Killer Mike has spoken out about his arrest at the 2024 Grammys. The rapper was taken out of the venue in handcuffs after he won three awards in the hip-hop category.
He allegedly got into a physical confrontation with a security guard before he was charged with misdemeanor assault and released on his own recognizance later that night. He provided his own side of the story in a statement published by NBC News on Tuesday, Feb. 6.
The rapper is confident he 'will ultimately be cleared of all wrongdoing.'
"I greatly appreciate the concern and support, but I am better than OK," he said.
"As you can imagine, there was a lot going (on) and there was some confusion around which door my team and I should enter," Killer Mike said. "We experienced an over-zealous security guard."
The rapper added that he believes he "will ultimately be cleared of all wrongdoing."
He also encouraged fans to keep listening to LP Michael, which won Best Rap Album. His track "Scientists and Engineers" won Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance.
Never miss a story — sign up for the Q newsletter for the latest music news on all your favorite artists, all in one place.
Killer Mike was asked about his arrest during a Monday, Feb. 5 appearance on V103’s Big Tigger Morning Show, but wasn't ready to talk about the situation.
"I won a Grammy," Killer Mike said when Tigger asked him what happened. "We party all night. Shout out to my record label. Ain’t nothing had happened, man. But we winners. That’s it."
Tigger tried to approach his query from a different angle, noting that Killer Mike left the ceremony shortly after accepting his trophies.
"Didn’t I look good? I was fresh. All black man," the rapper said of his outfit. "Then I went and picked up all the gold… We hit a speed bump and then we hit back to the party."
Tigger's co-host Jazzy tried to broach the topic one last time, but Killer Mike wasn't budging.
"We not even gonna allow you to ask that question," he said.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed Killer Mike's arrest in a tweet on Sunday, Feb. 4. He was taken into custody at 4 p.m. and released on his own recognizance less than five hours later.
As the ceremony was underway, videos of Killer Mike being led out of the venue circulated on social media. The rapper could be heard saying "Are you serious?" as a bystander shouted "Free Mike!"
Killer Mike was taken into custody after he won three awards in the hip-hop category.
The musician was ecstatic as he accepted his trophies at the pre-telecast ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 4.
"For all the people out there thinking you’re too old to rap: bulls**t! I don't give a damn if you're 78 rapping about how many gals you got in the nursing home, make sure we keep hip-hop alive," Killer Mike said.
The rapper also spoke about his family.
"I just want to say, I lost a pin that was my mother and grandmother's picture on it," he said. "In losing that piece of jewelry, I learned that there's no gift as precious as what they put inside me."
Killer Mike is also a member of the critically-acclaimed duo Run the Jewels.
