Grammy Award Winning Musician Michael 'Killer Mike' Render Talks Georgia Primary Elections, AI Music

Summary

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Bloomberg Talks with Killer Mike: Georgia's Elections and the Future of AI Music

Date: May 18, 2026
Host: Bloomberg TV Host
Guest: Michael “Killer Mike” Render

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Overview

In this lively on-location episode from Atlanta, Grammy-winning artist, activist, entrepreneur, and Atlanta icon Michael "Killer Mike" Render joins Bloomberg’s host for an in-depth, spirited conversation. The pair dive into the pivotal Georgia primary elections, local politics and redistricting, economic disparity, the importance of hyperlocal civic engagement, entrepreneurship, and the disruptive but intriguing impact of AI on music and creativity.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Georgia’s Elections Matter — A Hyperlocal (and National) Lens

[01:04–03:10]

• Killer Mike emphasizes Georgia’s outsized influence: “Georgia has the ability to affect election in a big way… These elections are important first and foremost for Georgia. I want people to think hyperlocal…” [01:20]
• He reminds voters to research even the smallest races—like Supreme Court seats—that have substantial daily impact: “Who are going to be our two Supreme Court justices in Georgia… We have two amazing women that are running.” [01:26]
• Early voting enthusiasm is high—a million Georgians voted early, a historic turnout.

2. Civic Responsibility, Community Empowerment, and Accountability

[01:32–02:39]

• Mike recalls the influence of his grandmother and civics teacher: “My grandmother taught me that it was a civic responsibility to vote. Ms. Ellison, who was an absolute tyrant…She made sure I understood I was lucky when outside the classroom and to exercise those rights.” [01:54]
• He lays out a blueprint for engagement: galvanize, organize, talk to neighbors, make demands of local politicians after they’re elected.
• Notable advice: “The day after they win, they should get a note from you: ‘These are the potholes we want this week.’” [02:37]

3. Atlanta’s Unique Economic Landscape, Disparity, and the Role of Small Business

[03:14–04:47]

• Despite prosperity, there’s pronounced wealth disparity: “Atlanta has more black millionaires than any other city…but we have the greatest wealth disparities, too…food deserts…lack of proper health care. We can fix these things.” [03:36]
• Praises the city’s mayor and small business entrepreneurship—co-founded Bankhead Seafood: “Small businesses…everyone cannot work for large corporations…As FIFA comes here, World Cup is here, we’re going to have those small and medium businesses, some grow, but we don’t want them to go. We want them to keep people employed.” [04:06]
• Urges support for local businesses and smart policy: “In these tough times, let’s make sure we’re supporting small and local because that’s going to keep people employed.” [04:27]

4. Redistricting: Connections Between Race, Class, and Representation

[04:47–07:30]

• The Supreme Court and redistricting races are attracting new attention for their foundational impact on representation.
• Mike contextualizes redistricting as both a racial and class issue: “Although it’s being discussed racially…some places it’s going to be used to deny, to break up Black constituents…but the working class needs to see it as a class issue too.” [05:13]
• Memorable analogy on solidarity and divided interests, referencing the NFL and Kaepernick: “What he did, he broke solidarity and broke the ability for them to move as a unit…even if it feels distinctly racial, understand that if the tactics work on race, it’ll work on class.” [06:05]
• States disagreement with Governor on redistricting: “I think he’s absolutely wrong on that, and I’ll say that to him…I think it is not a wise thing to do.” [07:21]
• Encourages Georgia’s tradition of sensible, emotionally intelligent politics over polarization.

5. Killer Mike’s Creative Life: Balancing Music, Acting & Business

[07:47–09:05]

• Still deeply passionate about music: “No, I love…Most of the day I’m thinking, ‘How can I make sure this restaurant doesn’t cost me any more money?’…I’m thinking music, because I’m going to be working on Michael II this summer.” [07:53]
• Embracing acting, new projects with Ethan Hawke and Scarpetta: “It’s very fun working with Ethan.” [08:16]
• Distinctions between music and acting preparation: “Music…you can record just emotionally, get it out…with acting…repetition…kindergarten taught you repetition.” [08:28–09:03]

6. The Impact and Opportunity of AI in Music and Art

[09:06–10:35]

• Enthusiastic but cautious about AI’s potential: “A producer…couldn’t wait for a singer to sing it, so I sang it myself and made AI fix my voice…It enabled him to get his idea out.” [09:27]
• Advocates for AI as a creative augmentation: “I think that AI is going to give musicians and artists the ability to have another tool to use their imagination.” [10:07]
• On learning tech: “I am as well ignorant as can be. I know much about this AI as my grandpa knew about an iPhone.” [10:28]
• Hopeful about melding creativity and technology—future education will integrate coding and art.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You guys, you know—make demands of the politicians that you get in office. The day after they win, they should get a note from you: ‘These are the potholes we want this week.’”
      — Killer Mike [02:37]

