Rapper Killer Mike is preparing to release his first single in over a decade. The Atlanta emcee has remained in the spotlight over recent years as being one half of the rap duo, Run The Jewels.
However, the rapper’s activism and deep dive into politics have kept him front and center of some of the country’s larger conversations.
Killer Mike was one of Bernie Sanders’s most notable supporters during the campaign for the 2020 Democratic nomination. An unlikely pairing? Perhaps to some. But he has committed to doing whatever it takes to elevate his people.
“I definitely lead a non-politician life; I smoke weed and I go to strip clubs with my wife,” he tells Guardian. “But I care about people and I have a duty to my community. I am not an angry old man – I am a participator.”
His participation is multi-layered. Whether it be on the ground attending protests, hitting the campaign trail with high-profile politicians or relaying the message via his music, his works have remained consistent.
“It’s a continuation of the work,” he said to the publication. “My grandmother did the work of taking care of our neighbours without publicity, and my grandfather did, too – he would go fishing and always give half of his catch to other people, for instance. I don’t see it as making me better. I don’t see it as being driven by celebrity guilt either. I was told by my elders to make sure that the people who are suffering in my community are relieved by me. These are the principles that I operate with.”
