DaBaby Sparks Controversy With “Save Me” Video Recreating Charlotte Train Stabbing
DaBaby is once again at the center of public debate after releasing the music video for his new track, “Save Me.” The North Carolina rapper chose to recreate a recent stabbing incident on a Charlotte train that left Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska dead. The real attack allegedly involved a man named Decarlos Brown, who has since been charged with first-degree murder.
In the video, DaBaby performs his verses while sitting next to a recreation of the stabbing scene. At one point, he says, “You know there’s just some people man, unfortunately, we can’t save ‘em, you know what I’m saying. I might be one of them. I might be one of them n****s you know, that you can’t save.” The visual ends with a screenshot of a GoFundMe page raising funds for Zarutska’s family.
The bold artistic choice has divided fans. Many YouTube users praised the video for its message. One wrote, “The world is falling apart around us and seeing someone who has done wrong taking a stand against this. You are a real one.” Another added, “What a video. It’s not even about stopping the attack, it’s about helping someone who needs it the most. The woman was helpless, yet no one around her wanted to change that. Thank you Kirk for the message. RIP.”
Critics, however, argue the video is insensitive. On X, one user said, “Yeah Dababy making a music video on a train while having a guy who looks like the stabber and the Ukrainian girl that got stabbed, probably not a great idea.” Another wrote, “dababy is actually sick and im actually gonna have to delete this app like n****s really are not well.”
Meanwhile, details of the real-life tragedy continue to emerge. According to CNN, Brown’s sister, Tracey Brown, revealed that he suffers from schizophrenia and experiences paranoia and hallucinations. She said he believed Zarutska was reading his mind before attacking her. “A person that is hearing voices in their head and believes the world is against them, they’re going to break. And I think that night he broke,” she explained.
DaBaby’s “Save Me” video has quickly gone viral, fueling ongoing discussions about how far artists can go in blending real-life events with creative expression.
