Killer Mike is confident his name will be cleared after an altercation with Grammy Awards security personnel on Sunday (Feb. 4) led to his arrest.
It was a bittersweet night for the Atlanta rapper, who won three Grammys — for rap song of the year and rap performance of the year for “Scientists & Engineers” and rap album of the year for Michael — and ended on a sour note when he was placed under arrest and was transported to LAPD Central Division.
“I first want to extend my appreciation to the Grammy’s Committee for recognizing me and my team for the work that went into Michael,” he writes in a statement, seen by Billboard.
“We are incredibly proud and are basking in this moment. 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. Obviously, we are elated.”
According to reports, Killer Mike (real name Michael Render) exited a secure area at the Peacock Theater, where many of the awards were announced and handed out Sunday, before the main televised ceremony took place inside of Crypto.com arena.
He is then said to have attempted to return with several individuals to the secure area, sources tell Billboard, where he was stopped by security. When personnel demanded to see his access credentials, an argument ensured, and the hip-hop artist was led off in handcuffs.
“I do want to note that last night, my team and I fielded a number of calls from concerned fans and colleagues wanting to know if I was OK,” his statement continues. “I greatly appreciate the concern and support, but I am better than OK. As you can imagine, there was a lot going and there was some confusion around which door my team and I should enter. 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.”
Until that time, he continues, “keep listening to ‘Michael,’ and keep going after your dreams.”