• "Atlanta has more Black millionaires than any other city...but we have the greatest wealth disparities too...We can fix these things."
      — Killer Mike [03:36]

• “Although it’s being discussed racially…it will only be so long before there you are on the chopping block and there’s no one to advocate…if the tactics work on race, they’ll work on class, too.”
      — Killer Mike [05:13 & 06:05]

• “I think [Governor Kemp is] absolutely wrong on that, and I’ll say that to him. I say that on national television. I think it is not a wise thing to do.”
      — Killer Mike [07:21]

• “Music…you can record just emotionally, get it out…with acting…repetition.”
      — Killer Mike [08:28]

• “[AI] enabled [the producer] to get his idea out…AI is going to give musicians and artists the ability to have another tool to use their imagination.”
      — Killer Mike [09:27 & 10:07]

• “I am as well ignorant as can be. I know much about this AI as my grandpa knew about an iPhone.”
      — Killer Mike [10:28]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro & Georgia’s Political Stakes: [00:25–01:20]
• Advice to Georgia Voters / Civic Duty: [01:20–02:39]
• Atlanta Economy & Small Business: [03:14–04:47]
• Redistricting & Systemic Issues: [04:47–07:30]
• Music, Acting, and Entrepreneurship: [07:47–09:05]
• AI in Art and Music: [09:06–10:35]

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Tone

The conversation is informal, fast-paced, and deeply rooted in the lived realities of Atlanta and broader America. Killer Mike’s signature mix of humor, candor, and activism bridges the worlds of grassroots politics, business, popular culture, and emerging technology.

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Transcript

[Indiana University Announcer]

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[Bloomberg Audio Studios Announcer]

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[Bloomberg TV Host]

Look who I'm with here. You're not going to believe this. I'm live in Atlanta, Georgia, and there's one person you talk to when you come about anything. Politics, economy, life, sneakers. He just came right from a Puma commercial. Killer. Mike. Mike Render. Great to see you.

[Killer Mike]

How you doing?

[Bloomberg TV Host]

In person, no less. I'm great. Last time we came down here for the special election for Senator Warnock, we had a chance to talk.

[Killer Mike]

Yeah.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

We were down at Ebenezer.

[Killer Mike]

Yeah.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

But we weren't together. And it's great to see you at our set here today. So, look, this is someone who needs no introduction. You're a superstar, Grammy Award winning artist. You're an actor now.

[Killer Mike]

Yeah, yeah.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

You've got your own bank. You're also one of the faces of Georgia. Tell our audience people are watching Bloomberg TV all over the world what they need to know about your state, because tomorrow we're going to be here talking elections, talking issues. What is it that makes Georgia special this time?

[Killer Mike]

I mean, Georgia has the ability to affect election in a big way. The same way it did. And when I say affect the election, these elections are important first and foremost for Georgia. I want people to think hyperlocal who are going to be our two Supreme Court justices in Georgia, our new ones. We have two amazing women that are running.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

Yeah.

[Killer Mike]

You know, how are we going to make sure we get all soft back in there? First two times I worked like a dog on behalf of this campaign. We got him in. I had a call from him about a week and a half ago, like, hey, you know, looking forward to seeing you out there again. Warnock, who's done a PNLsoft, have went and done an amazing job hitting the ground. So, you know, I think. I think we got to hit the ground. I think we got to galvanize, plot, plan, strategize, organize, and mobilize our way to the polls. It was important then. It's important now. And ultimately, you know what I understand we don't have to stay in a perpetual state of fear that we're going to lose it all if we lose an election or. This is important. My grandmother taught me that it was a civic responsibility to vote. Ms. Ellison, who was an absolute tyrant. And my civics teacher taught me to appreciate the Bill of Rights in the Constitution because I had no rights in her classroom. And she made sure that I understood that I was lucky when I got outside the classroom and to exercise those rights. So I'm always encouraged to help people get to the polls. I, I'm always encouraged by every election, no matter how minuscule and small it is. And I encourage people to do their research. Go on your Google while you're on your lunch break.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

Yeah.

[Killer Mike]

See who's running in your district, who agrees with you. Talk to your neighbors, see who they want. And you guys, you know, make demands of the politicians that you get in office. The day after they win, they should get a note from Europe. These are the potholes we want this week.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

Well, a lot of people must have been talking to their neighbors because a million Georgians voted early. That's a record. What do you make of that?

