Following the release of a video showing the rapper being led by a police officer through the Crypto.com Arena while handcuffed, the police confirmed the arrest.
Rapper Killer Mike was detained during Sunday’s Grammy Awards event in relation to a physical confrontation that occurred at the Los Angeles venue hosting the ceremony, just hours after he had won three Grammys, according to the police.
The Los Angeles Police Department said on social media that Killer Mike, real name Michael Render, had been jailed for a misdemeanor violence charge and was being released.
Requests for reaction from the rapper’s representatives were not immediately answered. The police were contacted by the Recording Academy, which is responsible for award presentations.
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A journalist for The Hollywood Reporter shared a video of Killer Mike being carried by a police officer into the Crypto.com Arena while wearing handcuffs on social media less than an hour before the Grammy Awards broadcast started.
Both viewers and enthusiasts said the video was like whiplash. The rapper had just been on the Grammy stage, celebrating his three wins during the preshow—which isn’t broadcast on television—for his work on “Michael,” his first solo album in over ten years, while brandishing a gramophone trophy. He won Grammys for best rap song and best rap performance for “Scientists & Engineers,” a song he co-wrote with André 3000, Future, and Eryn Allen Kane, in addition to best rap album.
“You cannot tell me that you get too old, you can’t tell me it’s too late,” said Killer Mike, 48, a prolific musician from Atlanta who is also an activist and organizer.
The footage shows that he was being led through the arena not too long after. His X and Instagram accounts continued to be active, praising the Grammy wins, as followers speculated on social media about the reasons behind his detention.
