Killer Mike, Rap Superhero, Faces His Greatest Fears on ‘Michael’
Killer Mike, AKA Michael Render, has been in the rap game for a long time, guesting on Outkast's 2001 Grammy-winning single “The Whole World” and Jay-Z's 2002 song “Poppin’ Tags.” But despite releasing well-regarded albums in the 2000s such as 2006’s I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind, he freely admits he never really found his footing in the early part of his career and that, in some ways, he was holding back.
After splitting with the major label system, he worked as an independent artist for a while, signing with the Adult Swim-affiliated label Williams Street. At the recommendation of Adult Swim vice president/creative director Jason DeMarco, he teamed with Jaime “El-P” Meline, a veteran New York underground rapper and producer who was also in the midst of a career reboot. The two were immediate soulmates, with Render often comparing their first pairing, his acclaimed 2012 album R.A.P. Music to the cross-cultural exchange that led to Ice Cube’s groundbreaking album AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted.
Something about Meline’s industrial beats and wry East Coast cynicism melded with Render’s empathic storytelling, social conscience, and wicked sense of humor and the pair immediately followed it up with their 2013 debut Run the Jewels. Three more albums followed, with 2014’s Run the Jewels 2 earning Album of the Year accolades from both Pitchfork and Stereogum.