There’s a long tradition of musicians throwing their considerable weight of influence behind US Presidential campaigns. Earlier this year Katy Perry took over Hillary Clinton’s Instagram and sang at her Iowa address to prove just how hip she is.
Now one half of Run The Jewels, Killer Mike, has openly endorsed Hillary Clinton’s Democrat rival Bernie Sanders in an impassioned speech at Sanders’ rally last night.
From the outset, he littered his speech with powerful references to Martin Luther King and advocated for political revolution through Sanders.
“If you’re from Atlanta Georgia you may be familiar with a young man who grew up not far from here. His name was Martin King. Now I know this is the part where usually it’s a black minister in front of you and usually you get all warm and cozy inside and usually you hear about ‘I have a dream’ and us holding hands and going for ice cream. That’s not why I’m here today. I’m not here to talk about benevolent politicians that are going to come and save the day for you. I’m not here to talk about a dream that we think is unobtainable so we settle for less. I’m not here to talk about a utopian society where everyone is forgiven and no one has to pay for past debts. I’m talking about, what I’m talking about today, is the Martin King post-the Washington march, the Martin King present the war on poverty, Martin King against the war machine that uses your sons and your nephews to go to other lands and murder. I’m talking about a revolutionary.”
The speech from Killer Mike is a massive opportunity for Sanders to edge back support from the black community, which has been waning in recent months. In South Carolina, he trails Hillary Clinton by a whopping 55 points in the black community, and has been pressed on Twitter to take the community more seriously.
As a left-wing socialist, Bernie Sanders has been slapped with the title of being a idealistic dreamer by both sides of American politics. However, Killer Mike made sure to distinguish him from that title, ensuring that he was not advocating for an ‘unobtainable dream’.
He can say ‘black lives matter’ as many times as he wants, but an endorsement from Killer Mike will go a lot further in the long run. It isn’t the first time Killer Mike has been politically vocal – previously speaking out after the Charleston Shootings, and talking race relations at MIT. Yet with this speech, perhaps a run in politics himself isn’t out of the question.
Check out the full speech below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kywpo-XmFYg
With the US presidential candidate campaigns in full swing, Run the Jewels powerhouse Killer Mike has taken the interesting step of dining with Democrat candidate Bernie Sanders.
After recently taking part in an Atlanta rally for Sanders, where he delivered an immensely powerful speech, Killer Mike decided to treat the potential next president to some good old fashioned southern cuisine at local joint ‘Busy Bee’.
https://twitter.com/andyjayhawk/status/668997875112787968
Killer Mike and his RTJ counterpart El-P are renowned for their political activism and outspoken nature, so such a publicised move is seemingly a ringing endorsement for Sanders and his political platform. In what has been a tumultuous year for racial and political tensions in the US, Mike has delivered his stance on everything from the Confederate flag, mass shootings, and race relations. If that wasn’t enough, the rapper also revealed his intentions to run for state representative in his native state of Georgia.
Bernie Sanders and rapper Killer Mike at Busy Bee in Atlanta. pic.twitter.com/jqOiLlMgrQ
— John Wagner (@WPJohnWagner) November 23, 2015
The duo certainly make an odd couple, but it would appear that they are both committed to mending racial tension, and the popularity of Sanders has certainly been reflected in recent polls. With Hilary Clinton leading the race for the Democratic candidate position, the race has clearly heated up as Sanders has recently gained ten points on his fellow party member.
Killer Mike is incredibly self aware, and knows the social and cultural support that he can muster in Southern states. Aligning with political candidates is nothing new for hip-hop, with President Obama assembling a star studded celebrity following, led by none other than Jay-Z.
Let’s all be thankful that Killer Mike is taking a productive political route, and not running for office like Waka Flocka.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kywpo-XmFYg]
Words by Emma Jones and Georgia Bell
Here at Howl & Echoes, we’re big fans of Killer Mike and his baby Run The Jewels. We’ve done interview, reviews and countless news pieces on their epic domination of the hip hop world, from the origin of their iconic symbology, their brilliantly off-kilter project Meow The Jewels and Killer Mike’s unflinching stance on the racial inequality in the United States.
