Killer Mike stopped by Billboard News to talk about the production Michael — his most personal album to date — the beginning of his career, Atlanta rappers like Rat and Lil Baby, and his thoughts on Georgia politics.
killer mic:
Run the Jewels is the X-Men, right? That’s our group – me, El-P, Trackstar. In our world there are spooky X-Men. For my character, I get a superhero named Killer Mike. However, the story still remains that this 9-year-old is a normal human child.
hey whats up? This is Killer Mike, this is Billboard News.
Tetris Kelly:
Billboard News Tetris dating Grammy Award-winning rapper Killer Mike. what happened?
killer mic:
I’m trying to get back to more Grammys, dude.
Tetris Kelly:
Hey, I like to hear that Actually, I think this is the first time the Georgia brothers have sat on the couch.
killer mic:
Brother Red Clay, hey. I’m glad you came here.
Tetris Kelly:
Let’s go. thank you. back to georgia. But let’s dive into this music now.
killer mic:
Let’s do it, let’s do it!
Tetris Kelly:
So Michael, an album, obviously you’re naming an album, but it has to be really personal to you.Why did you decide to give it that name? Michael?
killer mic:
It really is. Looking at the cover, it’s a bucktoothed kid with a halo and protruding corners. And that’s the spirit of this record. At the age of 9, I decided to become a rapper when I took a school photo. And there is something in a child’s imagination that once you say you can do it, it’s not impossible. But the record is essentially about a nine-year-old black boy who grows up in an all-black enclave in Atlanta, Georgia, a black city in the Deep South. And he blossomed, and he and the city and this music all grew together. And that is the journey.
So there are very personal records like “Shed Tears” that talk about, as a man, enduring a certain amount of hardship and pain. And women who love you, whether it’s your mother, your wife, your lover, or your daughter, people need to cheer you on and sometimes go to the bathroom and rock your body. Shed your tears and go conquer the world.
I wanted people to understand that superhero Killer Mike created the image of a 9-year-old boy, but it really started with a 9-year-old boy named Michael.
Watch the video above to see what else Killer Mike has to say about his new album, the rise of the Atlana rapper, and more.
