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Winning three Grammys and celebrating in a police cell. It happened to Killer Mike, the famous American rapper who was arrested backstage just after the ceremony. He has now responded for the first time, and he says he will clear his name.
It was a triumph for Killer Mike on Sunday evening at the Crypto Arena in Los Angeles. At the award show, the 48-year-old rapper, known for the rap duo Run The Jewels, won three Grammys. He made best rap album, and the song Scientists & Engineers won him both the Grammy for ‘best rap song’ and ‘best rap performance’. In photos taken shortly after the show, he poses with a wall-to-wall smile.
The American’s mood – his name is Michael Render by the way – quickly changed when he was visited backstage by the police not much later. Images showed him being led away in handcuffs by several officers. One of the security people reportedly reported an altercation with the rapper, who then threw him to the ground. The rapper was taken to the police cell and has since been released, but is being prosecuted for assault.
Clear name
In a response to Rolling Stone magazine, the rapper now gives his version of the facts. “There’s so much going on on a night like this, and there was confusion as to which door my team and I should take to enter. We had to deal with an overzealous security guard, but my team and I are confident that my name will be cleared.”
A member of the team around the rapper continued. “On our way to the venue, there was a lot of confusion about where to go. He went to his destination, despite that overzealous security guard. The situation is somewhat exaggerated. We are confident that Mike will be acquitted.”
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