But considering Killer Mike’s usually strong stance on civil liberties issues affecting minorities like African Americans, his latest involvement in confusing to say the least.
The rapper has teamed up with California-based duo Blakheart Broadway to produce Losing Control. The accompanying video is inspired by the 1978 film The Deer Hunter. The resulting product? Disturbing, to say the least…
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpZhDApCfog&w=560&h=315]
The poorly shot (perhaps intentional) and choreographed video features the rappers in variety of locations: a bar, a snow covered forest, a darkly lit backroom where men go to… arm wrestle and prove their masculinity?
However, the most concerning part of the video is the women, who are naked except for a giant bunny rabbit mask on their heads, running around the forest being hunted by the men.
Yes. That’s right. Hunted. Naked. IN THE SNOW.
Who thought this was a good idea? Symbolism aside (considering the context, symbolism and metaphors aren’t exactly coming into play here), hunting naked women is problematic on so many levels. It goes without saying that the act of hunting itself is an inherently violent, so replacing animals with women as prey is… completely fucked up. My first initial thought was the actual process of making this clip, with the women standing ready to go in the freezing snow wearing bunny heads whilst the men are rugged up in snow gear. Who the fuck said this was a good idea? Who gave this the go ahead?
For me, a tactic like this instantly draws comparisons to PETA’s infamous ‘I’d rather go naked than wear fur’ campaigns, which have seen a bevy of naked celebs get their kit off for animals rights. The cause is just, but the effect is not. Using the hyper-sexualised images of women’s bodies to promote the cause of animal welfare is demeaning to both parties. It conflates women’s sexuality with animal rights. Even worse in the case of Losing Control, it results in the pornification of women’s bodies with animal abuse. It also legitimises hunting women for sport, propagates rape culture as if women should indeed be treated as prey, reaffirms violence against women as being an okay thing to do and further glorifies the already rampant gun culture prevalent in the United States.
THEN, just when you think it couldn’t get any worse, the video cuts to a scene where the men are playing Russian Roulette in a display of unbridled hyper-masculinity. The bunny-women are trussed up on the walls in some kind of sick, sado-masochistic fantasy while the men gamble with their lives. The cameras slide up and don the women’s bodies lasciviously and then alas, Killer Mike comes into scene to do his spiel and leave us ever so disappointed in him.
Now, the song in general is pretty bad, so it’s already surprising that Killer Mike would lend his name and his talents to such an atrocity. But the visuals accompanying the track just make it so much worse. And no, for the record, we are not letting the other guys off. Blakheart Broadway, their terrible songs and despicable video clips only came into my life this morning when I saw this song and naturally listened due to Killer Mike’s feature. How wrong I was to think this would actually be good.
For someone who is an outspoken advocate of the racial atrocities committed in American daily, such as Ferguson, it’s a little hypocritical that he appears in a video which demeans, objectifies and sexualises women and reduces them to little more than bait. Why is one human rights abuse more important than the other? How can he be so vocal about race rights in America, then seemingly enjoy being in a video that is LITERALLY HUNTING NAKED WOMEN FOR SPORT. Yes, the clip takes a turn for the worse and sees the bunnies kill their hunter, but they’re still naked, still sexualised and still objectified – all of which are SO not okay.
It makes us sad to see this. For someone who we really admire to be in something that is so offensive and wrong that I felt physically sick watching, it asks more questions than it answers. Does Killer Mike really not see the problem with this? If so, why? How can he seriously be okay with the scenes in the video when he has a wife and children? How can ANYONE not see the deeply ingrained problems here if the answers to these questions are no.
Killer Mike’s involvement in this video raises the question, if you’re on a public platform – how much is expected of you? If Mike is choosing to voice his opinion and use his platform for good in regards to race relations, why is he stopping there? Why is it okay to call out that, but not this? And furthermore, how should Killer Mike fans like us feel after watching this clip – is it just expected that we separate his music or Run The Jewels’ music from this? That it’s okay to like that, but not this? This track isn’t actually his, so it’s okay?
