Killer Mike Discusses Grammys Arrest: ‘All Of My Heroes Have Been In Handcuffs’

Killer Mike has opened up about his recent arrest at the Grammy Awards, likening it to the treatment faced by his civil rights heroes.

During an appearance on The View, the Run The Jewels rapper was asked by co-host and former prosecutor Sunny Hostin about the incident, which resulted in Mike being led away from the ceremony in handcuffs just minutes after winning three awards.

Giving his opinion on what went down, Mike said: “I think backstage was overcrowded, I think the winners were exuberant, I think security got overzealous and that’s all. It’s water under the bridge for me.

“I’d like to say, all of my heroes have been in handcuffs. Malcolm, Martin, Mandela, Medgar. I walked out with the same dignity and respect I walked in with. I would implore people to take that from it. Don’t dwell on the bad stuff.

“And the next morning, I spent three hours by myself and the police said we had never got this many phone calls, people are gonna protest, we’re gonna have to move you. They were all panicked and I was just sitting there and I began to invoke thanks.

He added: “I thank God for bringing me where I was. I thank God for putting me in a space by myself and I got an opportunity to invoke the spirit of my mom and my grandmother.”

Killer Mike had previously said that he was confident of being cleared of all charges relating to the incident after being booked on a misdemeanor battery charge.

“As you can imagine, there was a lot going and there was some confusion around which door my team and I should enter. We experienced an over-zealous security guard but my team and I have the upmost confidence that I will ultimately be cleared of all wrongdoing,” he told TMZ.

There are conflicting accounts on what led to the arrest.

According to a law enforcement official who spoke to Rolling Stone, a female security guard asked Mike for his tickets and he allegedly refused. She claims he then pushed her to the ground, causing injuries to her hand and fingers.

TMZ reported that a security guard was giving Mike a hard time and he decided to push past the official.

The Atlanta rapper was released from police custody on his own recognizance within hours of his arrest and is due back in court on February 29.

His brush with the law came shortly after he won three of the four Hip Hop awards at the Grammys, taking home Best Rap Album for Michael along with Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for “Scientists & Engineers.”