Killer Mike Releases ‘Run’ Featuring Young Thug And Dave Chapelle
Killer Mike has released his first new solo song in 10 years, Run featuring Young Thug and Dave Chapelle. In the years since 2012’s classic album RAP Music, Mike has been half of the hugely successful rap duo Run The Jewels.
Last month, Mike spoke to ABC’s Good Morning America defending Young Thug and fellow YSL affiliate Gunna following their arrest on racketeering charges. Mike was arguming that rap lyrics shouldn’t be used as evidence in court cases. “Hip-hop is not respected as an art because Black people in this country are not recognized as full human beings,” he said. “If we allow the courts to prosecute these men based on characters they created and stories of pretend that they tell in rhyme, then next, they’ll be at your door.”
In a new interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1, Mike added, “I want to stand in solidarity with Black art. So keep your hands off Black art. I want to standard solidarity was Gunna and Thug, who are presumed innocent, according to our constitution, unless proven guilty. They’re presumed innocent, man. And the two men that I spent two weeks with while we’re recording that were leaders of working people. They were the leaders of creative people. There were the leaders of people in that room who would not have had jobs and opportunity. What I did not see was the leader of a gang in that room. What I witnessed in there was musicians making music, making opportunities for people, making money, creating these imaginary characters, which we are.
“Killer Mike is an imaginary characters. Michael Render is very real… So there’s a book called Rap On Trial that I want people to get. Co-written by Dr. Erik Nielson, who’s a friend of mine. And this book goes on to help people understand that other uses of violence in music are not used against musician. ‘Mama, I killed a man.’ It’s not going to be used against Queen. Johnny Cash is not going to be prosecuted for saying, ‘I shot a man just to watch him die.’ Rap music seems to be inexplicably linked to persecution.”