Killer Mike Delivers a History Lesson and Assigns White America Homework During Interview with Stephen Colbert

Killer Mike of Run The Jewels recently made an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to voice his concerns and opinions regarding the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, according to Consequence of Sound. While Mike urged for people to donate both their time and money to causes supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, he primarily urged for white Americans to educate themselves on racism in the country, and to understand that “right now is always” the reality for African Americans.

Mike also pointed to the teachings of anti-racism advocate Jane Elliot, and called for white Americans to search YouTube for her lessons about racism. He specifically referenced her lesson in which she asked a group of white people if they saw how black people were treated in America. She then asked the crowd to stand up if they would like to be treated the same way, only to see that zero people stood up in response to the question.

The rapper also made a point to shout out the various organizations doing work on the ground, including The New Georgia Project, Live Free, The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, Movement for Black Lives and Next Level Boys Academy. “I am a mobilizer. I will try my best to mobilize people to get into action. But the organizers are on the ground where you live. Those organizations that I named, and many, many more across the country, need your help,” Mike noted. The rapper recently gave an extremely passionate speech in his hometown of Atlanta, responding to the violent protests.

Mike also addressed the upcoming Run The Jewels IV album, stating that the new album is, “like drinking cup of coffee, getting punched in the face, and then smoking a joint and getting a hug afterwards.” Run The Jewels recently released a snippet of the album’s closing song on Instagram, “A Few Words For The Firing Squad.”

Check out Killer Mike’s full appearance of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert below:

Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat

Drew Feinerman: I have just completed my senior at the University of Michigan majoring in international studies with an emphasis in political economics and development, with a minor in Chinese language and culture, and I have recently been accepted into the Berklee School of Music's masters of music business program. Although my academic interests include economics, political science, and history, I consider music to be my one true passion. Music is, and has always been, a driving force for the way I think and act every day of my life. I have been playing the tenor saxophone since the age of ten, and playing an instrument at a high level has allowed me to only further my understanding and appreciation for music. While I grew up listening to predominantly classic rock, I soon found myself gravitating toward jazz, hip-hop, funk, and other genres, as my learned to both play and analyze music as a listener. As a writer, I am able to apply my skills both as a musician and a listener, and look forward to the opportunity to being able to express my thoughts on various stories in the music industry.
Related Post
Leave a Comment