The long road to becoming Killer Mike
From
Killer Mike Jonathan Mannion/Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Killer Mike
Jonathan Mannion/Courtesy of the artistSet List
- Killer Mike, "Don't Let The Devil"
- Curtis Mayfield, "We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue"
- Killer Mike, "Down By Law"
- OutKast, "The Whole World (feat. Killer Mike)"
- OutKast, "Snappin' and Trappin' (feat. Killer Mike & J-Sweet)"
- Killer Mike, "Scientists and Engineers (feat. Future and Eryn Allen Kane)"
- Killer Mike, "Something for Junkies"
- Killer Mike, "High and Holy"
You might know the name Killer Mike from his work as one half of the rap duo Run The Jewels. Or maybe you know him from his political activism, his support of Bernie Sanders, or his television appearances on shows like Real Time with Bill Maher and his own documentary series, Trigger Warning with Killer Mike.
But with his new solo album, he wants you to get to know the man behind Killer Mike, Michael Render. The album is called Michael, and it serves as a kind of origin story for the Killer Mike persona — digging deep into his childhood and the influences that shaped him as an artist, as an activist and as a man.
In this session, Killer Mike talks about what he was like as a little boy, his early work with OutKast, the impact women have had on his life, and why he wanted to share his personal story after years in the public and political sphere.