Last week was an amazing and groundbreaking seven days for Killer Mike; not only did he give a lecture at prestigious MIT, but he was also invited to the White House Correspondents' Dinner, an honor bestowed on only a select few. However, while he was having these life changing experiences and being recognized, those in Baltimore were beginning to become increasingly restless. As we are all now keenly aware, Monday saw the aftermath of what happens when this anger and desperation materializing in violence. Killer Mike, one of hip-hop's foremost vocal social commentators and activists, was torn between enjoying the gifts of his hard work and helplessly watching his people, the ones he so often speaks for, being brutalized in the streets of Charm City.
This morning, Mike penned an emotional editorial that dealt directly with this entire personal dilemma. He states that it left him numb and he sympathizes with those in Baltimore. He lashes out at the media's distasteful sensationalizing of the events, specifically calling out Geraldo Rivera and Wolf Blitzer. He warned, "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 frequently shares the fact that his father was an Atlanta Police Officer, and that he doesn't have any qualms with the boys in blue, as long as they are doing their job justly. This was not one of those cases. While the entire scenario of Freddie Gray's death and his Op-Ed are tragic, we do learn that Mike will be spreading his gospel in writing more frequently now, which is a good thing. You can read the piece in it's entirety here.
