Meek Mill | |
---|---|
Born | Robert Rihmeek Williams May 6, 1987 |
Other names | Meek Millz |
Occupation | Rapper |
Years active | 2006–present |
Organization | Reform Alliance |
Television | Free Meek |
Partner | Nicki Minaj (2015–2017) |
Children | 3 |
Awards | Full list |
Musical career | |
Genres | Hip hop |
Discography | Meek Mill discography |
Labels |
|
Website | meekmill |
Signature | |
Robert Rihmeek Williams (born May 6, 1987), [2] known professionally as Meek Mill, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he embarked on his music career as a battle rapper, and later formed a short-lived rap group, The Bloodhoundz. He signed with T.I.'s Grand Hustle Records as a solo act in 2008, although he departed by 2011 and released no albums with the label. He then signed with Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group (MMG) that same year, and rose to mainstream recognition following his performances on the label's Self Made Vol. 1 (2011) compilation album; his song "Tupac Back" (featuring Rick Ross) served as the album's lead single, while its follow-up, "Ima Boss" (featuring Rick Ross) entered the Billboard Hot 100.
Meek Mill's debut studio album, Dreams and Nightmares (2012)—released in a joint venture with MMG and Warner Bros. Records—peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and was led by the single "Amen" (featuring Drake). His second album, Dreams Worth More Than Money (2015), peaked atop the Billboard 200, while his third album, Wins & Losses (2016), peaked at number three. His fourth album, Championships (2018), debuted atop the chart once more; its lead single, "Going Bad" (featuring Drake), peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains his highest-charting song. His fifth album, Expensive Pain (2021), also peaked at number three, and his collaborative album with Rick Ross, Too Good to Be True (2023), peaked at number 23. He founded the record label Dream Chasers Records in 2012, which has released his own projects and signed other artists including Yung Bleu, Vory, and Lil Snupe.
In November 2017, Meek Mill was sentenced to two to four years in prison for violating parole, before being released while his trial continued after serving five months. In August 2019, a documentary series about his battle with the criminal justice system, Free Meek , was released on Amazon Prime Video. Jay-Z executive produced the series; he and Meek Mill also co-founded the nonprofit Reform Alliance that same year, which focuses on national prison reform. [3]
Robert Rihmeek Williams [4] was born on May 6, 1987, [2] in the South Philadelphia area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Kathy Williams. He has an older sister, Nasheema Williams. Kathy grew up in poverty and her mother died when she was young. Meek's father was killed when Meek was five years old, apparently during an attempted robbery. His uncle, Robert, described Meek Mill's father as a "black sheep of the family". After her husband's death, Kathy moved with Meek and his sister to North Philadelphia, where they lived in a three-bedroom apartment on Berks Street. Their financial condition was poor and she started cutting hair, doing other jobs, and shoplifting in order to support her family. [5] At home, Meek was shy and rarely spoke. As a kid, he became acquainted with another of his father's brothers, who under the MC name Grandmaster Nell was a pioneering disc jockey (DJ) in the late-1980s Philadelphia hip-hop scene and influenced rap artists Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff. Meek's interest in hip-hop grew as a result of these early influences. He was also influenced by the independent hip-hop artists Chic Raw and Vodka, whom he learned to emulate by watching their DVDs. [6] [7]
During his early teenage years, Meek often took part in rap battles under the pseudonym Meek Millz. He often stayed up well past midnight filling notebooks with phrases and verses that he later drew on. Later he and three friends formed the rap group The Bloodhoundz. They bought blank CDs and jewel cases at Kinkos, encouraging friends to burn them with the group's songs and distribute them. [7]
The Bloodhoundz lasted long enough to release four mixtapes. [8] From 2006 to 2008 Mill released three solo mixtapes including The Real Me, The Real Me 2, and Flamers. In 2009, Mill released his fourth solo mixtape, Flamers 2: Hottest in tha City, which spawned the promotional singles "I'm So Fly," "Prolli," and "Hottest in the City." Flamers 2 caught the attention of Charles "Charlie Mack" Alston, founder and president of 215 Aphillyated Records. Mack, who previously represented for other Philadelphians Will Smith, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Boyz II Men and Ms. Jade, [9] was so impressed with Mill that he immediately signed him to his management company. During that same year, Meek Mill also met the founder and owner of Grand Hustle Records, Atlanta-based rapper and record executive T.I. [10] T.I. was also impressed by Mill and offered him an opportunity to travel, to meet with him and Warner Bros. Records; within a week both record companies offered him a deal. Although he was offered other record deals, Mill felt collaborating with T.I. was "an opportunity of a lifetime" and thus chose his label. However, a setback occurred, when Mill was sentenced to a stint in jail for a drug and gun charge. [8]
