Killer Mike

Killer Mike
Killer Mike in 2017
Background information
Birth name	Michael Santiago Render
Also known as	Mike Bigga Jerome Jewel
Born	(1975-04-20) April 20, 1975 (age 49) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop
Occupation(s)	Rapper songwriter activist
Discography	Killer Mike discography
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Loma Vista[1] Mass Appeal Grind Time Fontana SMC Grand Hustle Atlantic Williams Street Fool's Gold Purple Ribbon Columbia
Member of	Run the Jewels Dungeon Family
Formerly of	Purple Ribbon All-Stars
Children	4
Website	killermike.com

Michael Santiago Render (born April 20, 1975), better known by his stage name Killer Mike, is an American rapper and activist. He made his recording debut on Outkast's fourth album Stankonia (2000), and later appeared on their Grammy Award-winning single "The Whole World" from their greatest hits album Big Boi and Dre Present... Outkast (2001). He signed with Big Boi's Purple Ribbon Records (known then as Aquemini Records) and Columbia Records to release his debut studio album Monster (2003), which received critical acclaim and peaked at number ten on the Billboard 200. He followed up with the independent albums I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind (2006) and I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II (2008); he then signed with T.I.'s Grand Hustle to release his fourth album Pledge (2011), and later Williams Street Records to release his fifth album, R.A.P. Music (2012). His sixth album, Michael (2023) was met with continued acclaim and won three awards at 66th Annual Grammy Awards, including Best Rap Album.^[2]

Following R.A.P. Music, which was produced entirely by rapper and producer El-P, he and Render subsequently formed the duo Run the Jewels in 2013. They signed with Fool's Gold Records and released their self-titled debut in June of that year to critical acclaim. Its three sequels–Run the Jewels 2 (2014), Run the Jewels 3 (2016) and RTJ4 (2020)—were each met with continued critical praise, the latter of which matched his debut solo album in chart position on the Billboard 200. The duo guest appeared alongside Big Boi on Danger Mouse's 2017 single "Chase Me", which received a Grammy Award nomination.

Outside of music, Render has been a social and political activist, focusing on subjects including social inequality, police brutality, and systemic racism. In addition to discussing related topics in his music, he has lectured about similar issues at colleges and universities, written about such matters for publications including Billboard, and been the subject of interviews regarding police misconduct and race relations. He was a visible and vocal supporter of Bernie Sanders' 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, and supported Sanders once more in his 2020 presidential campaign. Render has appeared in films such as Idlewild, Baby Driver, ATL, and America: The Motion Picture. His six episode docu-series, Trigger Warning with Killer Mike investigated social issues that affect Black Americans, and premiered on Netflix in January 2019. His weekly interview program for Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), Love & Respect (2021–present), won an Emmy Award in 2022.^[3]