5 Questions With Dan Schawbel Episode 28: Killer Mike
An interview with Killer Mike on what he would change about American politics, where his entrepreneurial spirit comes from, how he weaves political messages into his content, how he manages a company while being a good parent and his best career advice.
Welcome to the 28th episode of 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. As your host, my goal is to curate the best advice from the world’s smartest and most interesting people by asking them just 5 questions.
This episodes guest:
My guest today is rapper and political activist Killer Mike. Born Michael Santiago Render in Atlanta Georgia, he was the son of a policeman father and florist mother. In 1995, while attending Morehouse College, he met the producers The Beat Bullies and Big Boi of OutKast. His music debut was on OutKast’s 2000 album Stankonia with the song “Snappin’ & Trappin” and later was part of their single collaboration “The Whole World”, which won the Grammy Award for “Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group”. After being featured on Jay-Z’s album “The Blueprint 2”, he released his own album “Monster” with the hit single “A.D.I.D.A.S.” He has released other albums including two “I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind” albums, PL3DGE and R.A.P. Music. He’s been featured in films including Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Baby Driver, South Park and is the host of Trigger Warning with Killer Mike on Netflix. Killer Mike opened a barbershop called Graffitis SWAG Barbershop in Atlanta, with artwork honoring historical black leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. He’s been a social and political activist on topics like social equality, police brutality and racism.
The 5 questions questions I ask in this episode:
- If you could change only one thing about American politics, what would it be and why?
- Where does your entrepreneurial spirit come from?
- How do you weave in your social and political messages into your music and Netflix show?
- How do you manage being a husband, father of 4 and business owner at once?
- What’s your best piece of career advice?
Follow Mike’s journey: