History of Killer Mike in Timeline
Killer Mike, whose real name is Michael Santiago Render, is a renowned American rapper and activist. His career began with a feature on Outkast's album "Stankonia" in 2000, followed by a guest appearance on their hit single "The Whole World." He released his debut album "Monster" in 2003 under Purple Ribbon and Columbia Records, achieving critical success and reaching the Billboard top ten. After leaving the label, he released two "I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind" albums independently before signing with T.I.'s Grand Hustle for his fourth album, "Pledge" (2011). He then released "R.A.P. Music" (2012) with Williams Street Records. His 2023 album, "Michael," garnered significant acclaim and won three Grammys, including Best Rap Album.
1965: Voting Rights Act
The Voting Rights Act of 1965, a landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting, was enacted.
April 20, 1975: Birth of Michael Render
Michael Santiago Render was born on April 20, 1975.
1995: Morehouse College
Killer Mike briefly attended Morehouse College in 1995.
2000: Collaboration with Outkast
Killer Mike appeared on Outkast's song "Snappin' & Trappin'" from their album "Stankonia" in 2000.
2000: Recording Debut
Killer Mike made his recording debut on Outkast's album "Stankonia" in 2000.
2001: Grammy-Winning Collaboration
Killer Mike appeared on Outkast's Grammy-winning single "The Whole World" in 2001.
2001: The Whole World Release
Killer Mike was featured on Outkast's single "The Whole World" in 2001.
2002: Grammy Award Win
Killer Mike won a Grammy Award as part of Outkast for "The Whole World" in 2002.
2003: Debut Album Release
Killer Mike released his debut studio album, "Monster," in 2003.
2003: Monster Release and Akshon (Yeah!) Single
Killer Mike released "Monster" and the lead single "Akshon (Yeah!)" in 2003.
2003: Never Scared Release and Atlanta Braves Feature
Killer Mike appeared on Bone Crusher's "Never Scared," which was used by the Atlanta Braves in 2003.
2004: Various Appearances
Killer Mike appeared on tracks with Outkast and Chamillionaire in 2004.
2004: Madden NFL 2004 Soundtrack
A remix of "Akshon (Yeah!)" was featured on the Madden NFL 2004 soundtrack in 2004.
2005: Ghetto Extraordinary Recording
Killer Mike recorded the album "Ghetto Extraordinary" in 2005.
2006: Film and Television Appearances
In 2006, Killer Mike appeared in the films "Idlewild" and "ATL." He also began his voice acting role as Taqu'il in the Adult Swim cartoon "Frisky Dingo."
2006: Marriage
Killer Mike married Shana in 2006. They have four children together.
2006: I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind Release
Killer Mike released "I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind" in 2006.
2006: Independent Release
Killer Mike released "I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind" on his own label in 2006.
December 2008: Grand Hustle Signing
Killer Mike officially signed with Grand Hustle in December 2008.
2008: End of Frisky Dingo Role
Killer Mike's voice acting role in "Frisky Dingo" concluded in 2008.
2008: I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II Release
Killer Mike released "I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II" in 2008.
2008: Second Independent Release
Killer Mike released "I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II" in 2008.
2008: Ghetto Extraordinary Mixtape Release
Killer Mike released "Ghetto Extraordinary" as a mixtape in 2008.
November 1, 2011: Graffitis SWAG Opens
On November 1, 2011, Killer Mike and his wife, Shana, opened their first barbershop, Graffitis SWAG, in Atlanta.
2011: PL3DGE Release
Killer Mike released "PL3DGE" in 2011.
2011: Grand Hustle Signing and Album Release
Killer Mike signed with T.I.'s Grand Hustle and released "PL3DGE" in 2011.
2011: Meeting El-P
Killer Mike was introduced to El-P by Jason DeMarco in 2011.
2012: R.A.P. Music Release
Killer Mike released his fifth album, "R.A.P. Music," in 2012.
2012: R.A.P. Music Release
Killer Mike released "R.A.P. Music" in 2012.
2012: The Eric Andre Show Appearance
In 2012, Killer Mike appeared on "The Eric Andre Show" as a hype man for an opera singer.
2012: Graffitis SWAG Expands
In 2012, Graffitis SWAG employed six barbers with plans to hire more. Killer Mike also planned to obtain his barber license.
June 26, 2013: Run the Jewels Release
Run the Jewels released their self-titled debut album on June 26, 2013.
2013: Run the Jewels Formation
Killer Mike and El-P formed the duo Run the Jewels in 2013.
2013: Elegant Elephant Announcement
Killer Mike announced his next solo album would be titled "Elegant Elephant" in 2013.
2013: Planned Album Announcements
Killer Mike announced plans for two albums, "I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind IV" and "R.A.P. Music II," in 2013.
October 28, 2014: Run the Jewels 2 Release
Run the Jewels released "Run the Jewels 2" on October 28, 2014.
November 24, 2014: Performance and Speech in St. Louis
On November 24, 2014, Killer Mike and El-P performed in St. Louis, the same night the grand jury decision in the Michael Brown case was announced. Mike gave a powerful speech before the performance, which went viral.
2014: Run the Jewels Albums Release
Two Run the Jewels albums were released in 2013 and 2014.
2014: Run the Jewels 2 Release
Run the Jewels released their second album, "Run the Jewels 2," in 2014.
