Known for his activism in addition to his music career, Killer Mike was close to jumping into the political arena. As one half of Run The Jewels, Mike has made a name for himself as an unshakeable force in Hip Hop, however, he has dedicated his time and career to shedding light on the inequities plaguing marginalized communities. You can find his name intricately woven into community building and education efforts, and for some time, he has been pushed to run for office.
In a recent interview with HipHopDX, Killer Mike admitted that it was after a chat with Dave Chappelle that he felt the push to take the giant leap. He said he is “very fortunate to be friends with” Chappelle and following one of the comedian’s shows, they got together for a post-event hangout.
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Everyone was smoking, drinking, and overall relaxing when Chappelle posed a question.
“So, I’m in the cut, smoking a joint that looks like a cigarette. I’m getting high as f*ck. Dave calls me out,” said Mike. “He says, ‘Hey man, why don’t you run for governor?’ And I’m like, ‘What? No, no, we got a Black person running for governor. Her name …’ ‘That’s not what the f*ck I’m talking about — you. You need to run. You are qualified to lead.’ And I’m like, ‘Dave, I’ma rapper.’ “He said, ‘I don’t give a f*ck, you can govern and rap!’”’
The discussion lit a fire under Mike.
“I was ready to run after that, even though I know it’s not time for me to run, but what he really told me was that it doesn’t matter if you go to strip clubs and smoke weed and you go with your wife and we know all your proclivities,” he added. “What we’re saying is we trust you, not to be perfect, but to be honest and lead.”
Killer Mike recently dropped his new song “RUN” which features looks from Young Thug and Dave Chappelle. It’s the rapper’s first solo track in a decade. Check it out below.
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