Following a heartfelt speech delivered just after the announcement that a twelve-member Grand Jury declined to indict police officer Darren Wilson for the killing of unarmed teen Michael Brown, Killer Mike spoke with Noisey about his feelings immediately after hearing the news. Killer Mike spoke not only about his own history as an activist fighting for justice, but also about his own personal fears for the safety of his children.
Speaking about his reaction to the news of a non-indictment decision, Mike said simply, “I was crushed.”
“The most honest thing I can tell you is that I was crushed,” he said. “It was my wedding anniversary. I’m on a tour bus—which is already not ideal but my wife is there thankfully and we’re just kicking it and trying to have the best time we can. And then the news comes and it’s like, shit. You just don’t know man. [tearing up.] Your grandparents tell you about Emmett Till. As a kid you see Rodney King. And now, as a father, you see this kid. A fucking 12-year-old kid is dead. A guy is shot in New York walking up a flight of stairs and the first thing the newscaster says is that he’d been arrested 24 times. Man, what does that matter? Dude wasn’t in the commission of the crime there. It just, man. It hurts, man. The shit just hurts. My wife. [choking up] I’m a husband. I’m a man’s man. I’m an alpha male. There’s nothing about my wife and children that should say ‘I’m afraid’ because my father and my husband is there to protect me. But when your wife looks at you and just says, ‘Man, you gotta wonder if God even loves you.’ No man should have that.”
Addressing how the news affects his own family and personal life, Killer Mike addressed his fears for his own children with regards to their interactions with police.
“Having to explain to a 17-year-old that the policeman isn’t going to be brought to accountability for it,” he said. “I’m having to explain to a seven-year-old girl what this is about. Then I still have a 20-year-old and a 12-year-old son. I’m supposed to teach them to interact with the police and make it through those encounters alive. My child should be worrying about her dance class and her sister’s dance recital. I shouldn’t have to be preparing my children that the world is going to be unfair to them for the rest of their lives.”
The Run the Jewels emcee added on, admitting that he fears for the safety of his son and touched on his own persistent fears of being persecuted by police.
“We’ve all done stupid stuff,” he said. “My son’s a skateboarder. My son’s a black skateboarder, though. So my fear is he can be killed by a cop. You don’t understand what it means for a 70-year-old black man to be driving and for his heart to race at a cop getting behind him. My white friend who brought me to St. Louis drove us yesterday. They drove us to the airport, my wife and I, thankfully, just to get away from the bus. They sped the whole way. The entire way. They did U-turns, they drove the wrong way down one-ways. They didn’t have one single worry about a cop. My wife and I worry about the cops when we drive by them going the speed limit. You get what I’m saying?”
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Tell your son not to rob a store then assault a police officer then he’ll be fine. Michael Brown is not the martyr you’re looking for, people. Other people, fine. Amadou Diallo, fine. This kid? It’s not the one.
about the 12 year old that was just playing outside by himself? and dont say he shouldnt be playing with a toy gun cause i see white kids play with toys outside all the time.
find me all the white kids running around with realistic guns and making a scene that get away with it and we’ll talk. don’t make it a race issue if it’s not a race issue
i live in the south there are plenty. i use hang out white kids that walked around the neighbor with bb guns in their hands so
” They sped the whole way. The entire way. They did U-turns, they drove the wrong way down one-ways. They didn’t have one single worry about a cop. My wife and I worry about the cops when we drive by them going the speed limit. You get what I’m saying?”
Are you seriously trying to imply white people never get arrested or get speeding tickets or anything like that? And are you SERIOUSLY bitching that you have to obey the law? If you are trying to speak for black people, this is a serious L for the entire black community. Look at this:
“I’m supposed to teach them to interact with the police and make it through those encounters alive.”
Do black people really not teach their kids how to interact with cops? All white parents do this. If you feel like teaching your kids to respect cops and not punch them in the face and run away from them is some civil rights issue, that is just sad as fuck.
like rekkington said. don’t be charging police officers and stealing and robbing and you may just be ok. quit making this kid out to be innocent. he was up to no good and knew damn well shit like this can happen. quit ya fucking whining people.
there are white people fighting the cops all the time. i never see none of them get shoot. dont believe look up youtube vids. not so long ago an old white dude tried to run over a cop with his car, i repeat tried to RUN OVER A COP WITH HIS CAR. now that sounds like a life threatening situation but did he get shoot for self defense? no.
Whatever happened to Lord Jamar? I’m surprised he has not been on DX for a minute and hasn’t said anything about Ferguson,considering how outspoken he is.
Im right here negro.
fuck white people
This is a little off topic, but my sister is a domenstic violence prevention coordinator. I truly don’t understand “the cause”.
If I leave my car windows open and my stereo gets taken am I a victim? Yes, but did I make the odds more in my favor to be a victim?
If I leave my garage door open and my snow blower gets stolen am I victim? yes- Am i stupid for leaving my garage door open too? Yes.
These girls that get themselves in bad situations at frat parties etc? What are you doing there in the first place drinking underage and being with those types of people?
My best friend was shot and killed over an altercation over a senseless argument over a parking space. They were in a neighborhood they shouldn’t have been in the first place and the guys he was with escalated the situation. He’s a victim, but also was in a bad situation by being with the wrong people. I hung out with those guys, but only in certain situations and always had my car with me so if they were going somewhere I wasn’t comfortable with or thought was a bad idea, I’d bail out.
Mike Brown: Why were you in middle of the road and not the sidewalk? Why did you punch the cop? why did you try to take his gun and charge him? These things all make it more likely you’ll be a victim….
Nothing to be gained from arguing with cops. Just be quiet, say as little as possible, but also be respectful. I think these things all decrease the chances you’ll be a victim.
Is there discrimination out there. Certainly. Is the Mike Brown case the poster boy for the “cause”. No. These two things need to be separated. Look at the forensic evidence and testimony in the case and you’ll see why the cop wasn’t charged. The media, Al Sharpton etc shouldn’t have used this case as the example.
We need stronger communities, and a culture change in which its not “selling out” to be anything other than a rapper, a gangster, pimp, or drug dealer. Killer Mike should shout out some successful black lawyers, doctors, business owners, construction workers, police officers, etc. These guys have a platform they can use. Do they have to use it: no, it’s entertainment-but I don’t think it would hurt…
good comment
Killer mike is ignorant because any white person can use his own logic to say that because the news showed blacks killing people, they should now fear blacks. This movement is taken so out of context. Guys like garner and the kid in Ohio are worth making a stand for, but defending a man killed why violently attacking a cop makes you lose credibility.
That’s the entire issue. Killer Mike is complaining that he needs to… Teach his kids how to behave around cops? Everybody does that, what the fuck is that all about? Defending Mike Brown as some sort of saint is insane, can ONE rapper or prominent black community leader even for a second believe that maybe the evidence is true? There has been enoug evidence of racial profiling and Stop & Frisk to make a case, this actually hurts the cause, it makes the entire black and hip hop community look like they will side with ANYONE just because of race.
A random pedestrian should shoot the cop that did it and be able to get away with it… An eye for an eye is appropriate in this particular situation, well I think so anyways
see where that gets you
I agree. The gangs should start killing these murderous cops as well instead of terrorizing their own community. I think someone will kill Wilson eventually.. might be a few years from now when he thinks he’s safe.
yall said the same thing about zimmerman, no one is touching either of them yall are pussies, niggas would rather start fires, vandalize and steal