Rapper Killer Mike is moving on from his arrest at the Grammy Awards earlier this year seemingly guilt-free and fired up.
The Run the Jewels musician will not face criminal charges for his alleged assault incident at the Crypto.com Arena awards show in February, the Los Angeles City Attorney's office has confirmed.
The rapper “successfully completed the Office’s hearing process, including a community service requirement imposed on him,” the office said in a statement shared with The Times on Tuesday.
A legal representative for Killer Mike did not immediately respond to The Times' request for comment.
During the 2024 Grammy Awards ceremony on Feb. 4, Killer Mike (real name Michael Render) picked up three Grammys during the pre-show, including one for his 2023 release, “Michael.” Shortly after 4 p.m., a police officer handcuffed and arrested the Atlanta-based rapper. He was booked on a misdemeanor assault charge.
A source close to the investigation told The Times in February that an altercation allegedly broke out after a security guard tried to stop Killer Mike and his entourage from passing through an area of the venue. The rapper, 49, allegedly confronted the security guard, who fell to the ground. The guard injured his hand in the fall and requested a citizen's arrest. Police were then called to the scene.
Viral footage of Killer Mike's arrest, captured by The Hollywood Reporter's Chris Gardner, shows the rapper walking with his hands cuffed behind his back as several officers escort him through the scene. Off-camera, a bystander could be heard expressing disbelief at the rapper's arrest.
Days after the rapper's arrest, the Los Angeles Police Commission looked into whether the rapper's race played a role in his arrest. Killer Mike is black.
“I find it very hard to believe that Taylor Swift [who is white] “They would have been treated the same way,” Rasha Gerges Shields, commissioner of the department's civilian watchdog, said in February.
Now, it seems Killer Mike has channeled his arrest into a new song. Fresh off his BET Album of the Year win, he released his new single, “Humble Me,” on Monday. In the song, the rapper and activist recalls his landslide Grammy win, his performance in Atlanta, and how he “got sent to jail.”
“I walk out the door with my head held high and handcuffed, proud, because all my heroes wore handcuffs, some of them were shot by the FBI and died,” she continues.
During Sunday’s BET Awards, which honored Usher with a lifetime achievement award, Killer Mike also referenced his arrest. He told attendees that “technically, I wasn’t supposed to be here” and recalled how he was “taken out of this building” just a few months ago. The BET Awards were held at the Peacock Theater and not the Crypto.com Arena, even though the venues are located in the same downtown entertainment complex.
“I want to tell you, look at God because I’m back, baby,” she continued. “I’m back and I’m winning.”
