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Killer Mike has responded after being arrested at the Grammys just hours after winning three trophies.
The Atlanta-born rapper, real name Michael Render, was escorted away in handcuffs after winning Best Rap Album award for Michael as well as both Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for “Scientists & Engineers”.
After confusion among those in attendance at the Los Angeles ceremony, which also saw wins for Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish, the Los Angeles Police Department announced that the music star was arrested and booked for “misdemeanour battery” after a physical altercation backstage at the Crypto.com Arena.
Now, Killer Mile – who was released soon after being escorted away – described the arrest as a “speed bump”, revealing that it did not dent his party spirit.
Speaking on an Atlanta-based radio show, the rapper exclusively said:“We hit a speed bump and then we head back to the party, man. We partied all night. Ain’t nothing had happened, man. But we winners. That’s it.”
In a statement, released via Pitchfork, he described the security at the event as “overzealous”, adding: “I do want to note that last night, my team and I fielded a number of calls from concerned fans and colleagues wanting to know if I was OK. I greatly appreciate the concern and support, but I am better than OK.”
He continued: “As you can imagine, there was a lot going and there was some confusion around which door my team and I should enter. We experienced an overzealous security guard, but my team and I have the upmost confidence that I will ultimately be cleared of all wrongdoing.
“Until that time, keep listening to ‘Michael’, and keep going after your dreams.”
Shortly after his arrest, Killer Mike tweeted about his Grammy Award wins: “DREAMS COME TRUE – IT’S A SWEEP!”
Killer Mike with his three Grammys just before getting arrested
(AFP via Getty Images)
When he collected his third award, the rapper shouted out “Sweep! Atlanta, it’s a sweep!”
He told the crowd: “You cannot tell me that you get too old, that it’s too late, you can’t tell me that dreams don’t come true. It is a sweep. This is for all the people who think you’re too old to rap… we keep hip-hop alive. Never ever stop doing what you do.”
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Moments before being handcuffed, Render said backstage: “The only thing that limits your age is not being truthful about your age or what you’re doing.”
“At 40, I started to live with the regrets and the things I’ve done. At 45, I started to rap about it. At 48, I stand here as a man full of empathy and sympathy for the things I’ve done.”
Render has long been vocal about issues facing black Americans, including racism and police brutality, and was particularly vocal during the Black Lives Matter protests in Atlanta after the death of George Floyd in 2020.
Killer Mike says he is ‘better than OK’ after Grammys arrest
(X/Twitter)
Render’s three wins at the Grammy Awards come as female artists dominated the major categories on a night dubbed ‘Year of the Women’, with Taylor Swift winning Album of the Year for the fourth time, setting a new record.
Song of the Year went to Billie Eilish for “What Was I Made For?”, while Record of the Year was won by Miley Cyrus for “Flowers”.
The ceremony’s live performances were also dominated by women, with legendary singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell drawing an emotional reaction and a standing ovation. Other performers included Dua Lipa and Tracy Chapman, who memorably dueted with Luke Combs on a duet version of her hit “Fast Car”.
