Killer Mike was led out of the 2024 Grammys in handcuffs after he allegedly got into a confrontation with a security guard. This came after the rapper won three awards at the pre-telecast ceremony.
"An official tells someone on his team that it’s possible he may be released later tonight from the arena," Chris Gardner of The Hollywood Reporter, who broke the news, said in a tweet.
'Are you serious?' the rapper said as he was escorted out of the venue by a police officer.
A video he shared showed the handcuffed rapper walking down a hallway in the Crypto.com arena while flanked by at least one officer. Killer Mike could be heard saying "Are you serious?" in the clip. Someone shouted "Free Mike" as the musician passed by.
This happened after Killer Mike allegedly got into a physical altercation with a security guard at the venue, TMZ reported.
The rapper's arrest was confirmed by the Los Angeles Police Department in a tweet later that night.
"The suspect was placed under arrest and was transported to LAPD Central Division," the post says. "The suspect has been identified as 48-year-old Michael Render and booked for Misdemeanor Battery 243(A) PC, and is in the process of being released."
Killer Mike was in high spirits when he accepted his awards earlier on in the night. He won Best Rap Album for Michael, and Best Rap Performance and Song for “Scientists & Engineers,” which also featured Future, Andre 3000 and Eryn Allen Kane.
"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," he 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, and in losing that piece of jewelry, I learned that there's no gift as precious as what they put inside me," he said.
Representatives for Killer Mike and the Recording Academy didn't immediately respond to Q's requests for comment.
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The primetime Grammy telecast began at 8:00 PM ET, 5:00 PM local time. It's currently airing on CBS and available to stream on Paramount+.
SZA, who went into the night the leading contender with nine nominations, picked up a pair of Grammys at the afternoon pre-telecast ceremony, at which more than 70 of the Grammys’ 94 awards were distributed. SZA’s SOS picked up Best Urban Contemporary Album, while SZA also won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, for her “Ghost in the Machine” collaboration with Phoebe Bridgers.
It's not clear what preceded the rapper being placed in handcuffs.
Bridgers was glimpsed later in the afternoon, when Boygenius, her supergroup with Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker, won a quick-fire trio of awards for Best Rock Performance, best Rock Song, and Best Alternative Music Album.
Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey, both nominees in the night’s major categories, have yet to pick up any awards, though Jack Antonoff, who collaborated with both, won the Grammy for Producer of the Year for the third time in a row.
