In the trailer for Killer Mike’s new Netflix series, Trigger Warning with Killer Mike, he starts out by proclaiming that anything that does not benefit black people “needs to be burned the fuck down.”
“Trigger Warning is about examining cultural taboos and giving viewers the space to examine the “what ifs” and “why not’s” that limit how some people move and operate in the world,” reads the press release. “In six episodes, we explore the human condition using nontraditional approaches. Not everyone will agree with my methods — and some of what we’re putting out is fucking crazy — but this show is about embracing your freedom to challenge societal expectations and conformity. This show is if an anarchist determined the status quo.”
While this bold proclamation would have earned him a series of clutched pearls and screams from the GOP in years past, one can’t help but cheer him on in the age of Trump, where the worst type of humanity drags itself from the sewer in which it was dwelling for years to show that, much to our collective chagrin, they’re not dead after all.
And that, said the Atlanta born-and-bred rapper, is the whole point.
“This system — this capitalist system — is broken now, but it never worked for black people,” he told HipHopDX in an exclusive phone interview. “Now it’s my job to make sure that black people benefit from the same capitalism that white people have benefitted from for so many years.”
So it goes with this six-episode series, in which the man born Michael Santiago Render attempts to not only circumvent the system that has systemically oppressed black people for generations but to make it work for the black people of the 21st Century…all with his trademark wink-and-a-smile that has peppered his twenty-plus year Hip Hop career.
But that’s not to say that this attempt didn’t hit a few speed bumps along the way. In the first episode, “Living Black,” Killer Mike attempts to only support black businesses for 72 hours. This attempt includes a hilarious sojourn into an ATL strip club, in which a clueless Asian stripper gives him a face full of ass before he informs her of his quest. When she realizes she isn’t getting paid because of the color of her skin, she stomps off in disgust — a scene that, while funny, also has an underlying message that can’t be ignored.
Mike says that felt the need to show the struggles and the hurdles so that other young black people who are watching the show can feel inspired to get into the “billionaire mindset” that he’s learned to have over the course of his own career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdynmpKROF4
“My wife, Shay, and I are co-owners of a chain of barber shops,” he said. “I also run a financial literacy firm, and I have my hands in several other businesses. I have a hustler’s mindset, you know, and I think it’s important that I pass that information down to other young black men, especially, who may not know better. I don’t care if you get money behind the mic or on the streets, or even in a grocery store. You just need to know what to do with that money when you get it. Let it work for you.”
But it’s the third episode, “White Gang Privilege,” that gets Mike really passionate about his quest, both on the show and on the phone. When the Run the Jewels rapper realized that the notorious white biker gang, Hell’s Angels, had a brand of soda out on the market, he set out to do the same for the equally notorious black gangs, the Bloods and the Crips. In so creating “Blood Pop” and “Crip-a-Cola,” respectively, for the two adversaries, he taught them about the importance of entrepreneurship and “going legit.” (Not one to miss an opportunity for humor, Killer Mike hired a standard issue white millennial to design the logo for Crip-a-Cola; the look on the gang members’ faces as the hapless marketer tries to the explain the importance of having a “more corporate” logo is meme-worthy.)
While some critics have pushed back at Mike for encouraging black men to get into the business of sugar — especially given that sugar contributes to a myriad of health issues, including diabetes, obesity, and hypertension — Mike brushes the criticism off, remaining firm in a quasi-libertarian philosophy that people have free will to put what they please in their own bodies, while emphasizing that his ultimate goal was black empowerment.
“It’s not my job to tell you what’s right for you, health-wise,” he said. “That’s on you. You’re grown — you should know better. You should know that you need everything in moderation. And who am I to begrudge young black men who want to own a legitimate business? If they get 2% of Pepsi’s market, they can make millions — if not billions — of dollars. And you mean to tell me that a white man can put cocaine in soda and become the number one soft-drink company in the world [a reference to Coca-Cola’s former practice of putting cocaine in its drink until 1903; Coca-Cola has since tried to deny these claims], but we’re going to take black men to task for putting sugar in a drink? I don’t think so.”
Trigger Warning with Killer Mike is on Netflix now.