[Killer Mike]

I'm excited and I know that this state that has been politically active for a very long time, and I think that whether it was the wise decision of William Hartsfield to give Delta an extended contract here or the wise decision or Maynard Jackson to say, hey, our own local companies, including being black companies, can build this airport. I think those kind of local decisions have helped make us an international city.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

Yeah.

[Killer Mike]

So I think that, I think that we're going to continue to do that. So go Jordan.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

This is a tough time for our economy, which we talk about a lot here on Bloomberg, as you know.

[Killer Mike]

Yes.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

You and I spent a lot of time talking about the debanked last time you were on.

[Killer Mike]

Yes.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

Even if, if you have a bank account now, you're dealing with four and a half dollar gas. You're dealing with mortgage rates, a housing market that won't budge. We're seeing food prices go up now with this war underway. And I'm wondering to what extent that's impacting Atlanta as a city and decisions at the polls tomorrow.

[Killer Mike]

It's impactful. Atlanta has more. I'll give you an example directly from our community. Atlanta has more black millionaires than any other city. Atlanta and D.C. are the top two. You look at Atlanta with that. We have the greatest wealth disparities too. Between the lords and eyes, we actually are microcosm of America. America probably has greater economic opportunity of the country in the world for a person that lands here on a boat 100 years ago or someone that's getting off a plane today. But with that said, we have some of the biggest disparities. And we have lack of education, lack of proper. We have food Deserts we have lack of proper health care. We can fix these things. I think that our mayor in Atlanta, Mayor Dickens, is doing an amazing job of getting people housed. I think that small businesses like the one TI and Open TI and I have opened called Bankhead Seafood, which employs nearly 40 people, are important. We have millions of small businesses that are in this country. Everyone cannot work for large corporations. For these small and medium businesses. As FIFA comes here and World cup is here, we're going to have those small and medium businesses, some grow, but we don't want them to go. We want them to keep people employed. So in these tough times, let's make sure we're supporting small and local because that school's going to keep people employed. Let's make sure that we demand more of our politicians in terms, if you look what that mayor's done up in New York in terms of eliminating some debts and stuff and breeze easing some pressure off people. Let's look at those candidates who are going to do that here and let's vote for them.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

I love that you first reached for Supreme Court in your first answer. Yes, because national coverage hasn't gone down to that level in most cases in Georgia. But I'm hearing more about those two Supreme Court seats than just about anything other than the big ones, the gubernatorial and Senate primaries. And it has a lot to do with redrawing maps. People started to really wake up to what they see as a potential opportunity here. Is that why I'm hearing so much about it? Redistricting?

[Killer Mike]

That is the why. And you know, what I'm encouraged by in Georgia is because, although it's being discussed racially and it does in fact impact my community from a racial standpoint because some places it's going to be used to deny to break up black constituents from proper representation. But I would like to implore right now that the working class understands that the master class of the planner class in the south three, 400 years ago did not care about the poor workers that they were working in the fields, whether they look like near you. They didn't care if they were the people that were labeled rednecks that came out of the uk they didn't care if the people they looked at that they brought from the shores after they cared about economic domination. And if you think that this is not a working class issue and it is only a racial issue, it will only be so long before there you are on the chopping block and there's no one there to advocate an ally. So I would implore the working class right now to make sure that you get people in office that are going to represent for you. And I would encourage the corporate class to make sure that they're fair or what you want to see is a break in this country that we haven't seen in nearly.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

Well, that's fascinating because the redrawing of congressional districts, particularly after the Supreme Court ruling on the Voting Rights act, seemed to be distinctly racial, is it not?

[Killer Mike]

Well, at that time, it had to be. I'm just saying that at the time that Martin Luther King was fighting for proper workers rights in a fair ways for black people in Mississippi, the most underpaid people and people who were resisting him the most were also white recipients.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

Yeah.

[Killer Mike]

At the time that Colin Kaepernick, Skip Bayless did an amazing thing one time, Joe. He said that. I think it was in Pittsburgh. Everyone kneeled in solidarity with Kaepernick. Kaepernick. One player, then I believe it was a white player. The player, of course, patriotic, believed in this country and that was great. But the NFL was notorious for having a bully pit in terms of negotiations with the players association. Skip said that guy doesn't understand. And what he did, he broke solidarity and broke the ability for them to move as a unit. But beyond this particular issue. So I want to say that even if it feels distinctly racial, understand that if the tactics work on race based on me, it will work on class to you. So I'd say whether you're in the Appalachians or Atlanta, you had better be wary of anybody that wants to redraw.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

These are incredibly important points that you're making. Will Georgia redraw? Do you think that's done?

