Killer Mike arrives at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, airing live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday, Feb. 4. Francis Specker/CBS via Getty Images
Killer Mike was detained at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena just before the 2024 Grammy Awards ceremony was broadcast Sunday night (Feb. 4).
The rapper, who won three awards during the Grammys Premiere Ceremony before the televised show — best rap song and best rap performance for “Scientists & Engineers,” and best rap album for Michael — was detained for a misdemeanor charge, with which the LAPD will be involved, an arena security official told The Hollywood Reporter. The specific charge is unknown at press time, but is said to have nothing to do with the Grammy Awards.
A video clip from the venue of Killer Mike being led away in handcuffs was posted to Twitter. Billboard has reached out to the LAPD and representatives for Killer Mike for comment.
According to THR, a source says the situation us “a big nothing,” and that Killer Mike might be released tonight. Harvey Mason Jr., Recording Academy CEO, was seen talking to security and Killer Mike’s team.
Earlier in the day, the 48-year-old rapper accepted his Premiere Ceremony award wins and told the audience, “You cannot tell me you get too old. You cannot tell me it’s too late.”
“For all the people out there that think you get too old to rap, bulls—. I don’t give a damn if you’re 78 rapping about how many gals you got in the nursing home, make sure we keep hip-hop alive,” he said during the Grammys pre-show held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Killer Mike won his first Grammy in 2003, for best rap performance by a duo or group for “The Whole World” with OutKast.
On X (formerly Twitter), the Recording Academy on Sunday accidentally posted that Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s “Barbie World” won best rap song, but the win actually went to Killer Mike’s “Scientists & Engineers,” which features Andre 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane.
See the full list of winners at the 2024 Grammys as they’re announced here.
Breaking: Rapper Killer Mike has been taken away in handcuffs in https://t.co/aF2yiyTHol arena after winning 3 #Grammys during telecast (Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for “Scientists & Engineers,” Best Rap Album for Michael) “Free Mike” someone shouts as he walks past. pic.twitter.com/4epfmzqMt8
— Chris Gardner (@chrissgardner) February 5, 2024