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Wowwww. Whoever wrote this didn’t watch the show. Hell’s Angels sells clothing, not soda. The soda idea was just a random one when Mike realized non-black gangs were profiting off their name so why not Crips and Bloods.
Big fan of Mike and RTJ but I did cringe big time in the 3rd episode where he accused a man (a man with brown skin) of being racist because he put down Mike’s argument that we celebrate Scarface and the Godfather while we can be critical of the Crips/Bloods. The man just calmly pointed out that those movies are fictional stories and Mike responded with the snowflake reply of “You’re a racist.”
Mike is a clown. Godfather and Scarface were directed by LEGENDS. What epic film is there about bloods or crips? Fucking hypocrite moron.
Guys seriously the system of capitalism does not work even though netflix is about to pay me six figures
you’re missing the point
No moron, DJF got the point, you missed HIS. Moron. Killer mike made a deal with NETFLIX, for hundreds to possibly millions of dollars. Netflix single handed Lu put an end to cable Tv and streaming media. Capitalism at its finest. He did this for money. Please look up capitalism, and never post again with your ignorant ass. The point is, Killer Mike is a datada hypocrite Dindu talentless hack. I wonder if El-P produced and wrote all the episodes on the show. Hahaha
I didnt miss Djf’s “point” if you even wanna say he had one. Duh, of course he’s getting a paycheck and hopefully a decent one from Netflix. Of course he’s not doing it pro bono. Anyway, Mike has never said he’s full on ANTI-capitalism. He does tours, he owns a string of barber shops in the A. He likes $ as much as the next man. That doesnt mean you cant call out overly greedy capitalism which we absolutely have a system of here in the US. And have you even seen the show? He brings up a great point that black people in the US dont keep $ in their own hands, which they did at one point when they did so if only out of necessity, since white-owned businesses wouldnt sell products or their services to. And to imply Mike ONLY did the show for the money? Who are you to say what his motives are? FOH with your ignorant ass.
My ignorant ass? Hahahaha. Black people don’t keep money in their own hands? How’s Russel Simmons credit card going? Why about all those black banks? Last time I checked (with my bachelor’s degree, and the 3 languages I speak fluently), 15% of the populous will NEVER manage to keep money in their own hands. What kind of stupid ass, racist shit is that? You want equality yet want to keep money in your own hands? Killer Mike wasn’t even alive yet when white business wouldn’t take black money or sell services. You and that fat hypocrite moron are putting the African American back years with this nonsensical race baiting bullshit. We had a black president. Hip-hop music is THE biggesest music genre charting in the US. Rock was the biggest before that. How come it’s not distributed and controlled by the people creating it? A lack of business acumen? Jay-Z and Dre seem to be doing OK in this “white controlled” industry. It’s funny how I don’t ever hear black people speak up for native Americans, Latinos, gay rights etc. I’ve yet to see someone visit an Indian Reservation and ask them how they feel about BLM. The reason no one sympathizes with his bullshit, or yours, is because it’s a crutch, an enabling falicy to justify not studying, working hard or contributing to society. I haven’t seen any of these clowns speak on the fact that blacks kill other blacks WAY more than cops kill anyone yearly. Strange right? Go to sleep little kid, dream of Wakanda. We Waz KANGZ and all that bullshit. You have a fair shake at life, so does this fat moron. If systematic racism does exist, it failed a long time ago. The fact we are on here discussing this proves just that. Please read a book and get a GED or some shit. The white man wasn’t created in a lab, and no one’s GRANDPARENTS alive today in the US was a slave. Get over it. He owns barbershops. What a fucking joke. Let me guess, he’s coming out with a brand of blunt wraps, rims and his own cognac trying to contribute? Hahaha
Smart man on here finaly yea the reasons black people dont have their fair share is bevause every oportunity they have been givens never good enough and they just piss it away you look at black people in africa they enslave and sell one another modern day honestly something they would do with one another here in the u.s if it wasnt illegal here all the single mothers with 5 kids she would have 1 or none pretry quick selling then to pedos like they do in africa when they got too many children and someone wants one and here in the u.s all black people do is rob murder and sell crack to one another and if its not that their scammin one another they show more hatred and disregard for themselfs than any white persons done to them for centuries the black unemployment rates always been twice if not more than the caucasian and only 13% of the population accounts for 50% of homicides over 98% of those homicides black on black over less than $1000 yep black lives matter they should keep being given more crutches to burn but its allll the white mans fault even though you watch 1st 2nd generation hispanics here becomjng business owners and succesful individuals within a decade or so yet black people havent been able to do it in centuries even though hispanics are treated worse modern day than black people are in the u.s explain that one to me it couldnt have been hard work ambition and respect for others something alot of black people think is bullshit shits just funny to me black people are there own constant worst enemies and they just cant stop swinging at everyone else but themselfs
Sounds like Kanye-ish shock value talk to drum up views. It is one thing to have free thought. It is another thing to speak on topics for the sake of speaking on topics even if those topics don’t make sense. Sometimes free thinkers still need to shut the hell up and listen lol.
