DaBaby’s music video opens with actual surveillance footage showing Zarutska seated in front of her killer. The section showing the victim ends just before the man stabs her multiple times.
Related: Fox News Host Walks Back Comment Saying ‘Just Kill’ Homeless People After Charlotte Train Slaying
The surveillance footage cuts to police cars and crime scene tape as a narrator explains what just happened.
Music begins to play and DaBaby is shown seated inside a train car.
“Do you think you can save me?” singers belt out in the chorus.
In real life, Decarlos Brown Jr., a 34-year-old homeless man with a lengthy rap sheet was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, according to local news station WBTV.
The music video shows DaBaby rapping as an actor dressed in a red hoodie similar to the one the suspect wore. The actor holds a large knife when a blonde woman resembling Zarutska enters the train and sits in front of him.
“It’s just some people, man unfortunately that we can’t save em,” DaBaby raps.
The man in the hoodie raises his knife to attack the woman. But DaBaby grabs his hand and stops the attack, offering a positive ending to the tragedy that unfolded in real life.
The actress portraying Zarutska is shown walking away and rubs her neck.
The video ends with a picture of the real Iryna Zarutska and a screenshot of the GoFundMe page her family set up.
The YouTube description box for “Save Me” says DaBaby wrote and directed the music video and it’s a “A Dedication to Iryna Zarutska.” There’s also a link to the GoFundMe page. As of Thursday evening, more than $449,200 had been raised.
DaBaby’s fans reacted mostly positively in the comments section, saying the Charlotte rapper accomplished something the mainstream media was not able to do — make young people aware of he killing.
Some people who said they were from Ukraine commented too, thanking the rapper for “bringing attention” to the young woman’s story.
Although another person countered, “Only thing he cares for is ‘bringing attention’ to his own career.”
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