Basically, it’s not okay. It is propagating rape culture at worst with it’s predatory message, as if women are a prize and not, you know, human beings; and it is hyper-sexualised at best. Anyway you look at this video clip, you can probably find something wrong with it. The thing we find most wrong is one of our idols, our champions of free speech who rails against the machine and ingrained societal norms when it comes to African Americans, is pretty okay with women getting their kit off in the snow to be hunted with shotguns. “Art” or not, that’s never okay.
Again, we have to ask ourselves – who the fuck thought this clip was a good idea?
On a steady and rapid rise to the top for the best part of two years, Killer Mike seems to be developing a “midas touch” of sorts when it comes to releases. From his own outstanding 2012 album R.A.P Music to the two critically acclaimed Run The Jewels albums with best friend El-P, not to mention the recently released Meow The Jewels, all under his belt, Killer Mike has cut his own space in the hip hop history books and for very good reason.
His Southern drawl is one that stands out from the rest, and his latest efforts in the form of Eat What You Kill. Collaborating with creative director/designer/producer/everything else Frank The Butcher, Mike lays down some imaginative rhymes over a droning, slow beat. Quite the step away from the typical, high energy Run The Jewels tracks, Mike sounds at home on this beat as his raps about one hell of a safari with a “violent rhino, angry hippopotamus, crocodiles smile, swim in lakes that are bottomless.”
Eat What You Kill comes as part of a promotional seven-inch that was commissioned as part of Frank The Butcher’s new line with Puma. The line is of the same name as the track and, although it’s technically Frank The Butcher’s, Killer Mike is the true star of this show.
Killer Mike has truly cemented himself as the perennial voice of reason within hip-hop. From voicing his outrage regarding the presence of the confederate flag, to openly declaring his campaign for Georgia State Representative, it is clear that Killer Mike truly has his finger on the pulse of the cultural and social issues that are ever prevalent within society. So who better to discuss the trials and tribulations of success within the music industry?
In a fascinating interview with Pigeons and Planes entitled “Killer Mike: How I went from a pigeon to a plane“, the Atlanta MC provides a harrowing insight into the fine line between success and failure as a rapper, and the ways in which he has forged a unique business model for himself and his Run The Jewels partnership.
Detailing his rise to stardom, Killer Mike details the ways in which his image was moulded by those around him at an early stage in his career, and how he has sought to further himself from tracks such as A.D.I.D.A.S that formed the beginnings of his journey into the rap game, noting that labels such as Columbia and Elektra had labelled Mike as a “Big black guy” and looked to take advantage of his stature, “let’s figure out how to make him a Biggie-esque type figure”. It is clear that Killer Mike had no intention of being anyone but himself, but as a young and impressionable man it is always difficult to make your voice heard, “I didn’t know how to be brave at that point, so I was trusting other people to be brave for me, which you should never do. You should be brave for yourself”.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFibI_1ZPV4]
Killer Mike also preaches a strong emphasis on having a secure and supportive group around you, which aids in the constant grind of being a part of such a cut-throat industry, particularly when it feels as if you should just give up on trying to make it big “I just know I didn’t stop. I know I wanted to stop. A couple of times my homies wouldn’t let me. Sometimes my wife wouldn’t let me. Sometimes I wouldn’t let myself, and I didn’t stop. I know if you don’t stop, something’s gonna happen.”
Touching on the success of his current musical venture with best friend and producer El-P, Killer Mike details the business model that he has taken. The Run the Jewels 2 release was distributed for free, which can be a risky move in today’s industry, but Mike has faith in his music, and faith in his fans, “I’m no business and marketing genius, but I trust my own instincts. El and I believe that if you get it (the album) and you like it, you’ll support it through buying t-shirts, CD’s or coming to the show”.
It truly is insightful to hear the rise of Killer Mike from the man himself, and to hear that he faced his own struggles with identity is a really refreshing sentiment. For someone who is such an outspoken figure in the industry today to reveal his own naivety is unique in itself, and of course it wouldn’t be a Killer Mike interview without some jewels of wisdom, “Constantly be thinking about yourself. You can’t save everybody, so save yourself first. Grind your ass off. Get rich independently.”
