Killer Mike was detained at the 66th Grammy Awards at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, only two hours after winning three of the four rap categories in the pre-show telecast.
According to a police source, shortly after 4 p.m., the rapper, real name Michael Render, was handcuffed and held following an alleged “physical altercation” inside the arena involving a third party.
Render was questioned, according to the source, and any prospective arrest will be determined by whether the third person wishes to bring charges. An investigation is ongoing.
Chris Gardner of The Hollywood Reporter obtained video of Render getting handcuffed and brought away. According to Gardner, an official claimed the arrest was for an unnamed misdemeanor unrelated to anything that happened at the Grammys on Sunday.
Breaking: Rapper Killer Mike has been taken away in handcuffs in https://t.co/aF2yiyTHol arena after winning 3 #Grammys during telecast (Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for “Scientists & Engineers,” Best Rap Album for Michael) “Free Mike” someone shouts as he walks past. pic.twitter.com/4epfmzqMt8
— Chris Gardner (@chrissgardner) February 5, 2024
As reported by Chris Gardner, “Rapper Killer Mike has been taken away in handcuffs in Crypto.com arena after winning 3 #Grammys during telecast (Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for “Scientists & Engineers,” Best Rap Album for Michael) ‘Free Mike’” someone shouts as he walks past.”
The detention occurred immediately after the rapper went to the press area to answer questions about his win, ecstatic to have been recognized after more than 20 years in the hip-hop industry.
“It feels absolutely grand,” Render said. “If it feels like some people are reaching the finish line first, don’t worry. Just keep running your race. The only thing stopping you is your imagination. It’s our responsibility to be grand in every action.”
Rapper Killer Mike stunned comedian Bill Maher in an HBO “Real Time” appearance on Friday by refusing to back Joe Biden in his election race against Donald Trump.
Killer Mike dodged giving an answer to Maher’s repeated demands that he reveal which candidate he supported in the 2024 election.
The rap star eventually spelled out the terms under which he would back Biden, telling the president to take concrete measures that benefited Black people.
Maher argued that voters should care more about ideas than specific candidates, and then asked the rapper who he was voting “for” in 2024.
“I’m for black people. And Happy Black History Month,” Killer Mike said before appearing to reference his past support for socialist Independent Bernie Sanders.
“You can’t get yourself to say ‘vote for Biden over Trump?’” Maher asked.
Killer Mike wouldn’t commit to backing Biden.
“Can he get himself to apologize for the [1994] crime bill? Can he get himself to get his head out of his ass and say ‘black people, you are black regardless?”
“Can he pick a coalition of former people who were affected by drug law, street gangs, recidivism and crime and say ‘I need you as a board to advise me how to fix federal prisons’?”
“If he can do that, absolutely I can. So my challenge is out.”
Democrats are losing the Black community. Killer Mike isn’t the only rap star who can see that everyone was better of under Donald Trump. That includes rappers.
Donald Trump forged ties with the rap world by working with Ye and Kim Kardashian on criminal justice reform, helping to get A$AP Rocky out of a Swedish prison, and issuing presidential pardons to Lil Wayne and Kodak Black.
50 Cent recently slammed Democrats for NYC’s $53 million program to hand out pre-paid credit cards to illegal aliens.
“WTF mayor Adams call my phone, I don’t understand how this works somebody explain… I’m stuck maybe TRUMP is the answer.”
