Rapper Killer Mike was escorted out of the Grammys in handcuffs less than an hour before the live broadcast was set to kick off Sunday night, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Video shared to X by THR reporter Chris Gardner shows Killer Mike, whose real name is Michael Render, flanked by three officers as they lead him through Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena.
“Mikes, are you serious? What the fuck?” someone can be heard calling out to him as they walk past.
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It was not immediately clear if Render had been arrested, nor whether he would return in time for the broadcast.
A spokesperson for the LAPD told The Daily Beast that a man had been detained at the arena in connection with a “physical altercation” on the premises. Though they declined to identify the man, the spokesperson said, “You’ve seen the video, right?” and went on to describe details that matched Gardner’s footage.
The spokesperson said that the man was being questioned to determine whether charges would be brought.
According to TMZ, Render had been involved in some sort of confrontation with security at the ceremony, citing law enforcement sources that said he knocked down a guard outside of the stadium. Video published by the tabloid showed the purported aftermath of the incident, in which a man who appears to be Killer Mike shouts at a man dressed in uniform.
Following the incident, Render was subjected to a citizen’s arrest and booked on misdemeanor battery charges, TMZ reported.
A representative for the rapper did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday night.
The incident came shortly after Render attended the nearby Peacock Theater’s Premiere Ceremony, where he swept three categories: best rap song, best rap performance, and best rap album for Michael, his critical lauded sixth studio record. The 2023 album marked his first solo outing in more than a decade.
“You cannot tell me you get too old,” the 48-year-old artist said at the pre-show. “You cannot tell me it’s too late.”
Render won his first and—until Sunday—only Grammy in 2003, when he was awarded best rap performance by a duo or group for “The Whole World,” a single produced in collaboration with OutKast. He was last nominated in 2018, picking up a best rap song nod as part of his group Run the Jewels for “Chase Me.”
