Killer Mike wrote an op-ed to Billboard in which he detailed the media’s sensationalism of the violence in Baltimore as well as his personal thoughts on the situation. He recently was invited to the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner by Arianna Huffington and spoke on that experience as well.
When I first heard I’d been invited to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, I thought my publicist had gone insane. Surely it must be a mistake, but it was real. When they said I couldn’t bring my wife, I said, “I ain’t going.” But my wife, Shay, said, “You’re taking your black ass to the White House.”
Killer Mike then wrote the feelings he had as he watched the unrest unfold on social media while he was the White House.
I felt helpless, hopeless: “Here I am at this lavish event — the most powerful man in the world is black, and people like him are being killed by the citizens who are paid to protect them.” I left the dinner numb.
He then went on to talk about how the media coverage has been on the riots. Specifically he names Geraldo Rivera and Wolf Blitzer. Rivera who has a long history of saying idiotic comments and contributing to negative media attention. Between the infamous “Al Capone’s Vault” and saying he would “bet money” Trayvon Martin would not have been shot and killed if he was not wearing a hoodie. Blitzer is no saint either, during Hurricane Katrina he said on-air,”so many of these people, almost all of them that we see, are so poor and they are so black”.
And in the days since, I’ve watched Geraldo Rivera and Blitzer pander to the audiences of oppression on TV. Rivera was approached by a very sensible man who said, “Why are you here? Not to cover a calm and peaceful protest — you’re here to sensationalize it.” Rivera turned his back on him, and at first I thought it was arrogance, but I think it was actually shame.
And Blitzer, as Jon Stewart pointed out, said he never thought he’d see such violence again in America, and he said nearly the exact same words about Ferguson a few months ago. I turned away from the TV with far less respect for him — if I were introduced to him today, I’d walk away. Not because they’re evil and bad people, but because they’re players in the game that sensationalizes and objectifies this in the worst ways — I don’t trust they that they want to see the change.
Killer Mike also makes it clear that he does not have any hate for police officers. His father was an officer in Atlanta, where Mike is from. He is just against the culture that is allowing for constitutional rights to be violated. There is a silver-lining in his views to the death of Freddie Gray and the response that Baltimore has given.
For the people of Baltimore — I don’t criticize rioting because I understand it. But after the fires die down: organize, strategize and mobilize. Like Ferguson, you have an opportunity to start anew. I don’t have a solution because whoever’s there will have to come up with it. But we need community relations: riots are the language of the unheard.
Killer Mike continues to help be a voice in the hip hop community for social issues. Largely due to his insight and fearlessness to provide conversation. There may be some justice being served as the six officers involved with Freddie Gray’s death have all been charged with murder, assault and manslaughter with the investigation being led by Baltimore’s State Attorney Marilyn Mosby.
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