Running into Killer Mike in Atlanta GA downtown at Walter where you can get some quick insight on how the economy doing was surreal ! Throwback Song of the Night Killer Mike Feat. Big Boi ( A.D.I.D.A.S )
Hates capitalism, has billionaire mindset. Self loathing fatty!
Guys relax. He knows more than any of you and is so much better than all of you, and he’ll let you know that, except he doesn’t think that..
They make it so hard to like their music anymore. Remember in 2014 when this idiot started crying onstage at a RTJ show because there was not enough evidence to indict Darren Wilson? Even though multiple witnesses said Mike brown attacked him? The liberal mindset is confusing, they base their opinion on emotion rather than fact, and they choose sides based on racial sympathies rather than judging on an individual basis.
The trailer for this starts with fat boy here saying “anything that doesn’t help black people needs to be burned the fuck down. Now!” Wow. If a white guy said that in regards to white people, there would be an uproar. This racist idiot needs to be off te air immediately. I can’t believe anyone, let alone Netflix, gave this ignoramus a show.
That’s the sound of missing the point. Maybe you also think you can’t “do anything” because of #metoo movement.
Maybe use your own talking points for a change instead of just parroting heads on tv.
Well, jackass, I don’t watch television. Period. I do watch Netflix. That’s about it. I also don’t have social media, FYI. I think YOU are missing the OBVIOUS point, numbnuts. You’re suggesting that Fox News is talking about Killer Mike I’m guessing? I doubt that’s happening. If I said “anything that isn’t helping Brazilians needs to be burned the fuck down, now!!” People would all say I was a racist, and that I should be arrested for making terrosrist threats. If I was arrested, people would be like “yup, you’re an idiot.” You sound like some jackass, cuck kombucha Breath soy boy. Probably pay dudes to fuck your girl while you watch. Hahahaha
White boys. Why the fuck are u on a Hip Hop site getting mad? Nobody gives a fuck about your MAGA views so please go the fuck to a country music site. Thank u
Hahahahaha. Yeah, no one should be mad at racism when it’s commited by a black man. They get a pass, right? You sure want white boys streaming those albums though, without it your black ass would be doing the electric slide, and Killer hypocrite/racist Mike here would be flipping burgers at a BK. Dumbass. This site isn’t black owned. Neither is hip-hop, you racist idiot. Please hang yourself.
I hop you guys do an article on the lawsuit Borge Killer Mike and Netflix got slapped with for calling the “Hells Angels” a Gang. They’re a Motorcycle Club. They are extremely well organized and have lawyers and have copyrights on all their merchandise and logo etc. the Crips and Bloods (the real ones at least) all have Federal gang injunctions on them. They don’t have any logo, copyrights and/or a product other than racketeering, drug sales, human trafficking and murder to claim. Another typical ignorant ass, hypocritical didndu argument. I also like that he snubbed an Asian stripper. Being racist is a great way to combat racism. We should start shooting all the people shooting each other, wait, the cops are doing that already. Killer Mike doesn’t seem to have a problem with that. Oh wait, he does. The irony.
That comment was just a lot of rambling without really saying anything. What’s your point?