Killer Mike has been one of hip-hop's enduring figures, ever since first hitting the scene with the criminally underrated Monster, his debut album that has been largely forgotten by the masses. Yet since then, Mike has consistently honed and perfected his craft, to the point where he appears to be at the top of his game nearly twenty years deep into his career.
Run The Jewels' New Gold Plaque">Paras Griffin/Getty Images
But while he's given us countless verses and hard-hitting anthems, Killer Mike has never quite been a commercial juggernaut. In fact, he only recently secured his first gold plaque, a milestone he took to Instagram to celebrate. "We went gold!" captions Mike, showcasing a shiny new trophy earned through Run The Jewels' "Legend Has It." "Another one coming soon. nobody speak on that tho. Another will be posted soon!"
As Kendrick Lamar once rapped on the classic "Hood Politics,": "Critics want to mention that they miss when hip-hop was rappin? / Motherfucker, if you did, then Killer Mike'd be platinum." While not quite platinum, the fact that RTJ just earned their first gold plaque certainly bodes well for the culture. Congratulations to Killer Mike and El-P, and here's to many more.