After being released in 2009, he continued working as an artist under Grand Hustle, Mill formed a work relationship with the label's resident disc jockey, DJ Drama. Mill and Drama teamed up to release the third edition of Mill's Flamers series. The mixtape, titled Flamers 3: The Wait Is Over, was released on March 12, 2010, and is helmed as a "Gangsta Grillz mixtape". [11] [12] The mixtape features his promotional single "Rosé Red", which was later remixed with additional verses from fellow American rappers T.I., Rick Ross and Vado. [11] Rick Ross contributed his verse after he was visiting Philadelphia and asked his Twitter followers who he should collaborate with; Meek Mill was the overwhelming response. [11] The remix was included on Mill's following mixtape, Mr. Philadelphia. [13] Due to Mill and T.I.'s respective legal troubles, Mill was never able to release an official album under Grand Hustle and they parted ways in 2010. [14] That same year, a film was released called Streets. A direct-to-DVD crime drama, starring Mill, produced by Alston and directed by Jamal Hill. [15]
In February 2011, Rick Ross announced the signing of Mill along with fellow American rapper Wale to his Maybach Music Group (MMG) label. In March 2011, Mill was included in XXL's "Freshman Class of 2011". [16] Later that year, he released his debut single, "Tupac Back", featuring Rick Ross, from his label's compilation album Self Made Vol. 1 (2011). That same year he released his second single, "Ima Boss", also take from the compilation and featuring Ross. The song was later remixed, featuring T.I., Birdman, Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled, Swizz Beatz and Rick Ross. The remix charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at No. 51, becoming Mill's most successful single at that time. In August 2011, Mill released Dreamchasers , a well received mixtape featuring his urban hit "House Party" and guest appearances from Rick Ross, Yo Gotti and Beanie Sigel among others.
In February 2012, MTV listed Meek Mill as the "#7 hottest MC" in their annual "Hottest MCs in the Game" list. [17] On May 7, 2012, Mill released the second installment to his Dreamchasers series. [18] Within six hours of its release on mixtape website DatPiff.com, Dreamchasers 2 was downloaded 1.5 million times. [19] On May 10, it was announced Meek Mill signed with Roc Nation management. [20]
On June 19, 2012, "Amen" - originally included on Dreamchasers 2, was released as the lead single from Mill's debut studio album. Before releasing his debut studio album Dreams & Nightmares , Mill received co-signs from both Mariah Carey and Nas, with him appearing on Carey's 2012 single "Triumphant (Get 'Em)" and the latter stating, "I got my eyes on him. He's the next one to take this shit over." The album was released on October 30, 2012. [21] The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 165,000 copies. [22] In its second week, the album sold 41,000 more copies, dropping six spots on the chart to number eight. [22]
Following the release of the lead single for Dreams & Nightmares, entitled "Amen", Philadelphia area pastor Rev. Jomo K. Johnson called for a boycott of Mill due to the song's lyrical content. "As a hip-hop fan, I want to encourage every rap fan in Philadelphia who is a believer in Jesus Christ, to boycott Meek Mill until he acknowledges this blatant disrespect. And being a resident of North Philadelphia and a pastor, I revoke Meek's 'hood pass' until this happens," Johnson said in a statement. [23]
On July 17, 2012, in an interview on the BET show 106 & Park , Mill stated, "I don't think no preacher or no church approves of any type of rap music—because rap music, period, is a lot of bad stuff said. But at the end of the day, it's real life. And me, I wasn't trying to disrespect no religion or anything like that." [23] [24]
Mill released the third installment of the Dreamchasers series, Dreamchasers 3 . [25] The mixtape featured guest appearances from Rick Ross, Akon, Future, Waka Flocka Flame, Wale, Trina and Jadakiss among others. [25] [26] The mixtape was scheduled to be released on May 6, 2013. [27] However, he had announced that it would be pushed back, eventually to be released on September 29, 2013. [28] In November 2013, Mill announced that he was halfway finished with his second studio album. On March 8, 2014, Mill announced that the album would be titled Dreams Worth More Than Money . Mill's album, Dreams Worth More Than Money, which was released on June 28, 2015, topped the Billboard 200 as of the issue dated July 18, 2015.
