From his collaboration with the famous group Outkast to his activism to his roles on the screen, find out who Killer Mike is, this American artist who left the Grammy Awards party in handcuffs.
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On Sunday night, before being escorted out of Crypto.com Arena by police, the Atlanta rapper won statuettes for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. These were his first Grammy wins since 2003, when he and Outkast triumphed in the Best Rap Performance by a Group or Duo category with the song “The Whole World.”
Throughout his career, Killer Mike has presented over a dozen projects and signed collaborations with big names such as TI, CeeLo Green, Ice Cube and Three 6 Mafia. He now has more than 2.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
Respected activist
Outspoken veteran of the rap scene, Michael Santiago Render, his real name, is also known for his advocacy on social issues such as racial equality, police brutality and systemic racism.
The son of a former police officer, the rapper now lectures on the relationships between races and different cultures at renowned institutions such as Northwestern University, New York University and the Institute of Technology of Massachusetts (MIT). He also hosted Trigger Warning with Killer Mike, a Netflix series that aired in 2019 and focused on issues within Afro-Colombian communities in America.
On the small and big screen
The 48-year-old rapper has also worked in the world of cinema and television series, both as an actor and a music artist. He was particularly involved in the development of the soundtrack for the film Baby Driver (2017), in which he also appeared in a scene alongside Kevin Spacey.
Killer Mike also played his own role in the series Billions, which was named Best Drama Television Series at the 2023 Satellite Awards.
According to information from several American media outlets, confirmed by his lawyer, Killer Mike was released on Sunday, a few hours after he was transported to the police station. He was initially reportedly arrested in connection with an altercation between a security guard at the Crypto.com Arena, where the Grammy Awards ceremony was taking place. He is expected to return to court in Los Angeles on February 29, according to CTV.