Killer Mike

Killer Mike’s Barbershop In Atlanta Was Vandalized By A Man He Described As ‘Mentally Disturbed’

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Fresh off his performance on The Late Show as part of Stephen Colbert’s hip-hop ode to the Lord Of The Rings, Killer Mike shared some sobering news on Instagram: His downtown Atlanta barbershop, Swag Shop, was vandalized with spraypaint across its storefront. While he said he is “angry and beyond upset” about the graffiti, rather than demanding revenge, he’s instead asking fans to help get the culprit treatment for a mental illness.

“A mentally disturbed White Man who Calls himself “Druce Wayne” did this to our Shop downtown,” he wrote. “He lives in the delusion he is Kurt Cobain and somehow I am involved in a conspiracy to keep him silenced. I am angry and beyond upset. With that said, I know I can fix this physical damage BUT this man’s mind is terribly broken. If u are from OKC and know his family or friends please DM so u can get him some help. I will for sure make sure we get this fixed and I encourage all to check on your mentally ill loved ones because the world may not be as understanding as me. Love and Respect.”

It’s the second time this year one of Mike’s shops has suffered damage. In February, he delayed reopening the downtown shop — which had been closed due to COVID — due to the windows being shot out. Here’s us hoping that he can avoid future damage and have a successful and safe 2022.

Killer Mike And Stephen Colbert Celebrate The 20-Year Anniversary Of The ‘Lord Of The Rings’ Films With A ‘Late Show’ Rap

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It’s pretty well known that Stephen Colbert is a huge nerd who absolutely loves the Lord Of The Rings film trilogy but not as well known is the apparent fact that so is renowned Atlanta rapper Killer Mike.

Wait, what?

Yep, that’s right. Killer Mike joined Stephen Colbert on last night’s episode of The Late Show to celebrate the film series’ 20th anniversary with an elf-laden rap video in which Colbert, dressed hilariously in an old-school hip-hop get-up that LL Cool J would have loved back in the ’80s, Late Show bandleader Jon Batiste, and Mike rampage through a Blockbuster-like video store set, putting down other film trilogies like Star Wars and The Godfather as vastly inferior.

Then the hobbits themselves show up. Yes, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, and Sean Astin show up as raptified versions of their mischievous film characters to continue the song along with Elijah Wood, who poses in front of a Benz with “Baggins” on the license plate. The music video even gets meta, as Wood disses the Pitch Perfect trilogy, prompting a quick interlude of that series’ star Anna Kendrick looking very confused and kind of disgusted.

Method Man shows up to replace Gandalf actor Ian McKellan, Killer Mike slates Back To The Future, Indiana Jones, The Mighty Ducks, Twilight (another Kendrick cameo!), and The Dark Knight trilogy. Andy Serkis — aka Gollum — plays the flute as Hugo Weaving raps in freaking Elvish. This video has everything. You should really check it out.

Young Thug, Lil Yachty, And More Will Trek Through Nature In The Upcoming HBO Show ‘Chillin Island’

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There’s a lot of fun to be had when you get people out of their comfort zones for in-depth interviews — just check out Hot Ones, where Sean Evans’ invincible tongue allows him to get meme-worthy responses out of guests as they attempt to down the spiciest wings while answering even spicier questions (sorry, it’s such a good tagline). A new show coming out next week will attempt to do something similar. Chillin Island, which will air on HBO on December 17, will see rappers and other musicians leaving behind the hustle and bustle of their urban origins for the peace and quiet of nature.

Of course, the other key to getting good responses is making folks feel comfortable while they’re way out of their comfort zones, so to that end, Chillin Island is pairing these rappers with members of their own fraternity: New York rappers Despot, Lakutis, and former Das Racist member Dap (aka Dapwell). They’ll trek to deserts, swamps, and other havens to commune with nature and get in touch with human nature.

Their guests will include a truly fascinating array of artists including Coi Leray, Gunna, Killer Mike, Lil Tecca, Lil Yachty, Rosalía, Ski Mask the Slump God, Young Thug, and Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koening.

