Rapper Killer Mike’s triumphant night at the Grammy Awards on Sunday was short-lived, as he was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery shortly after the ceremony.
Killer Mike, whose legal name is Michael Render, won three Grammy awards for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap Performance. However, he was then escorted out of the Crypto.com Arena in handcuffs.
In a statement on Tuesday, Mike blamed an “overzealous” security guard for his arrest. He explained that there was some confusion around which door he and his team should enter, and that the security guard was overly aggressive in her handling of the situation.
Despite the setback, Killer Mike expressed confidence that he would eventually be cleared of all wrongdoing. He is due back in court on February 29 in Los Angeles to face the misdemeanor battery charge. However, the rapper has already begun moving on from the incident.
On Monday, he called into Atlanta’s “Big Tigger Morning Show” and declined to directly address his arrest. Instead, he focused on his three Grammy wins and his two decades in the rap game. While Mike claims that the security guard was overzealous, a law enforcement source told Rolling Stone that Mike and his team encountered the guard, who asked for his ticket and directed him to go through a security checkpoint. The source claimed that Mike attempted to move around the guard, and when she tried to stop him, he pushed her to the ground.
This is not the first time that Mike has won a Grammy. He previously won in 2003 for his feature on the OutKast song “The Whole World,” which won Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Despite the recent controversy, Mike’s talent and contribution to the rap genre cannot be denied. He has been a prominent figure in the industry for two decades, and his music has inspired and entertained countless fans.