A Des Moines hip-hop artist is releasing a music video aimed at ending gun violence. The first public viewing came in front of the Governor, the Des Moines chief of police and community leaders.
Will Keeps had a hard upbringing on the south side of Chicago. In recent years, he has been promoting anti-violence through music. His latest effort is called “Droppin.”
“(from the video) Oh, oh, no more, oh, oh, no more.”
Keeps says he’s fed up with the uptick in gun violence across the country.
“I’m done with innocent kids, innocent anybody being killed," he says. "I’m done with people being killed period. I’m done with the gangs, even though I know there will never stop being gangs, there will never stop being drugs out here.”
Keeps says he wants to deliver a more upbeat message.
“I want to make sure positives look just as beautiful as they think the negatives look," he says. "And the only way we can make positives look that beautiful is we do it together.”
Among those who worked with Keeps on the music video are Gov. Kim Reynolds, Des Moines Police Chief Dana Wingert and Pastor Andre Brooks of Kingdom of Life Family Ministry.
The song encourages people who witness killings to come forward to investigators.