Killer Mike Calls His Grammys Arrest a ‘Speed Bump’

After receiving recognition for their outstanding work in the categories of best rap album, best rap performance, and best rap song, the artist was apprehended for a minor battery offense.

On February 5th, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the blog section was updated.

Killer Mike, a rapper who won three Grammys, was involved in a physical altercation on the night of the ceremony. He was then released from police custody in Los Angeles. During a radio interview on Monday morning, he mentioned that his arrest was insignificant compared to his achievements on the big night.

During an interview with the hosts of the Big Tigger Morning Show in Atlanta, the rapper revealed that they encountered an obstacle before returning to the party. He explained that they had attended the final party in Los Angeles after the awards show.

Killer Mike received three Grammy Awards on Sunday evening. His solo album "Michael" was recognized as the best rap album, and one of its tracks, "Scientists & Engineers," won best rap song and best rap performance. Killer Mike's fellow nominees included highly regarded and widely popular rappers such as Drake, Travis Scott, Doja Cat, and Nicki Minaj. Killer Mike has been an active rapper for a long time and had previously won a Grammy in 2003 for his collaboration with Outkast on "The Whole World." Nevertheless, this marked Killer Mike's first time receiving Grammy Awards as a solo artist.

There is not much information available at this time regarding the recent arrest of the rapper known as Michael Render. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, he was taken into custody and charged with a misdemeanor battery offense after an incident at the Crypto.com Arena, where an awards ceremony was taking place. The police did not provide further details on the altercation or the arrest, but did confirm that Render was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court at the end of February. Despite multiple attempts to reach Render's representative for comment, there has been no response. The Grammys organization has also directed all inquiries regarding the incident to the police.

According to an article in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Killer Mike sent a text message during his detention on Sunday night, in which he stated that the encounter was caused by security personnel being too enthusiastic.

The rapper has a complex connection with law enforcement. He's expressed his disappointment with the police force before, rapping about how they've used violence and asking for reforms in the system. On the other hand, he's also defended the police at certain moments - in 2020, he stood with the Atlanta mayor and police chief at a press conference and shared that his father worked as a police officer in Atlanta. He advised protesters to avoid acts of arson while the demonstrations intensified after George Floyd's death.

During the radio interview on Monday, the hosts of the show made several attempts to have Killer Mike speak about the intense moment that was caught on camera. This moment involved him being escorted through the arena while his hands were in handcuffs. It happened shortly after he had finished performing and celebrating his success for his latest album, "Michael," the first one he had made by himself after a span of 10 years.

When questioned by Darian Morgan on the show, the rapper avoided addressing the incident, which quickly became a hot topic following Sunday's Grammys.

The rapper answered that they had a great party through the whole night and nothing unusual occurred. They considered themselves victorious and that was all.

Morgan asked him to share more information, while Killer Mike remembered and shared the events of the night with laughter, as if they were not important. Morgan pushed him further, mentioning that Killer Mike left and came back. Killer Mike decided to switch the conversation to another topic. He reminded Morgan of his appearance that night and asked if he looked good, while also mentioning that he looked fresh.

Next, Jazzy McBee, who co-hosts the show, asked again whether he thought that his arrest had taken away from his big night at the Grammys.

Let's focus on the main query here: How did he achieve it?" expressed the rapper. "He obtained three Grammys, conquered 30 years in the music industry, all while being 48 years old, and defeated every other contender. He surpassed even the most skilled artists."

Ben Sisario provided information for this blog post.