Killer Mike is reportedly suing the private security company behind his Grammys 2024 arrest.
Today (February 4) marks a year to the day that the Run The Jewels rapper was arrested at the 2024 Grammys shortly after winning three awards – Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for his song ‘Scientists & Engineers’ and Best Rap Album for ‘Michael’ – for allegedly shoving a security guard at the ceremony.
In June that year, TMZ shared that prosecutors in the Los Angeles city attorney’s office weren’t going to be filing charges against the artist, real name Michael Render, and were told that he’d completed his city attorney hearing and agreed to undertake community service with a non-profit organisation of his choice.
The L.A. police department said that he’d been taken into custody concerning a physical event inside the Crypto.com Arena, and he was booked for misdemeanour battery as a result of the incident with the security guard.
Render later told Pitchfork in a statement that he had “experienced an overzealous security guard” and thanked fans for their concern. He went on to revisit the event in ‘Humble Me,’ which the Atlanta rapper released with an accompanying music video showing him rapping to the camera as police gradually removed his jewellery and handcuffed him.
While reflecting on the February 4 incident and how he felt demeaned by it, he rapped: “I won at the Grammys for spitting my grammar / Did that for Atlanta, bruh / swept up like a janitor / Got sent to the slammer.”
Now, TMZ has reported Render will be suing over the incident. In his lawsuit, Killer Mike named the security firm working the Grammy event – S&S Labor Force Inc., also known as JRM Private Security – and said they gave their employees too much power, resulting in him being unlawfully placed under citizen’s arrest.
The suit also claims the guards assaulted and battered him by restraining him in front of onlookers at the star studded event, which caused him emotional distress and public humiliation.
S&S said the allegations were “unfounded” in an email statement given to Rolling Stone.
“S&S Labor Force Inc. takes pride in our commitment to ethical practices and the safety of our employees, clients and guests,” they said. “We have thorough protocols in place to ensure all actions taken by our security personnel adhere to the law and our company standards. The claim in question appears to be based on misinformation and lacks credible evidence.”
NME has reached out to Killer Mike for comment. This is a developing story.