Meek Mill posted 6 videos on his Instagram previewing music for his mixtape, DC4. The mixtape was planned to have featured a remix of his enemy, Drake's song, "Back to Back", and a remix to Drake and Future's song, "I'm the Plug", [29] but unfortunately, due to DC4 being released commercially, neither of these two remixes made the final cut.[ citation needed ] On January 16, 2016, Meek Mill dropped songs on his extended play, 4/4 , with 4 tracks. On January 30, 2016, Meek Mill released another extended play title 4/4, Pt. 2.
Meek Mill released DC4 on October 28, 2016.
On July 21, 2017, Mill released his third studio album titled Wins & Losses .
On November 16, 2018, Mill announced his fourth album, Championships , which was released on November 30. The album received positive reviews from critics and debuted atop the US Billboard 200, selling 229,000 album-equivalent units in its first week (42,000 coming from pure sales).
In June 2020, Mill released his protest song "Otherside of America", amid the protests following the murder of George Floyd.
On November 20, 2020, Meek returned with a four-track EP, Quarantine Pack, which features rappers 42 Dugg, Vory, and Lil Durk, who also appears in the video for the track, "Pain Away". That same month, the film, Charm City Kings , was released exclusively on HBO Max. Originally scheduled for a May 2020 theatrical release by Sony Pictures, it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and later acquired by HBO. The Angel Manuel Soto-directed and Will Smith-produced drama stars Mill and opposite Jahi Di'Allo Winston as street bikers who end up under a wave of crime in Baltimore. It received positive critical reviews. [30] A month earlier, in October, Mill also claimed to have had plans to release an album before the end of the year. [31] However, this did not occur, as his fifth studio album, Expensive Pain , was only released a year later, on October 1, 2021. [32] It debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 after accumulating 95,000 equivalent units. [33] Mill went on to state that Atlantic Records was responsible for the low sales of the album. He went as afar to state that the label wouldn't allow him to bring PnB Rock nor Roddy Ricch as artists to his Dream Chasers imprint, [34] while also clarifying that Atlantic restricted him from releasing any more music for the following nine months [35] and demanded his release alongside labelmates, fellow Philadelphian Lil Uzi Vert, and YoungBoy Never Broke Again. [36]
On July 11, 2022, Mill confirmed that he had ended his management deal with Jay-Z's Roc Nation Entertainment, stating that although he and the company are no longer partners in the exact term, he and Jay remain on good terms. [37] [38] [39] [40] [41] [42] Despite his departure, the two still work on their prison reform venture, the REFORM Alliance. [43]
On October 26, 2012, Meek Mill announced the launch of his own record label imprint, Dream Chasers Records, with the flagship artists Louie V. Gutta, Lee Mazin and Goldie. [44] On July 24, 2019, Meek Mill announced the official launch of Dream Chasers Records as a joint venture with Roc Nation. Mill spoke on the deal saying "Creating a record label has always been the next step in my journey as a businessman and I appreciate Roc Nation and Jay-Z's support on this new venture. I want to take my experiences in the music industry, use them to find young, hungry talent and open doors for the next generation of artists." [45] The label also handles its own operations, creative strategy, marketing and business affairs. Jay-Z spoke on the joint venture, saying "Everything he has done leading up to this point shows he is ready to [lead] the next generation. We look at the big picture — this is way beyond signing artists and having hot records." [46] As president of the label, Mill oversees a team in a corporate New York office and also help operate a recording studio for the label's artists. [47]
When he was 18, while walking to a corner store armed, Meek was arrested for illegally possessing a firearm and was beaten up by the police. Because of the beating, his lips and both eyes became swollen and one of his braids was ripped out. He was charged with attempted or aggravated assault against a police officer after two black cops gave a statement against him in the case, saying he chased them down with a gun and tried to shoot one of them. He was then placed on probation. [6] [7] [48]
In 2008, Mill was convicted of possession of drug paraphernalia, and second-degree possession of a loaded firearm by a convicted felon. He was sentenced to eleven to twenty-three months in prison, followed by eight years probation, by Philadelphia County Superior Court Judge Genece Brinkley. [49] After Mill's 2008 conviction, Brinkley continued to handle Mill's further legal cases and oversaw his probation. Mill was released in early 2009 under a five-year parole agreement after serving seven months. [6] [50] [51] [52] In January 2023, Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf pardoned Mill for these convictions. [53] [54]
