Killer Mike Talks ‘PL3DGE,’ T.I., the Government, and Jay-Z

During his interview with HipHopDX, Grand Hustle artist Killer Mike touched base on various topics, including Jay-Z and the Illuminati, T.I.‘s imprisonment, and the upcoming release of the third installment of his Pledge series, “PL3DGE,” which is expected to release May 17th.
Bigga shared his regret that his label head, and more importantly friend, would be absent during the release of “PL3DGE.”
“Yeah, I miss my friend. I told somebody that…I can remember still going to buy Trap Muzik, and popping up at Tower Records. He was outside, and I was going in to get [a copy]. I didn’t even know he was there, and he was grabbing my records. You miss your friend more than anything, because you care about what your friend thinks of your records. On a professional level, he texts me. He just got rights to talk back and forth, so we were e-mailing right on the 19th—the day before my birthday.
I just hit him up saying I miss him, telling him how much we love and care about him and that I’m glad his family is good. I told him I hoped he was okay and to keep his head up. He hit me back, and the only thing he could talk about was how he was sorry he wasn’t out to help push and promote the record. [He asked] how [Young] Dro was doing, and said he hated that he couldn’t be out on tour. That just gives a real testament to what a real friend he is. He’s in prison, but he cared more about how me and Dro doing well. It almost made me tear up. I was like, “This guy shouldn’t be giving a damn about that.” He’s watching the way the record is performing. I just miss my friend. I guess that’s the easiest answer.”
When questioned whether he felt concern for the sometimes heavy subject matter within his lyrics, Bigga admits he harbors some fear of the Government.
“Yeah, I got concerns that they’re gonna kill me. I’ve got concerns that unless enough people wake up and pay attention to what I’m saying, either I’m going to have to stop saying it or I’m going to get killed for saying it—one or the other. When I say “they,” [that’s] anybody who has those three letters in their title. Usually it’s an alphabet boy or some type saying, “I’m the GFI—Governmental Federal Investigators.” But I do have fears of dying young based on the things I say. I say things that Jesus, Dr. King, Malcom X and Che Guevara said. I also say stuff that Fred Hampton, [Alprentice] “Bunchy” Carter and Huey Newton said.”
After revealing his concerns regarding the government, Bigga elaborated on name dropping Jay-Z and Warren Buffet within his lyrics.
“It wasn’t so much about Jay-Z next to Warren Buffett any more than it was about Ronald Reagan being a bad actor—when I said that in the third verse. What it was about was, in this country, we’re given idols to worship. I’ve loved Jay-Z as a rapper since ’96 when I was knee-deep in the trap. But I will never allow media to fool me to somehow think that just because a black kid from Marcy Projects becomes a billionaire the tables are fair when he’s standing next to a next to a man who’s worth $56 billion.
[Warren Buffett] can give away his money, and the next year make more money and plus $10 billion. Jay-Z has had to fight, bleed, kill and die for every dollar he’s ever got. And that’s not to say that Mr. Buffett and every other billionaire doesn’t. That’s just saying that I can choose to give Jay-Z another dollar. I can choose to buy his record; I can choose to go to his restaurant. Warren Buffett owns a piece of everything I have—whether it’s orange juice, Polar Springs or the table we’re at. Berkshire Hathaway owns a piece of it! My thing is, if I allow you to start making Jay-Z equal to that in the perception and minds of people, I start judging Jay-Z by those standards. And that’s not fair. He can’t do—socially and globally—what someone with $50 billion can do. It’s wrong to put those expectations on him.
So I view Jay-Z and Puffy as entertaining businessmen who have made moguls out of themselves. In the context of putting their money next to me, I shrink. But putting their money next to Buffett, [Carlos] Slim out of Mexico, the Nigerian and East Indian billionaires, they just become regular people again. I won’t let my perception to be controlled. So it’s not a slight against Jay-Z. It’s just saying that if you allow you idols to be judged on a game or playing field that they didn’t create, you’re gonna be saying you think they’re in the Illuminati. And they’re not, because they don’t have enough money to be in the Illuminati.”