Revisiting Killer Mike’s NRA Controversy a Year Later [OPINION]

Emcee Killer Mike has never been a stranger to political activism. Killer Mike, one half of the hip-hop duo Run the Jewels, has been especially vocal on his opinions outside of music throughout 2019. In January, he released his six-episode Netflix series Trigger Warning with Killer Mike, which addresses several of his hot takes on racism, poverty, education, drugs, and religion. Following this release, Mike did a string of interviews where he bluntly reiterated many of these opinions.

However, the show does not address his most controversial political position – his support for gun ownership in the U.S. In 2018, Mike received massive amounts of criticism for his NRA-TV interview, which went viral the same day that many March for Our Lives protests took place. Celebrities and activists alike called Mike a hypocrite for supporting change in the African American community, but also a gun advocacy organization that has long disregarded the interests and wellbeing of African Americans.

While we’ve seen less public uproar towards Killer Mike in 2019, his recent politically charged efforts gives us a chance to revisit this moment in his career. Critics of the Atlanta-based rapper were wrong to label Mike as traitor to the marginalized groups he always stood up for. In fact, Mike’s pro-gun position has always been rooted in the personal security of African Americans, and their defense against police brutality.

Although it was a questionable decision to appear on an NRA platform at a time where the March for Our Lives protests were taking place, Mike has made it clear that it was never his intention to hurt the movement. The NRA misused Mike’s statements as a weapon against the March for Our Lives organization, a topic that is never actually brought up during the interview. Furthermore, Mike’s support for the rights of minorities, women, and the LGBTQ community should not be overshadowed by this one contentious career move.

Killer Mike is a victim of what and when The National Rifle Association decided to show from the interview. Even though the interview was filmed earlier in the week, the organization tweeted a clip of the interview on Saturday, March 24^th – the day protests in Washington D.C. took place. The clip captures one of Mike’s most striking statements, where he says he did not allow his daughter to participate in the National School Walkouts of March 14. What the clip didn’t show was Mike explaining why he is pro-gun, or how gun control advocates have ignored several racially-charged gun issues.

In his two-part apology video on Twitter, Mike explains that he supports both the March for Our Lives protests and black gun ownership in America. While this may sound contradictory at first, we must consider what each political position represents.

The March for Our Lives movement is a call for certain gun restrictions in response to recent tragic school shootings. Mike is not particularly against gun ownership restrictions that are meant to prevent mass shootings. This is illustrated by his devout support for Bernie Sanders, a candidate who hopes to ban assault weapons.

On the other hand, African-American gun ownership is a response to the historical laws that made guns and ammunition off limits to black citizens. A similar parallel can be drawn to Mike’s support for interracial marriage – both are political positions that were argued by civil rights luminaries during the Jim Crow era. Throughout the interview, it’s clear that Mike is there to discuss gun ownership for black people; an issue of enforcing equality in the already existing right to bear arms. This right is especially important to minorities threatened by racially charged homicide.

While many gun control advocates are quick to criticize the Second Amendment, voices like Mike’s remind us that this right is not so new for the African American community. In fact, the Gun Control Act of 1968 has been heavily critiqued as a way to suppress black gun ownership. That’s only 51 years ago. It’s likely that most gun control advocates would’ve reacted differently if they heard Mike’s argument in terms of civil rights, a topic he’s done lectures on in the past. It’s also possible that a good portion of Mike’s rationale was not included in the final version of the interview, which is less than seven minutes long.

Regardless, Killer Mike has apologized for the interview. While he avoids the topic of black gun ownership in his Netflix series, he advocates similar ideas, such as the importance of buying from African American-owned companies. Killer Mike has always acted in the interest of marginalized communities, and his 2018 NRA-TV interview does not prove otherwise. Looking back at the incident, Mike is a victim to the NRA’s propaganda-focused usage of the interview.