You can watch Chillin Island on HBO on 12/17 at 10:30 pm and stream on HBO Max. Check out the trailer above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

With Election Polls Closing Nationwide, Killer Mike Urges Black People To Vote

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Killer Mike

The rapper and activist Killer Mike went on Instagram live with Black News Channel reporter Tezlyn Figaro. He discussed the importance of black voters mobilizing for today’s election in Atlanta and nationwide. Killer Mike Wants Black People To Get Out And Vote Election day is today and voters nationwide are hitting the polls in support […]

Run The Jewels Partner With Black-Owned Breweries For Their Own Line Of Craft Beer

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Run The Jewels

Along with making music and headlining festivals this year, Run The Jewels have been expanding into the beverage industry. The duo made up of Killer Mike and EL-P recently hopped on the hard seltzer trend with their Pink Lemonade drink. Now, Run The Jewels are partnering with several Black-owned breweries for a new line of craft beer.

The line of beers includes the recently released rice lager Never Look Back brewed at Green Bench Brewing Co. in Florida, the molasses and corn grits ale All Due Respect brewed in collaboration with Proximity Brewing and Spaceway Brewing, and Blockbuster Night, Pt. 1, an IPA brewed at Brew Gentleman Brewery in Braddock, PA and made with cannabis terpenes.

Each of Run The Jewels’ beers benefit various nonprofits. A portion of proceeds earned from their Never Look Back beer is slated to benefit Beer Kulture, an organization that works to advance and create opportunities that foster diversity, equity and inclusion within the craft beverage space.

A portion of the duo’s All Due Respect beer will be donated to Blacktoberfest, where the beer will also debut. Blacktoberfest invites over 100 Black-owned establishments to spotlight their products and are about to celebrate their second year as a festival. Furthermore, Run The Jewels have committed to donating 50 percent of proceeds from their Blockbuster Night, Pt. 1 IPA to various Pittsburgh charities serving the children and the arts.

See product images of Run The Jewels’ new craft beer below. Order it here.

Run The Jewels

Killer Mike Is Making A Cameo In The Fourth Season Of ‘Ozark’

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According to a new feature on Billboard, Atlanta rapper Killer Mike has been cast in a cameo role in the fourth-and-final season of Netflix’s award-winning crime drama Ozark. Mike has apparently been a fan of the show for some time, remarking, “I went from waiting to find out what happens next to being part of it … I’m excited.” Although details about the role are sparse, according to Billboard, Mike’s character will meet teen criminal Ruth Langmore “at her lowest point.”

Emmy Award winner Julia Garner, who portrays Ruth, recently joked that she wanted to tell off anti-maskers at the real-life Lake of the Ozarks in-character on social media. The show recently wrapped up a production that was hampered by COVID-19 safety protocols which changed the way the show was shot, so her reaction is understandable. Co-star Jason Bateman remarked that it broke his heart to break the tradition of directing an episode or two himself, but he was willing to make the sacrifice to get the supersized season completed on-scheduled.

Meanwhile, Killer Mike had to make some similar tough business decisions regarding his barbershop, which he didn’t reopen during Georgia’s first wave of attempts to get back to normal last spring. Now that live entertainment is slowly coming back, though, he’ll be on tour with Run The Jewels and Rage Against The Machine next year.

Hip-Hop Albums Turning 10 in 2021

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The soundtrack of 2011. Continue reading…

Run The Jewels And Rage Against The Machine Will Finally Tour Together In 2022

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Run The Jewels and Rage Against The Machine were supposed to team up for the “Public Service Announcement Tour” in 2020, but naturally, that did not come to pass. Dates were later pushed back to 2021, and now, both groups are set to finally hit the road together in 2022.

The new set of dates begins in Texas in March and features a number of North American stops before wrapping up with a week of Madison Square Garden in August.

Check out the full list of tour dates below and get tickets here.

