Killer Mike Was a Tough Sell at Ottawa Bluesfest

Since their first-ever performance as a duo on these same festival grounds, Run the Jewels have become a staple at Bluesfest. With each return, crowds grew, culminating in a 2022 performance completely in their element, opening for Rage Against the Machine.

For his first solo performance in 11 years, Killer Mike presented a more serious and strident persona, a shift many cultural critics attribute to his recent embrace of both the NRA and born-again Christianity.

Dressed in white and accompanied by the five-piece Mighty Midnight Revival choir and Trackstar the DJ, the Atlanta MC kicked off his set with "Down by Law" from his 2023 Grammy and BET award-winning LP, MICHAEL. As the choir harmonized with pre-recorded vocals from the controversial Cee-Lo Green, Mike stomped across the stage, striving to connect with the rain-soaked crowd despite a 10-meter gap separating him from the front row.

Moving through new material, Mike invited the choir to each sing a freestyled verse before (the also controversial) Dave Chappelle's 70-second spoken word intro to "Run" played out, squeezing the last drops of energy from the already lifeless audience.

The decision to segue into older material he's featured on, including Purple Ribbon All-Stars' "Kryptonite (I'm on It)" and Bone Crusher's "Never Scared," lifted the momentum, as the crowd rapped along while Mike prowled the catwalk.

However, tracks from his autobiographical MICHAEL about his aunt ("Something for Junkies") and family matriarchs ("Motherless"), failed to keep heads bobbing. While Run the Jewels stand as festival legends, Ottawa fans just weren't buying what Killer Mike was selling.