[Killer Mike]

I don't. It's something I disagree with my governor on.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

Yeah.

[Killer Mike]

You know, and I think he's ruled with a pretty fair hand. And I think he's absolutely wrong on that. And I'll say that to him. I say that on national television.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

Understood.

[Killer Mike]

I think it is not a wise thing to do.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

Yeah.

[Killer Mike]

I think that Georgia has shown itself to be emotionally intelligent in terms of going in the voting booth. I think that our mayors in Atlanta have done a great job of working with our governors, be they Democrat or Republican, from Joe Frank Harris to Zell Miller on through to our current governor. I think that it throws the balance of Georgia. Often it makes us copy states that are not as progressive.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

You think politics all day. Is music a hobby at this point? It's amazing to listen to you.

[Killer Mike]

No, I love. I love. So most of the day I'm thinking Oh, my God. How can I make sure this restaurant doesn't cost me any more money? So I'm thinking Banket secret. I'm thinking music, because I'm going to be working on Michael II this summer. But lately I've been thinking. Thinking about acting. I've been. Luckily. You sure have. You're not the only handsome guy. I get to look in his eyes and we talk, but I get. I get to sit across from Ethan Hawke on a show called the Lowland.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

Yeah.

[Killer Mike]

And I've been brought in for season two called Scarpetta.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

Yeah.

[Killer Mike]

It's very fun working with Ethan.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

Scarpetta is amazing.

[Killer Mike]

Scarpetta is an amazing show.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

How do you prepare for an acting role differently than you would for. For a musical show or. Or to sit down and record something?

[Killer Mike]

Well, music you kind of. You can record just emotionally get it out, and then you can go back and learn the song and you can imitate the emotion.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

Interesting.

[Killer Mike]

With acting, it's important that you do what you do in kindergarten. Repetition. Let me learn these words. I have to say my ABC perfectly or my.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

I have a horrible memory. I could never do this.

[Killer Mike]

So yABC, your mom won't let you go outside till you say all your ABCs. Right. And you have to treat yourself like that. I see why actors and writers have to get along, because you get there in solitude. And then you got a good reading partner. I have a filmmaker friend whose name is Michael Allen, and he reads with me. I have friends in the industry that give me good advice. So I think you know more than anything kindergarten taught you repetition.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

Yeah. How about that?

[Killer Mike]

And once you learn it, put some repetition.

[Indiana University Announcer]

Indeed.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

But everything we're talking about is a creative exercise that you're involved in. And there are big questions about the way AI is about to change or is already changing this, whether you're a visual artist, a musician. I could. I was talking to Chuck Lovell about this a little bit earlier.

[Killer Mike]

Yeah.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

You could listen to AI music that's not even made by a person anymore. Is that a good or a bad thing?

[Killer Mike]

Well, I knew. I know. A producer sent me a track night that I ended up getting on. It's an amazing track. He said, I couldn't wait for a singer to sing it. So I sang it myself and made AI fix my voice.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

Wow.

[Killer Mike]

Oh, man. He sounded amazing. I'll never let him sing it live. We're gonna go find a real singer to sing it. But it was. It enabled him to get his idea out. And what I found with technology and it's interesting because I was just told by the president of Georgia Tech that they're actually bringing a program that teaches technology through creativity. You're going to be able to learn music, but at the same time be learning coding. I think that's absolutely genius. And shouts out to my friend from childhood, Raheem Biya, who's a professor emeritus over here. But what happens is I think that AI is going to give musicians and artists the ability to have another tool to use their imagination.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

Yes. Right.

[Killer Mike]

I can imagine a sketch before I draw it, but the ability to use AI to say, do the sketch and then I'll draw might work, might help.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

That's important though. So it would augment your work, not replace you as the artist.

[Killer Mike]

There's a possibility there if we take

[Bloomberg TV Host]

advantage of it, if we do it right.

[Killer Mike]

If we do it right. Yeah, you don't do some wrong before you do it right.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

Playing with AI is this part of your world? You got Claude, you got Gemini.

[Killer Mike]

I am as well ignorant as can be. I know much about his AI as my grandpa knew about an iPhone.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

Well, listen, maybe we'll learn together then.

[Killer Mike]

Absolutely.

[Bloomberg TV Host]

It means a lot to us that you came all the way here to see us. Means a lot and appreciate having you on Bloomberg. I'm very happy for your success and I'm looking forward to the next show.

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