On the night of Halloween 2012, following an album release party for his debut, Dreams and Nightmares, in South Philadelphia, Mill was detained by city police after a car which he was riding in was pulled over. The outcome of the arrest remains unknown; no charges were filed, and Mill was released from custody. [55] However, in December, because of the incident, Mill was found to have violated his probation for his 2008 federal drug and gun charges, resulting in Judge Brinkley revoking Mill's travel permit. [56]
In May 2013, Mill was again found to have violated his probation and ordered to take etiquette classes. The violation was a failure to report travel plans as required and social media postings that resulted in death threats to the probation officer who assigned his case. [51] In requiring the classes and stressing the requirement to report travel, Brinkley noted, "You need to try to get this right next time." [52] In June 2013, the court noted that Mill continually failed to report his travel plans. Brinkley established an August deadline for the classes, noting that Mill has "a lot of issues" and that the classes would provide him with a "big-picture perspective" on his personal and professional actions. Brinkley said the classes were "more important than any concerts he might have". [57] Of the requirement to provide travel plans to his probation officer, Mill complained, "You just gonna miss money all day." The ADA explained that it was a consequence of being on probation. [58] On July 11, 2014, Mill's probation was revoked and he was sentenced to three to six months in jail. [59] He was released on December 2, 2014. [60] [a]
He was found guilty for a parole violation again on December 17, 2015, due to him performing at an Atlanta show for Nicki Minaj's Pinkprint tour, the 2015 BET Awards and American Music Awards respectively, all without reporting his actions as related court orders to gain approval. [62] [63] The judge hearing his case refused to give him a second chance and ordered him not to work or perform before his sentencing on February 5, 2016. [64] He was sentenced to 90 days of house arrest on February 5. The sentence became effective on March 1. Mill was not allowed to work and was required to do daily community service with groups serving adults. He was also sentenced to an extended six years probation. [65] On June 2, 2016, Mill was sentenced to eight additional days of house arrest as a result of him not completing his required community service hours. [66] His house arrest ended fifteen days later. [67]
On March 11, 2017, Mill was arrested at the St. Louis Lambert International Airport in Missouri for assaulting two employees. Shortly after his arrest, he was given a court summons. [68] [69] Then, in August, he was detained in New York City after a noise complaint was filed over Mill popping a wheelie on his motorcycle. Soon after, he was released once the disturbance violation and reckless driving charges were dropped. [70] [71] The case was later taken to court in October, and was to be dismissed if Mill would have completed six months of therapy, resulting in good behavior and thirty hours of community service added to his Pennsylvania-state related twenty-hour term. [72] On November 6, 2017, he was sentenced to two to four years in state prison for violating his parole. He served five months at the State Correctional Institution – Chester in Chester, Pennsylvania. [73] [74]
On April 24, 2018, Mill was released, pending outcome of an appeal to the Pennsylvania supreme court. [75] The Philadelphia district attorney petitioned Brinkley for his release, citing credibility issues with the arresting officer in his initial 2008 conviction. [76] [77] Brinkley declined and instead scheduled the case for a hearing. [78] Hours after his release from prison, Michael G. Rubin, a minority owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and longtime supporter of Mill, flew Mill in by helicopter to a 76ers game to perform a ceremonial bell-ringing on the court. [79] Garnering support from other public figures such as Jay-Z and fellow Philadelphian Kevin Hart, Mill has said that he would like to use his situation to "shine a light" on the criminal justice system. [80] [81]
On July 24, 2019, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania granted Mill's appeal, overturning his 2008 conviction and ordering a new trial to be overseen by another judge other than Judge Brinkley. In a statement, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office said it was pleased that the appeals court "validated our position that Robert Rihmeek Williams deserves a new trial before a court that has no appearance of partiality." However, the D.A. declined comment on its plans for a new trial, stating the office was weighing its options before proceeding. [82]
