Killer Mike Receives Inaugural Change Maker Award at 2020 Billboard Music Awards

Towards the end of his acceptance speech, he said, “I’m a product of Atlanta, I appreciate the West Side of Atlanta for making me.”

On Wednesday night Killer Mike accepted the first-ever Change Maker Award at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards.

Killer Mike received the award following his dedication to social justice amid the political climate of the nation. Atlanta mayor Keshia Lance Bottoms presented him the award from the APEX Museum of African American history.

During his acceptance speech, he shared, “Kids out here that sing and dance: What you do is worthy.” He also added “You are artists and your goal should be to express the very reality around you in the very most beautiful or ugliest of ways you see fit. Kids who run and dance and sing and jump and all that, all the things they tell you don’t matter — you matter more than you know.”

The Run The Jewels rapper also thanked his wife Shana for her contribution to his journey. When speaking on her role in his social justice work he said, “I would not be here receiving this [award] if not for your encouragement and your constant by my sidedness. I love you very much and I appreciate you.” 

He also went on to pay homage to his family members who pushed him and injected a spirit of activism in him including his mother and his aunt. Here he mentioned that he appreciated former members of the SCLC and NAACP who helped throughout his organizing journey. “I’m a product of Atlanta, I appreciate the West Side of Atlanta for making me,” he said. “I appreciate all the people who encouraged me and pushed me to be who I am today.”

Recently, Killer Mike launched a digital banking platform targeting Black and Latinx customers, the Greenwood Banking service. 30,000 ATM locations will be included in the service, and they provide savings and spending accounts for users with no fees on withdrawals.

Watch Killer Mike’s entire acceptance speech below.