Killer Mike
A rapper and activist whose blistering Southern hip-hop serves as a megaphone for economic justice, Black empowerment, and political accountability.
Born 1975 (age 51)·American rapper and activist·Birthday: April 20·Generation X
Biography
Killer Mike is the roaring conscience of Atlanta hip-hop, a thinker with a microphone who treats rap as both art and direct action. He burst onto the scene with a fiery verse on Outkast's 'The Whole World,' announcing a voice that was unapologetically Southern, intellectually sharp, and politically charged. His solo career, marked by the critically adored 'R.A.P. Music' and the groundbreaking Run the Jewels collaboration with El-P, fused bombastic production with lyrics dissecting systemic racism, class warfare, and personal responsibility. Beyond the studio, he is a formidable activist, campaigning for Bernie Sanders, founding a grassroots bank in Atlanta, and speaking with equal force on cable news and in barbershops. For Killer Mike, music and movement are inseparable, making him one of American culture's most essential and provocative voices.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Killer was born in 1975, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Killer Was Born
The biggest hits of 1975
#1 Movie
Jaws
Best Picture
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Killer's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1975Born
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1980Started school
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1988Became a teenager
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Could drive
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1993Could vote
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Turned 21
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2005Turned 30
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 40
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 50
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 51 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won three Grammy Awards for his work with the hip-hop duo Run the Jewels.
- Released the critically acclaimed solo album 'R.A.P. Music,' entirely produced by El-P, in 2012.
- Co-founded the grassroots banking initiative Greenwood, named after the historic Black Wall Street.
- Delivered a powerful address on civil unrest in Atlanta that went viral during the 2020 protests.
Did You Know?
He is a former spokesperson for the National Rifle Association (NRA), a position that sparked debate given his progressive politics.
He owns a barbershop in Atlanta called The Swag Shop.
He voiced the character of 'Counselor' in the Netflix series 'Star Trek: Lower Decks'.
He is a distant cousin of the legendary actress and singer Eartha Kitt.
“It is your duty to not only vote but to make sure you advocate for who you think is the best candidate.”