Reports alleged that there was an FBI investigation into the conduct of Brinkley, the judge presiding over his case. This was later publicly acknowledged by Mill's defense team. [83] Mill's attorney, Joe Tacopina, made several allegations of inappropriate statements and actions by Brinkley, including that "she requested he re-record a Boyz II Men song and shout her out, and how she wanted him to leave [the management of] Roc Nation to sign with a friend of hers", referring to Mill's former partner, Charlie Mack of 215 Aphillyated, [84] and that "she showed up at his community service" when a typical judge would not, among several other irregularities. [85]
In February 2018, the officer of Mill's original 2007 case was brought under scrutiny for the potential mishandling of his arrest. This came upon a whistle-blower's testimony responsible for the revelation of hundreds of other corrupt officers. An appeal to reverse Mill's conviction was submitted. [81]
With Mill's continuous arrests and probation from Brinkley, he is estimated by his booking agency and management to have lost millions of dollars in profit. [86]
In August 2019, Mill pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor firearm charge in Philadelphia. All other charges were dismissed, officially ending the case against Mill from 2007 and temporarily dismissing him as a convicted felon. [87]
On August 9, 2019, a docuseries Free Meek premiered on Amazon Prime Video. The five-part series was produced by Roc Nation, with Mill and Jay-Z serving as executive producers. [3]
On November 29, 2017, Meek Mill and Roc Nation were sued by the family of Jaquan Graves, who was shot and killed in the parking lot outside a Connecticut concert in December 2016. Graves had just left the facility when gunfire started and he was killed. The lawsuit also claims that Mill and Roc Nation allowed "thugs" to remain on the premises after exhibiting disorderly, disruptive, argumentative, angry and agitated behaviors toward patrons. [88]
In May 2019, Meek Mill was turned away from the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas when attempting to attend a show. His attorney, Joe Tacopina, alleged that Mill was turned away because of his race. On May 25, 2019, Mill said that he intended to pursue legal action against the hotel for racial discrimination. [89] Within days, the Cosmopolitan issued the requested apology. Tacopina then announced that his client had accepted it, and no lawsuit would be forthcoming. [90]
In 2016, Meek Mill spent $50,000 to donate 60,000 Ice Mountain brand bottled water to contribute to and support the Flint water crisis in Michigan as he teamed up with Big Sean. [91] [92] [93]
In 2018, following his release from state custody, Mill immediately became a leading advocate of criminal justice reform in the United States, [94] where he transitioned his advocacy into the co-formation of Reform Alliance with fellow recording artist and entrepreneur Jay-Z. [95] The nonprofit organization states its mission is "to dramatically reduce the number of people who are unjustly under the control of the criminal justice system – starting with probation and parole", [96] where it plans on doing so by gathering leaders from various fields such as business, entertainment, government, sports, technology, and more, who have the common interest of donating and advocating for criminal justice reform in the United States. Later, in August 2018, Mill donated 6,000 backpacks to students of Philadelphia.[ citation needed ]
The founding partners of Reform Alliance, besides Meek Mill and Jay-Z, includes Kraft Group CEO and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Philadelphia 76ers owner Michael G. Rubin, Brooklyn Nets co-owner Clara Wu Tsai, Vista Equity Partners founder Robert F. Smith, as well as other leaders in business, law and politics, whom have collectively pledged a total 50 million dollars to the foundation as of 2019. [97] To lead the organization, Reform hired political activist, and CNN host/political analyst Van Jones as their inaugural CEO. [96]
A feud started between Meek Mill and fellow Philadelphia-born rapper Cassidy, when Mill offered to battle several underground rappers including Cassidy. Cassidy would later accept the challenge, adding "if the money was right". They participated in a short social exchange, after which Cassidy released "The Diary of a Hustla", which was originally thought to be a diss track towards Mill. This was later refuted by Cassidy. [98] They both asked $100,000 each for the battle to take place. [99] [100] However, after Meek Mill dissed Cassidy's song, "Condom Style" (a remake of Psy's "Gangnam Style"), Cassidy released a formal diss track towards Mill with "Me, Myself & iPhone". [101] [102] Afterwards, Meek Mill responded with the diss track "Repo", which Mill later said would be the final diss record he would release against Cassidy. [103]
