Killer Mike Praises Travis Scott But Scolds Rapper’s Fanbase: “They Don’t Like Mike Now”
Killer Mike praised Travis Scott while reflecting on the differences in their music styles amid speculation of tension brewing between them. The 2024 Grammys stirred up some beef after Killer Mike snagged a Grammy and Travis Scott fans were hotter than a fresh jalapeño.
They cried foul, saying Mike didn’t deserve the award, and have since accused Mike of dissing Scott on his Songs for Sinners & Saints album track “STILL TALK’N THAT SH#T.”
Despite rumors of potential beef between the two artists, Killer Mike recently opened up in an interview with Complex about his respect for Travis Scott. While Mike admitted that he wouldn’t think anyone deserves an award over him, he made it clear that he holds a “deep” sense of regard for Travis as an artist.
“An artist I deeply have reverence for…Travis Scott’s amazing,” Mike said, acknowledging the younger rapper’s talent. “I’m never going to think anybody deserves anything in front of me, especially when I put in my vest. But a lot of his fans, they don’t like Mike now, and I have to accept that.”
Killer Mike highlighted the difference in the types of impact his music makes versus Scott’s, emphasizing how he speaks to a different kind of emotional depth.
“That’s fine, but there’s going to come a time in their life that someone that they cared for deeply dies,” he said. “The question is, what song you going to pivot to?…That’s what my music does. It’s there for you.”
Killer Mike then remarked on how his music connects with the struggles of everyday life. Even though he claimed he listens to Scott himself, seemingly as a safeguard, he pretty much outlined all of the situations in which his music applies where his Texas rap counterpart’s music doesn’t.
“I listened to Travis, I jammed,” he said. “But man, does the record hit you when child support on your Black ass for the mistakes you’ve made when you facing jail, your suspended license. That’s what my music does.”
He concluded by pointing out that his music takes care of “the whole human being” and provides a sense of comfort during difficult times. And even as rumors swirl, the Atlanta-bred MC made it clear that he’s more focused on creating music that resonates with real-life experiences than worrying about criticism.
“No matter how good you do, somebody going to be talking s##t,” he said. “So my thing is, if you want my platform, take your bougie Black ass and get the practicing and your bars, muthafucka. I have something for the whole human experience.”
Check out the clip above.