Rapper Killer Mike Arrested at Grammy Awards

Rapper Killer Mike Arrested at Grammy Awards
Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images Entertainment for The Recording Academy via Getty Images

The Facts

  • Los Angeles police detained Killer Mike at the Grammy Awards on Sunday, after he won three prestigious music awards, and escorted the rapper out of Crypto.com Arena in handcuffs.

  • Mike, aka Michael Render, was placed under arrest and transported to Los Angeles Police Department Central Division, where he was booked for misdemeanor battery. The 48-year-old was later released on zero bail.


The Spin

Right narrative

While the media talks about his political activism, it ignores the rapper's refusal to endorse Joe Biden for president. Render has been extremely critical of the Biden administration's policies on minority communities. There seems to be a notable shift among Black men in the US away from the Democratic Party — a trend that scares the party establishment. It's reasonable to wonder if Killer Mike's arrest was largely due to his refusal to pledge fealty to the Biden campaign.

Left narrative

Unhinged right-wing conspiracy theorists were chomping at the bit as they sought to spin Killer Mike's arrest as another legal attack on Donald Trump supporters. The musician got arrested and was quickly released in an isolated incident at the Grammys. This is not retaliation for his refusing to endorse Biden — it's a microcosm of how right-wing conspiracy theories can spread on a whim.

Nerd narrative

There's a 50% chance that at least 14.1% of black voters will vote for a Republican president in the 2024 US presidential election, according to the Metaculus prediction community.


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