Cassidy later said the feud was not personal, saying it was all in the spirit of hip hop. [104] On January 6, 2013, Cassidy released a 10-minute-long diss response titled "Raid". [105] Eight months later, on September 5, 2013, Meek Mill released another diss record towards Cassidy, titled "Kendrick You Next". This was despite the fact that he said "Repo" would be his final diss record. [106] Three days later, Cassidy released a diss record titled "Catch A Body", as a response. [107] By 2017, the two rappers had resolved their differences. [108]
In July 2015, Meek Mill publicly criticized Canadian rapper Drake on Twitter, calling him out for not writing his own lyrics. In a series of tweets, Meek Mill claimed Drake used a ghostwriter for "R.I.C.O.", a song off Mill's second album, Dreams Worth More Than Money . [109] He also admitted that he was upset that Drake did not promote the album on Twitter, upon its release. "Stop comparing [me to] Drake. He don't write his own raps. That's why he ain't tweet my album because we found out!", Meek Mill commented. [110] [111] Meek Mill had identified the ghostwriter as Quentin Miller, a local rapper from Atlanta. Meek Mill's claims received support from Funkmaster Flex, an American hip hop DJ on New York City's Hot 97 radio station. Flex released multiple audio recordings of reference tracks featuring Quentin Miller performing the soon-to-be Drake songs, "10 Bands", "Used To", "Know Yourself" and his guest verse on "R.I.C.O." [112] Drake was later supported by his long-time friend, collaborator and co-founder of OVO Sound, award-winning multi-platinum selling producer Noah "40" Shebib, who claimed that not only does Drake write his own songs, he has also written number-one records for other artists. "No one is as talented as Drake... [there are] countless number ones and songs Drake has written for others never mind himself", 40 said on Twitter. [113]
On July 25, 2015, Drake premiered a track, titled "Charged Up" on the Beats 1 OVO Radio Show that is widely seen as a response to Meek Mill's allegations. Drake highlighted Meek Mill's relatively low sales volume and further claimed that the rapper was fading into obscurity. [114] [115] Drake also dissed Funkmaster Flex by promoting his rival DJ Clue?. On July 29, Drake released an aggressive diss track, named "Back to Back", that further attacked Meek Mill. The track, streamed over 500,000 times in 4 hours, heavily suggested that Mill's relationship with Nicki Minaj is lopsided in the latter's favor and also further criticized the former for not responding to "Charged Up" and for only relying on Twitter to attack Drake. [116] The track was released for streaming on the OVO SoundCloud account and on Apple Music. [117] The next day, Meek Mill released a track attacking Drake titled "Wanna Know" through Funkmaster Flex on Hot 97. [118] On "Wanna Know", Meek Mill revealed another reference track, ghostwritten by Quentin Miller for Drake, who he criticized for being soft. [119] Meek Mill also dissed AR-Ab on the track, [120] and claimed that Drake was urinated on inside a movie theatre. Mill then removed the song from SoundCloud and said that he was moving on from his feud with Drake after WWE sent him a cease and desist. [121] [122]
On January 30, 2016, Drake released a new diss track aimed at Mill, titled "Summer Sixteen", as the buzz single, used to promote his fourth studio album, Views . [123] Less than fifteen minutes later, Mill released a response track with his cousin and label mate Omelly called "War Pain". [124] The track references several lines from "Summer Sixteen", including an incident in which Drake played "Back to Back" in a public hotel, in which, he had a room directly above Mill. Four months later, Mill released a remix of Fat Joe and Remy Ma's "All the Way Up" with fellow rappers Fabolous and Jadakiss. Meek directly references Drake in several lines of the song, such as "If you didn't write it, don't record it." He also implied that he was in a relationship with Drake's current love interest, Rihanna. [125] Meek Mill and Drake were both respectively endorsed by Burger King and Whataburger for their feud. [126]
After Mill's release from prison in 2018, the feud was officially squashed. Drake was featured on Mill's song "Going Bad", from his post-incarceration album Championships. [127]
On September 16, 2016, The Game released a five-minute freestyle, "92 Bars", which was rumored to be a diss towards Meek Mill. [128] [129] Previously, Mill and Game collaborated on 2015's "The Soundtrack". [130] Hours after the release of "92 Bars", Game admitted that the freestyle was specifically a diss towards Mill. The next day, the two rappers ended up in an Instagram exchange, with The Game cyber-flirting with Meek Mill's girlfriend, Nicki Minaj, as well as accusing Mill of informing the authorities of a robbery involving Sean Kingston. [131] On September 18 Meek Mill released a diss track toward Game, a remix to Young M.A.'s "Ooouuu" with Omelly and fellow Philadelphia-based rapper Beanie Sigel. Two days later, The Game responded with "Pest Control", using the same beat and sending shots at Meek Mill, Omelly, Beanie Sigel, and Sean Kingston. [132] [133] In 2018 the two reconciled after Mill's incarceration and subsequent release from prison. [134]
