Despite his recent arrest at the Grammys, Killer Mike is on a hot streak. The rapper stopped by The Daily Show to chat with host Jordan Klepper about his Grammys wins and said he owes his success “to the fact that I was just too stubborn to give up.”
“So I have a lot of talent, but it took me 20 years to get here,” he said. “And I was just too stubborn to quit. And I think that that’s half the battle, just being tenacious about it.”
Klepper acknowledged that they while couldn’t discuss “what else happened” at the Grammys, but did ask whether Killer Mike thought Taylor Swift snubbed Celine Dion onstage. “Shouts out to Taylor, man,” the rapper replied. “God damn, she won at the Grammys. Her boyfriend won the Chiefs. If she’s into poly, me and my wife need a third. We’re trying to win again!”
Elsewhere in the interview, Killer Mike talked about his recent LP, Michael, and how he’s inspired by spirituality, noting that making the album brought him closer to God. That spirituality came in handy when he found himself locked up after the Grammys incident.
“I won’t talk about my thing, but I was sitting in a jail cell and I didn’t have anything to do so I just prayed,” he said, referencing his arrest. “And I thanked God for three hours. I’d say, you know, just ‘Thank you for the blessings I’ve had been bestowed upon me. Thank you for the life you’ve given me.’ I invoked the spirit of my mother and my grandmother… After I got out the next morning, I got a call that my son got a kidney. So I’m very much more a believer.”
Killer Mike was taken away in handcuffs after winning three Grammy awards on Sunday. A senior law enforcement source said a female security guard working the star-studded event claims she was injured by the rapper during a confrontation inside the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Killer Mike (real name Michael Render) denied the allegation in a statement to Rolling Stone last week.
“As you can imagine, there was a lot going and there was some confusion around which door my team and I should enter,” he said. “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.”
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He added that he and his team worked hard for the recognition of the awards show. “We are incredibly proud and are basking in this moment,” the statement continued. “I am also grateful that one of my prayers has been answered – the day after my Grammy win – I learned that my son, who has been on the list for a kidney for years, finally has a match.”
Earlier this week, Killer Mike appeared on The Late Show to perform “Exit 9,” a song off Michael. He dedicated the performance to his grandmother, Betty, who he also shouted out during his Daily Show interview.