'Criminals are not going to follow a law': Rapper/activist Killer Mike says gun control won't stop violence

Rapper and activist Killer Mike told interviewers that he doesn't want to see any new gun laws put in place as an attempt to curb gun violence in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, and explained that "criminals are not going to follow" the laws.

The artist, whose real name is Michael Render, spoke to TMZ about rising levels of gun violence in Atlanta, which has seen 66 shooting deaths since the start of 2023 through May. According to CBS News, 56 of those deaths are black men.

"We know there is just this massive problem with gun violence in the country. You were opposed to any gun control laws or at least new ones," TMZ's Harvey Levin remarked.

"I'm a strong proponent for [the] Second Amendment, people know that," Killer Mike explained. "I think that there are enough laws on the books to take care of what's already out there. Criminals are not going to follow a law anyway," he continued.

Host Charles Latibeaudiere challenged the rapper about comments he previously made in which he stated families should own five guns. "You've said that you want particularly black families to be educated about gun ownership and they should have multiple guns, all sorts of guns."

"I've always just said five, you should have a revolver, semi-automatic pistol, you should have a shotgun, you should have one bolt-action rifle, and you should have a semi-automatic rifle."

"That last one is the one I'm talking about. Why the military-style rifle?" the host asked.

"I said semi-automatic, military is fully automatic, so it's not military. It just looks cool. It can look like a race car, but it doesn't go 200 miles an hour." Render, who vehemently supported Bernie Sanders in past presidential races, told TMZ that the "founders of the Constitution saw a need to fight tyranny at some point and they believed that that could happen again."

"I'm simply going by the rules that were given to me in the Constitution. Nothing more, nothing less," he added.

As well, the interview addressed talks about a curfew that have circulated in the state as some Georgia counties have already implemented their own. Fulton County established an 8 p.m. curfew for those 16 years old or under in February 2023.

"I've lived under a curfew in Atlanta under the 'missing murdered boys' shadow in the '80s," the rapper said. "We had a seven o'clock curfew for kids, so I'm not against a curfew for minors, because you know, at a certain point of the day, parents and children should be in the same place and parents should know where their children are."

Killer Mike is currently promoting a new tour and his first solo album in over a decade.

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