2014: The Eric Andre Show and Ozark Appearances
Killer Mike made another appearance on "The Eric Andre Show" in 2014, participating in a rap battle with Action Bronson. He also appeared in season 4, episode 8 of "Ozark."
2014: Response to Michael Brown Killing
In 2014, Killer Mike responded to the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
2014: Graffitis SWAG Second Location Planned
In 2014, plans were announced for a second Graffitis SWAG location in Tampa, Florida.
June 2015: Endorsement of Bernie Sanders
Killer Mike endorsed Bernie Sanders for president in June 2015 following Sanders' announcement of his intention to restore the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
June 2015: Write-in Candidacy
Killer Mike ran as a write-in candidate for Georgia's 55th district in the State House of Representatives in June 2015 to raise awareness.
September 25, 2015: Meow the Jewels Release
Run the Jewels released "Meow the Jewels," a cat-sound version of "Run the Jewels 2," on September 25, 2015.
November 23, 2015: Interview with Bernie Sanders
Killer Mike interviewed Bernie Sanders at his barbershop on November 23, 2015, after introducing Sanders at a rally in Atlanta.
2015: Commentary on Baltimore Uprising
In 2015, Killer Mike commented on the Baltimore uprising following Freddie Gray's death, encouraging protesters to organize for change.
February 2016: Criticism for Clinton Comments
Killer Mike faced criticism in February 2016 for quoting Jane Elliott's comments about Hillary Clinton.
July 2016: Advocacy for Black-Owned Banks
In July 2016, Killer Mike advocated for investment in black-owned banks, specifically urging people to move their money to Citizens Trust.
December 24, 2016: Run the Jewels 3 Release
Run the Jewels released "Run the Jewels 3" on December 24, 2016.
2016: Continued Support for Sanders and Coachella Performance
Killer Mike continued to support Bernie Sanders throughout 2016. Sanders introduced Run the Jewels at Coachella.
2016: Run the Jewels 3 Release
Run the Jewels released their third album, "Run the Jewels 3," in 2016.
2016: Political Activism
Killer Mike actively supported Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign.
June 2017: Endorsement of Jeremy Corbyn
At the Glastonbury festival in June 2017, Killer Mike endorsed Jeremy Corbyn for UK Prime Minister.
2017: Grammy-Nominated Collaboration
Run the Jewels and Big Boi were nominated for a Grammy for the song "Chase Me" in 2017.
March 22, 2018: Appearance on NRATV
Killer Mike appeared on NRATV on March 22, 2018, to discuss Black gun ownership.
March 26, 2018: Clarification on NRA Interview and Gun Ownership
On March 26, 2018, Killer Mike clarified his stance on gun ownership, stating that the NRA used his interview out of context and that he supports March for Our Lives.
January 2019: Trigger Warning Premiere
Killer Mike's docu-series, "Trigger Warning with Killer Mike," premiered on Netflix in January 2019.
January 18, 2019: Trigger Warning with Killer Mike
On January 18, 2019, Netflix released "Trigger Warning with Killer Mike," a docuseries hosted by the rapper.
2019: Activism and The Real World
Killer Mike's activism work was featured in a 2019 episode of "The Real World: Atlanta." He also gave lectures on race relations at universities.
May 29, 2020: Press Conference on George Floyd
On May 29, 2020, Killer Mike spoke at a press conference with Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms regarding the murder of George Floyd and subsequent protests.
June 3, 2020: RTJ4 Release
Run the Jewels released "RTJ4" on June 3, 2020.
October 2020: Greenwood Bank Founded
Killer Mike co-founded Greenwood, a digital bank aimed at Black and Latinx communities, in October 2020.
2020: Political Endorsements
In 2020, Killer Mike endorsed Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in the Georgia Senate special election.
2020: Billboard Change Maker Award
In 2020, Killer Mike received the first Billboard Change Maker Award for speaking out through his music.
2020: Continued Political Activism
Killer Mike supported Bernie Sanders again during his 2020 presidential campaign.
2020: RTJ4 Release
Run the Jewels released their fourth album, "RTJ4," in 2020.
January 2021: Greenwood Bank Launch Delayed
Greenwood bank's launch was delayed until July 2021 due to high demand, later further delayed to the end of 2021.
2021: Senate Election Results
In 2021, both of Killer Mike's endorsed candidates, Warnock and Ossoff, won their respective Senate seats.
2021: Love & Respect Premiere
Killer Mike's interview program, "Love & Respect," premiered on PBS in 2021.
July 4, 2022: Run Single Release
Killer Mike released the solo single "Run" on July 4, 2022.
2022: Continued Political Engagement
In 2022, Killer Mike endorsed Raphael Warnock again for the Georgia Senate election and interviewed his opponent, Herschel Walker, on his show "Love & Respect".
2022: Emmy Award Win
Killer Mike's show, "Love & Respect," won an Emmy Award in 2022.
April 2023: Free Speech Advocacy
In April 2023, Killer Mike delivered a keynote address in New York City on free speech, particularly regarding the use of rap lyrics as criminal evidence.
June 16, 2023: Michael Release
Killer Mike released the solo album "Michael" on June 16, 2023.
2023: Michael Release and Grammy Wins
Killer Mike released "Michael" in 2023, which won three Grammy Awards, including Best Rap Album.
July 29, 2024: Songs for Sinners & Saints Announcement
Killer Mike announced his seventh studio album, "Songs for Sinners & Saints," on July 29, 2024.