This year's Vancouver International Jazz Festival will feature a performance by a high-profile rapper.
Killer Mike, aka Michael Render, will be taking to the stage at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre June 29 as a Marquee Artist Presentation from the festival. Active for almost 30 years, he's found success over the past decade as half of the critically acclaimed and commercially successful Run The Jewels.
More recently, his sixth solo album Michael won Best Rap Album at the 2024 Grammys, while the track "Scientists and Engineers" (which featured Outkast's Andre 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane) was named Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song; Killer Mike had a previous Grammy from when he was featured on the Outkast song "The Whole World" in 2003.
Killer Mike also has an Emmy and received other accolades for other projects, which range from TV shows to a bank aimed at serving Black and Latinx Americans.
“This is a huge show for Coastal Jazz. Killer Mike is a significant musical voice for these times, and one of the many great artists we’re thrilled to be presenting at our Festival this June,” say organizers of the event (which is put on by the Coastal Jazz and Blues Society.).
Killer Mike's show is just one part of the upcoming festival, which will feature 10 days of shows starting June 21 and running to June 30. Venues across the city will host free and ticketed performances, according to a press release.
"Granville Island will be the hub for festival activity, with free and ticketed shows scheduled at Performance Works, Ocean Artworks and the Revue Stage," reads the release. "In addition, downtown theatres, clubs, and North Shore venues will feature various live jazz performances throughout the ten days."
Tickets for the Killer Mike show will range from $69 to $99 plus fees. Presale tickets are currently available for donors. The general public will be able to buy tickets March 14.