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elafeeA3QFE]
There is no secret of the racial unrest in the United States at present, that has only been exacerbated by the horrific events in South Carolina over the past week. Killer Mike has never been afraid to voice his opinion on race relations, and has proven himself as a politically intelligent individual, most notably in his recent announcement of challenging for State Representative in the state of Georgia. The recent horrors of Charleston have yet again demonstrated the underlying issues with American gun control and regulation, as well as the racial divide which has gripped the nation.
The existence of the Confederate Flag has ignited yet another debate in social and political circles, with many companies such as Walmart taking action and ceasing the sale of any item branded with the controversial logo. The flag itself represents a rich history and an arguably dated political ideology, and encapsulates many of the views and opinions that have caused such a divide between races in America. Georgia is a southern state itself, no stranger to political and racial tension, so Killer Mike has seen first hand the exposure that such a symbol has been given within his surroundings;
“My opinion on the Confederate flag is quite simple and clear. I have no problem with Southerners who consider that a part of their heritage flying it privately in their homes or [wearing it] on their shirts or jackets…But I do not think it should ever fly over a state, city, county building, or school, for the simple reason that it represents secession from the Union. It represented a part of the country trying to become a separate country from America. That side lost, and you do not fly the flags of losers over the winners’ country. It’s just that simple. There’s no way around that.”
Killer Mike understands that there is always going to be place for this flag in the hearts and homes of many, but that is where it should stay. There is no need to push this political ideology and history in the face of many who have fought to see change within America.
Political commentary has always been ingrained in hip-hop, and it is no surprise that Killer Mike has continued to use his mainstream stature and exposure to shine a light on issues that may otherwise remained untouched in the music industry. Run the Jewels has continued to push their own political agenda within their music, visual mediums included, which has only served to be a refreshing use of stature.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkGwI7nGehA]
As Australia wakes to news of another horrific shooting and mass murder, the hip-hop community has reacted in earnest as the country mourns the loss of life. The horrific acts committed will only fuel the racial and political tension throughout the United States, and is sure to cause further unrest. Killer Mike, hot on the heels of announcing his foray into politics, has unsurprisingly led the outcry from the hip-hop world. The current state of social affairs in America is rife with stories of racial profiling and unnecessary deaths of black men such as Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner. The unrest in Ferguson; riots and outrage in the face of police brutality has only fuelled the fires that are threatening to cause further unrest and lead to a greater social divide.
What happened in Charleston is an act of terror committed by a terrorist. Simple & plain. I wish those folks in that church had been armed
— Killer Mike (@KillerMikeGTO) June 18, 2015
In what has been described as an act of “pure concentrated evil” by the mayor of Charleston, the white suspect opened fire amongst a historic African American church, killing nine people, and subsequently crushing the spirit of the black community in America and throughout the Western world. The internet and social media alike has exploded with outrage, condemnation and sorrow, and while the atrocities of the day will continue to come to light, we can take solace in the fact that respected individuals and artists with great social reach and exposure are speaking out and uniting in the face of adversity. We all know Killer Mike is an outspoke political voice, and has used his status to weigh in on the racial tension that has gripped the nation, most notably in his impassioned plea to fans following the Grand Jury decision to not indite police officers in the killing of a young African American youth.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQs7CWKHM9w]
El-P echoed the sentiments of his fellow Run The Jewels front man, voicing his frustration and speaking for many of us with this defeated message:
ok thats it im rolling all the hash and weed i have and saying goodbye to this day. — el-p (@therealelp) June 18, 2015
There is a multitude other rappers and musical personalities that have spoken of their own disgust for recent events, with Solange Knowles offering a heartbreaking sentiment and plea as she is coming to terms with the plight of her people, the pain in her harrowing message is clear;
Was already weary. Was already heavy hearted. Was already tired. Where can we be safe? Where can we be free? Where can we be black? — solange knowles (@solangeknowles) June 18, 2015
In this social and political climate, rappers, singers, actors and sportspeople have all unified their voices, and it is refreshing to see these figures taking a stand. Change is on the horizon, and it appears that there may be more heartache until there is a sense of resolution and peace. It is the wise words of Questlove that so perfectly sum up the current state of affairs, his reaction to the Eric Garner situation rings true even more so today:
I’m ashamed. Mostly because I’m no longer shocked at things now-a-days. Nothing is shocking. #EricGarner
— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) December 3, 2014
I’m sure by now we have all heard of Rachel Dolezal. While raised by her biological white parents, Dolezal identifies as black. Largely through social media, a uniq debate about transracialism has emerge, with Dolezal claiming to be challenging the meaning of the word “transracial.” The Former Spokane NAACP President revealed her skepticism of whether the couple listed on her birth certificate are actually her parents, while asserting herself as black. The Guardian have written a great, if critical op-en about it here.