03/31/2022 — El Paso, TX @ Don Haskins Center
04/02/2022 — Las Cruces, NM @ Pan American Center
04/04/2022 — Glendale, AZ @ Gila River Arena
04/06/2022 — Glendale, AZ @ Gila River Arena
04/26/2022 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
04/28/2022 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
04/30/2022 — Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
05/02/2022 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center
05/05/2022 — Vancouver, BC @ Pacific Coliseum
05/07/2022 — Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place
05/09/2022 — Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome
05/11/2022 — Winnipeg, MB @ Bell MTS Place
05/13/2022 — Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford Premier Center
05/15/2022 — Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
05/16/2022 — Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
05/18/2022 — Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center
05/20/2022 — St Louis, MO @ Enterprise Center
05/22/2022 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
05/23/2022 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
07/09/2022 — East Troy, WI @ Alpine Valley Music Theatre
07/11/2022 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
07/12/2022 — Chicago, IL @ United Center
07/15/2022 — Ottawa, ON @ Ottawa Bluesfest
07/16/2022 — Quebec City, QC @ Festival D’ete de Quebec *
07/19/2022 — Hamilton, ON @ FirstOntario Centre
07/21/2022 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
07/23/2022 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
07/25/2022 — Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center
07/27/2022 — Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
07/29/2022 — Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
07/31/2022 — Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
08/02/2022 — Washington DC @ Capital One Arena
08/03/2022 — Washington DC @ Capital One Arena
08/08/2022 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
08/09/2022 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
08/11/2022 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
08/12/2022 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
08/14/2022 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden

* Run The Jewels not performing

Killer Mike Calls Vince Staples ‘Beyond Gifted’ After Hearing His Upcoming Project

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It’s been almost three years since Vince Staples delivered a project. Back in 2018, the the Long Beach native released his mixtape FM! to acclaim, but since then his musical contributions have been limited to guest features, like his most recent remix of Tiana Major9’s “Real Affair.” However, thanks to some recent comments from Killer Mike, we now know Vince Staples upcoming third album is near completion.

Killer Mike recently connected with Staples at a recording studio, where the Long Beach native played him the upcoming project, and after getting through a listen of it, Killer Mike had nothing but good words. “Every time I C @vincestaples my spirit is lifted,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “After hearing his new project I repeat and repeat he beyond “Gifted”. Love & Respect always! His mother raised a, G. God bless her his dad and his hood!”

Staples first announced the project in 2019, and did so in a very playful fashion. “Tryna see if I should start third album or master my chili recipe,” he wrote. Despite replying to that post with “Fasho the chili,” It’s now clear that the former was completed as well.

You can check out Killer Mike’s post above.

Killer Mike Delays Reopening His Barbershop After A Nearby Shooting Damages The Windows

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Killer Mike, who recently closed his Atlanta barbershop due to safety concerns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, is delaying re-opening the shop after a nearby shooting damaged the windows. However, in the social media post announcing the delay, he clarified that the shop was not the target of the shooting, blaming it on “Black men who could not shoot for sh*t.” He also stated he wasn’t upset, but indirectly admonished the perpetrators to think about the consequences of their actions.

“Last night at 1am (non biz hours) while I was in the booth I got a call ‘Mike the OG Store windows were shot out,’” he explained. “It was not a personal attack but it was black men who cud not shoot for shit shooting at one another. I am not upset as property can be replaced. I am sorry to my customers as this will continue pause the re launch of the OG SWAG Shop barber Shop & store. I wanna say to the brothers tho: Please consider what would have happened if one of y’all actually hit one another. The jail, the lawyer fees, the funeral cost and two black families loss. I’m glad y’all cud not hit the side of a barn with a shot gun cuz this am y’all all are alive.”

Mike recently appeared on ESPN to talk about the importance of ownership and financial responsibility, explaining how seeds planted by prior generations of his family allowed him the economic freedom to expand the family’s wealth. He also recently launched his Greenwood digital banking platform to help give other Black people access to the same wealth-building tools and expanded his business interests into the world of cannabis alongside his Run The Jewels partner El-P.