Killer Mike on being a compassionate capitalist, a union organizer, a pro-Black businessman, and a political voice

INSIDER

By Christine Jean-Baptiste May 21, 2022, 8:29 AM

On May 10th, Michael Render, woke up early, for the announcement of Greenwood Inc—the digital banking platform for Black and Latino individuals that he co-owns—acquiring The Gathering Spot, a private membership network focused on the Black community. 

He jokes that he's up a little earlier than most rappers—6 a.m. 

Render is a lot of things; a Grammy-winning rapper from Atlanta known as Killer Mike, a Bernie supporter, a pro-Black businessman, a landlord, and one of America's unapologetic political voices.

In recent years, people got to know Killer Mike as an engaged individual for his activism and politics, which he empowers with his documentary, "Trigger Warning With Killer Mike," and show "Love & Respect With Killer Mike." He uses his fame to confront social issues that impact the Black community—even if that means being misunderstood along the way. 

Render is back on our screens with a new season of his interview show on REVOLT, "Love & Respect With Killer Mike," where he interviews guests like Bernice King, Erick Erickson, and Tommy Davidson. 

Insider caught up with Render. The following is an edited transcript from our interview.

Michael, you do a lot. You're a rapper, an activist, you run a barbershop chain, and you have a show. How do you juggle so many hats?

I have four kids and a wife, so that's overwhelming enough. And the barbershop chain that we're growing called the SWAG Shop is a passion project, so I never get tired of it because I know that there's a need to have a national barbers chain that understands Black hair.

So the things that I do, I love doing. So I do it, like I love them. I've recognized that I can't do it all. So I have a really great team of people around me that enables me to make it look like I can do it all.

You've also described yourself as a compassionate capitalist, what does that mean to you?

Compassionate capitalism means that capitalism is the system I was born under. Capitalism is a system I live in. And I'll rather be an active participant in it than a victim of it.

That means that I can do more to help my community providing jobs than I can by only taking care of myself. I could take the money I make singing and dancing, put that money away, I'd still be a multimillionaire, wouldn't have to worry much about much. I've chosen to take in capital along the way. In my own capital, I chose to start things that gave people jobs, whether they were barber shops, or restaurants, or real estate investments.

Some celebrities choose to keep their politics or opinions to themselves, what makes you want to be open about yours?

I spoke in front of Atlanta city council yesterday. My grandmother used to drag me to city council meetings because she refused to be silent if she paid her taxes about her concerns about our community. By the time I was 15 years old, I was already organizing myself, I was already aligning myself.

So I didn't become a successful entertainer and then get that entertainers guilt that you get and decide, "I want to do something to help change the world" and we see what's out there. I've been an organizer longer than I've been a rapper.

What keeps you informed?

I don't know what else to do besides be active. And I think for me, very local things bring me to national things. I'm brought into fairness and equity at Amazon plants, because I know people that work with at Amazon plants, and that informs me naturally so once Bernie Sanders calls me and says, "Hey, can you come help me? Help people get a union started?" It makes sense for me to do because on a very local level, I've already heard the rumblings and the complaints from people working in factories.

What issues do you feel are not getting their due attention right now?

Black people having access to capital, policy and legislation passed that benefits us from the party that we benefit the most. 

And I would say controlling our own education and food infrastructure resources. Cities like Atlanta, Birmingham, Tampa, Charlotte, Savannah, Chicago, Black People should be dominating politically and economically and having a fair say. Until we're doing it hand in hand, not either or we're not balanced in doing right. 

What social responsibility do you believe those in the entertainment industry have for being in the public eye?

I don't believe people who don't want to have the responsibility. I have the responsibility, because that's how I was raised.

What I think entertainers have the opportunity to do though, is they have the opportunity to be informed by people who do the organizing work on a daily basis. And we have the opportunity to use our platform to bring attention to those people.

So as you hear Killer Mike, and I appreciate you listening to me, I want you to go to the people that influenced me, and I want you to support them and their organizations, because they're doing the work on a daily basis.

Do you ever feel misunderstood when sharing your politics?

Yeah. I grew up in an all-Black world, I grew up in a neighborhood that was started for Black people, by Black people. Everybody in the neighborhood was about dignity and pride and respect.

For me though, it's important that all Black people in this country understand the power that we have, especially when we move as a collective.

What can viewers expect from this new season of "Love & Respect with Killer Mike"?

​​Love and respect. Man, just more interviews from more interesting people that I agree and sometimes don't agree with. What I want people to expect is for people to see dialogue and conversation versus polarization and argument.