'Killer Mike for President' has been something of a slogan around the Okayplayer office for a minute now and the MC's telegenic presence in recent weeks has confirmed or exceeded all the high expectations we put on him, proving he can control a mic in a cable TV studio as handily as he can onstage or in the recording booth. In the wake of the tragic death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and the terrifying scenes of police in riot gear tear gassing peaceful protesters that unfolded subsequently, he has emerged as one of most--if not the most--insightful commentators on what both the shooting and the state's response to protestors portend for constitutional rights in the US. Watching him deflate stereotypical expectations in his CNN interview and deftly step over Fox News' implicit race bait to get right to the heart of the matter has resulted in so many 'get 'em Mike!' must-watch TV moments, it has just possibly been even more satisfying to watch him work than watching Talib Kweli making an awkward Don Lemon interview into Lemonade.
That said, you know you're going to get a different, more expansive Killer Mike when the cameras he's in front of are OKP TV cameras. So when we had the chance to build with Mike in the studio recently (more on that...someday) we encouraged him to hold forth on a wide range of topics, which included Ferguson but also his views on gun rights, Obama, his tips for combatting police brutality and where he expects things to go from here. Along the way we get some insight into the new Run The Jewels album (coming soon via Mass Appeal--scroll down for newly-announced North American tour dates) and how the darker edge of the music he's been making with El-P speaks to the current moment. But he also drops some jewels of a very different cut. The comments on Obama alone--wherein he invokes the names of Mumia Abu Jamal, Assata Shakur and Leonard Peltier--are worth getting down in print:
"I don't have an official opinion of our President until I see who he pardons on his last day in office..."
And by the end, when he says:
"I'm going be supporting Michael Brown in Ferguson, I'm going to be supporting the family of that child [Dillon Taylor -ed.] who got murdered because he had headphones on and couldn't hear [the police]...I'm going to be supporting any citizen of this country whose rights are abused..."
...'Killer Mike For President' seems less like a joke around the Okayplayer office and more like an actual thing. Killer Mike 4 Prez:
10/31 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts *
11/1 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club *
11/2 – Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theater *
11/3 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle *
11/4 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade *
11/6 – Dallas, TX – Trees *
11/7 – Austin, TX – Fun Fun Fun Fest
11/8 – Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s *
11/10 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom *
11/11 – La Jolla, CA – Porters Pub *
11/12 – Pomona, CA – Glass House *
11/14 – San Francisco, CA – Mezzanine *
11/15 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theater *
11/17 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge *
11/18 – Englewood, CO – Gothic Theatre *
11/20 – Minneapolis, MN – First Line Music Café *
11/21 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre *
11/22 – Chicago, IL – Metro *
11/25 – Detroit, MI – St Andrews Hall *
11/26 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall *
11/27 – Montreal, QC – Club Soda *
11/28 – Boston, MA – Paradise *
11/29 – New York, NY – Stage 48 *
12/30 – Lorne, AU – Falls Festival
12/31 – Marion Bay, AU – Falls Festival
1/1 – Sydney, AU - Field Day
1/2 – Byron Bay, AU – Falls Festival
1/4 – Busselton, AU – Southbound Festival
1/7 – Sydney, AU – Enmore Theatre ^
1/8 – Melbourne, AU – The Forum ^
1/9 – Brisbane, AU – Hi Fi ^
1/10 – Auckland, NZ – Town Hall ^
* featuring Rat King & Despot
^ featuring Joey Bada$$
