Killer Mike continued his Trigger Warning With Killer Mike publicity tour last, stopping by the set of Late Night With Seth Myer to explain the reasoning behind his show and break down a concept he calls “white gang privilege.” He proves to be insightful, funny, and empathetic as he shares his stories with Seth Myers and bonds with the host over Bernie Sanders, barbershops, and fatherhood in the six-minute clip, which you can see above.
His explanation for “white gang privilege” is familiar to anyone who has watched Trigger Warning, but the premise is simple. Mike explains, “If I’m a Hell’s Angels member that means I’ve already incorporated myself and I can sell merchandise. If I’m a Crip or a Blood, I’m illegal and I can’t sell Crip or Blood bandanas.” He goes on to half-jokingly suggest a “Black gang-white gang mentorship program” that would teach traditionally Black gangs to similarly incorporate and profit from their membership. He says he determined that soda pop was the product he wanted to sell because “soda has killed more people than any gang.”
Mike also laments how similar his kids are to his younger self, which means lots of awkward questions at home and how his wife refused to let him take Bernie Sanders to a “white folks restaurant” on his Atlanta visit. Of his upcoming Run The Jewels album with El-P, he says “It’s gonna feel like the most frigid of New York days, and you’re walking out of Katz’s [Deli] with a pastrami sandwich, and somebody punches you in your face.” That’s intense, but par for the course for the brash rap duo. Until then, Trigger Warning With Killer Mike is definitely recommended viewing, if only to watch Mike tell residents at a senior citizens’ home that they need to listen to more Jay-Z and Biggie.
