One of the undeniably great hip hop lyricists of all time, rapper Killer Mike — who recently also faced arrest right after his Grammys win, has addressed the incident on a new song.
The recipient of Best Rap Album (among two other wins) at the coveted event took to ‘Humble Me’ and rapped his heart out about the events on (and around) February 4, 2024, when he was cuffed shortly after securing the accolades.
The track is, of course, a deeply personal gratitude-memoir and sees the rapper explore his relationship with god and success. “All my heroes have been cuffed and mishandled in some way. I just thanked God in that moment of being Daniel in the lion’s den. I came out of the jailhouse in the pouring rain to my wife waiting for me, lit a joint, celebrated a bit and then woke up and got the news about my son’s kidney,” he says, acknowledging good fortune at the other end of adversity and uncertainty.
It’s humbling to be nominated for @betawards Album of the Year and not allowed in the building because it’s taking place at the same place as the Grammy’s. It’s equally humbling for @BET and @AEGpresents to go out of their way and right this wrong so I can attend. Thank you to… pic.twitter.com/UCYUUDKHCB
— Killer Mike (@KillerMike) June 30, 2024
“I was in the studio the very next day. I’m as inspired as ever and I’m just following the music at this point,” the rapper says in relation to the incident, also insinuating how he’s ready to explore the depths of the incident and emotions associated with it in a larger project. The song itself comes with a monochrome music video that depicts Killer Mike as a legendary star adorned with jewels and material success, as it is slowly stripped off him by a set of anonymous hands.
More interestingly, though, the video also features Mike and his son Pony Boy in a shot standing together, alive and safe after having received a kidney transplant. “I believe that humility and worship granted me God’s grace in the face of that test, and I believe my son receiving his kidney was a blessing from God,” he says, in order to close the conversation with humility.
thank you @BET it’s an honor to receive this award from our people..the story of MICHAEL continues tonight at midnight ATL time 🛐 #HUMBLEME pic.twitter.com/yW8PnwCqtI
— Killer Mike (@KillerMike) July 1, 2024
That said, it seems as though Mike will be talking more about such personal themes as part of the next album, which is touted to serve as the epilogue to his last album, MICHEAL, and the narratives enshrined in it. Also worth noting is the rather poetic moment that saw Mike return to the same venue (the Peacock Theatre in LA) where he was arrested at when he last won big. After all, Mike indeed visited the theatre to bear witness to yet another accolade, winning Album of the Year for MICHAEL a day before he released ‘Humble Me.’
Currently, the rapper has taken to touring as a victory lap, going around internationally as part of the Down By Law tour (interesting name choice, isn’t it?!) where he also features his excellent The Mighty Midnight Revival choir in support of his performances. The rapper will be hyping up the new project and slowly closing off the MICHAEL era, and hints at laying all discussions around his arrest to rest on it. Fans can expect to cop a listen as early as this summer — and we’re here for it! Check out the track below.
