The rapper chose to practice gratitude during last Sunday's legal drama, when he was removed from the awards ceremony in handcuffs.
Killer Mike is speaking out on a truly unbelievable 24 hours. The rapper swept the GRAMMY Awards, then was arrested, and then received some beautiful news that meant a life-saving treatment for his child -- all in less than one day.
The 48-year-old rapper opens up about the roller coaster experience in GQ, addressing how he felt after being led out of Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles in handcuffs on Sunday.
"I took a couple hours, man. I was just by myself, and I was just thankful I took time to thank God and to say, I appreciate the blessings you've given me," he tells the outlet. "I spent time talking. I'm invoking the spirit of my grandmother and my mother and just saying, Look, I've done it. And after a few hours, man, I got out and went parties and had fun."
He continues, "And I was glad that I had used those three hours to be thankful to God and to be calm and to meditate. Because the very next morning, I got a call that my child, after being on the list for three years, finally got his kidney. And I can just truly tell you that God is real. And the same way Christ gave us an example of being by himself, of being tempted by Satan, I understand that a lot better now because I could have succumbed to anger or evil and talked s**t. But I'm just grateful. I'm grateful. Not only that I won, but I'm grateful that God showed me within 24 hours that there's something more important than even the accolades you've worked for. And that's my family and my child and I'm just thankful. I thank Him."
Mike, whose legal name is Michael Render, took home three GRAMMY Awards for Best Rap Album for Michael, Best Rap Performance for "Scientists & Engineers" and Best Rap Song for "Scientists & Engineers."
Moments later, he was "detained and handcuffed for a physical altercation," the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement. The performer was then "booked for Misdemeanor Battery 243(A) PC, and has been released on zero bail."
Killer Mike, an activist who champions social equality and who is no stranger to speaking out against police brutality, previously won his first GRAMMY in 2003 with Outkast for "The Whole World" in the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group category.
"I know when Kendrick [Lamar] wins, people say, 'Oh, s**t -- they got it right.' I know when others have won, they say, 'They didn't get it right.' This is a g**damn they got it right this time,” he tells GQ, reflecting on what his latest wins mean for the hip-hop genre overall. "They honored the culture. In the 50th year of hip-hop, there's no more album worthy to win than this one. This has all the elements. It has braggadocio, it has knowledge, it has dope narratives and stories. It has smooth beats, it has cuts and scratches. You can groove to it, you can dance to it. It edu-tains, not simply entertains. It gives love and praise to Black women throughout. It celebrates in the most artistic way what the worker class has done in this country. There was no better record. They got it right this time. Absolutely right."
Mike has been married to Shana Render since 2006 and has four children. TMZ reported that Mike's eldest son, 21-year-old Mikael "Pony Boy" Render, underwent a kidney transplant earlier this week.
The artist recently opened up about his son's health battle on In Depth with Graham Bensinger.
"He swelled up once and we didn't understand what was going on," Mike said in November 2023. "It was his kidneys beginning to not work and his body retaining fluid."
Mike also detailed leaving his tour to be by his child's side as he had ports placed in preparation for dialysis treatments.
"There's certain things just a dad should do," he said. "When s**t gets tough, as a father, you should be the one."
He also emotionally recalled standing with his "baby boy" as the anesthetic was administered.
"I remember him starting to cry and me starting to cry, and taking him in the operating room and the doctors talking to me," he shared. "I just pray daily."
Back to the GRAMMYs -- Mike previously issued a statement to ET after his arrest, noting that he was "elated" over the news that his son would be receiving a kidney.
A source in his camp also spoke out on the awards show mishap, saying, "We are grateful for the love and support Killer Mike has received. He worked incredibly hard on Michael, and his GRAMMY win was well-deserved. We hit a speed bump in that Mike was detained and charged with a misdemeanor after collecting his awards. On the way into the venue, there was considerable confusion around where to go. He encountered an over-zealous security guard and continued moving towards his destination. The situation has been overblown but we are confident that the facts of the case, when laid bare, will show that Mike did not commit the alleged offense and he will be exonerated."
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