“Nothing about being white describes who I am. So, you know, what’s the word for it? The closest thing that I can come to is if you’re black or white, I’m black. I’m more black than white. On a level of values, lived experience currently. In this moment, that’s the answer. That’s the accurate answer from my truth. But I hope the dialogue continues to push against, ‘what is race? what is ethnicity?”
Of course, hip hop’s roots lie with in racial and social issues, and is one of the most commonly discussed topics in lyrics. Various hip hop artists have given their two cents on this issue, and the results are pretty interesting.
Run The Jewels’ Killer Mike, who has spoken about race relations at MIT in the past, shared a story about a bus driver he and his wife met who was half-German and half-African and made a few jokes about the whole controversy. You can see the full interview below.
Talib Kweli (who we interviewed last week) spoke to Rolling Stone about his thoughts in great detail. He denies that this is possible, saying that she is an enemy of racial equality. “Maybe you’re not as dangerous an enemy as killer cops, but you’re not down with us at all,” he said.
He also compared to the whole Caitlyn Jenner controversy, denying that this is the same thing (which you can almost guarantee is bound to be argued):
“I’ve seen people asking, “Well, why can Caitlyn Jenner identify as a woman?” I’m no expert, but it seems to me that there’s scientific evidence that shows that people can be born with a gender identity that they don’t identify with. That’s a real thing. I trust science. But I haven’t seen any scientific evidence – and I looked – that says you can be born one race and identify as another.”
Azaelia Banks had a good laugh about it, liking Rachel’s story to something off madTV.
Are a whole bunch of white people about to come out as transracial?
— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) June 15, 2015
One thing I can applaud Rachel for is being the first to publicly admit it. True Life: I want to be black…….
— AZEALIA BANKS (@AZEALIABANKS) June 16, 2015
Can a person identify as a certain race or is it is all just another form of racism? Let us know what you think.
Outspoken black rights activist and one half of Run The Jewels, Killer Mike has announced today that he will be putting his hand up to run for State Representative in his home of Atlanta, Georgia. He announced the news via Instagram, stating “If I win, we win”.
Democrat Rep. Tyrone Brooks currently holds the seat, and has done so since 1980. Unfortunately, however, Brooks was charged “in a 30-count indictment that includes charges of mail, wire and tax fraud,” with charges ranging “from the mid-1990s through 2012″ according to a 2013 Atlanta Constitution-Journal report. “Brooks solicited contributions from individuals and corporate donors to combat illiteracy and fund other charitable causes, but then used the money to pay personal expenses for himself and his family.”
Just to clarify: he can’t actually run because he hadn’t registered. He has used this to raise awareness abou tthe empty seat, which he says has been largely ignored for too long.
Killer Mike will be appearing on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore tonight (US time) ahead of the District 55 election tomorrow (June 16). Having given lectures at the New York University and the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology recently, heavily regarding race relations, Mike has already proven he has his head screwed on and is passionate enough about what is going on to make a difference. Not only does he openly criticise and lament what is happening in the US and has been happening for an extremely long time, he also puts forward solutions and progressive strategies to maximise the influence and effects to implement these effectively. It was really only a matter of time before Killer Mike’s unwavering passion in the face of adversity overflowed into a position where he could do even more change. Here’s hoping District 55 is ready.