A dispute between Meek Mill and Beanie Sigel ensued on September 26, 2016, when the latter ridiculed the former's intelligence towards him through a radio interview. [135] Minutes after the interview, Sigel was punched on the back of his head by someone who was believed to have been one of Meek Mill's affiliates. [136] Three days later Mill criticized Sigel through many derogatory Instagram messages. [137] Later Mill dissed Sigel, The Game and Drake in a freestyle on Funkmaster Flex's radio show. [138] Sigel responded by releasing a diss track titled "I'm Coming". [139] In November 2018, Sigel supported Mill's album, Championships, stating there were "no skips" on the album, assumably ending the dispute between the two. [140]
In an interview with Power 106 in November 2018, when Meek Mill was asked about rapper 6ix9ine, who was arrested on racketeering, weapons and drugs charges earlier that month, he spoke about wanting to warn him of the consequences of his antics. [141] [142] [143] In January 2019, after it was revealed that 6ix9ine would be cooperating with prosecutors, Meek tweeted that he already predicted that 6ix9ine would do so, [143] and would continually diss him for that. After 6ix9ine was released earlier from prison in 2020, he and Mill continued to take shots at each other; at one time Mill called 6ix9ine's song "Gooba" "trash". [142] In June 2020, 6ix9ine criticized Mill for releasing his protest song, "Otherside of America", while not "protesting". [144] On February 14, 2021, the rappers got into an altercation outside an Atlanta club, in which 6ix9ine clowned Mill for having security around him and lunged at them, but was stopped by Mill's security. Both rappers posted videos of the incident. [145] [146] On February 19, 2021, 6ix9ine released a diss track towards Mill, titled "Zaza", with a music video that includes a clip of the altercation. [147] In response, Mill issued a cease and desist to 6ix9ine. [148]
In August 2013, Mill was one of the many rappers mentioned by Kendrick Lamar on his guest verse on Big Sean's "Control". Lamar touted himself as the king of both coasts and threatened to "murder" the rappers he mentioned, despite being associated with them before. [149] During a performance at a music festival in New York City, Mill sent derogatory messages to Lamar. [150] On September 9, 2013, Mill later released "Ooh, Kill 'Em", a response to Lamar's verse on "Control". [151] [152]
In October 2013, Mill instigated an argument on social media with fellow Maybach Music Group artist Wale for not backing him up in his feud with Cassidy, despite the fact that Cassidy had dissed Wale and several others Meek and Wale were affiliated with. He also criticized Wale for not helping him support his second studio album. [153] Two years later their dispute reignited after Wale sided with Drake over Mill during their high-profile feud. [154] [155] The following year, after a long talk with their mentor Rick Ross, Mill and Wale ended their feud and released a duet, "Make It Work", on July 8, 2016. [156]
Mill's dispute with AR-Ab ensued after the former's rival, Drake, referenced the latter on his song "Back to Back", saying, "I waited four days, nigga, where y'all at? I drove here in the Wraith playin' AR-Ab." AR-Ab appeared on VladTV in August 2015, said he had not signed to Drake's OVO Sound, and sided with him. He was also disappointed at Mill's response, since he called out AR-Ab on "Wanna Know", the response to Drake's diss track. On August 6, during a performance at the BB&T Pavilion in Camden, New Jersey, Mill responded, "fuck AR-Ab" and questioned his allegiance to an out-of-town rapper. AR-Ab responded by releasing his own version of "Back to Back" on August 8, which disses Mill and also contains violent lyrics threatening to unleash his "shooters" on Mill. [157] [158] [159] In response, Meek's cousin and Dream Chasers signee Omelly released his own version of "Back to Back" that dissed AR-Ab. AR-Ab did another interview on VladTV and said Mill was too scared to respond himself and Omelly was the "softest one on Dream Chasers". He also said he would not respond to Omelly's diss because he was a "worker". [160] In January 2016 AR-Ab revealed that he and Mill had talked it out and their feud was now over. [161]
On January 25, 2016, Mill dissed his record label boss Rick Ross's long-time nemesis, 50 Cent, on his extended play, 4/4 (not counting the remix to Drake and Future's "I'm the Plug"). [162] After hearing the EP, 50 Cent replied with a set of over 22 memes, including one where he said that he should run to his girlfriend at the time, Nicki Minaj, and cry to her. [163] Mill disparaged 50 in a direct message, ridiculing his case involving Ross's ex-girlfriend, followed up by his bankruptcy case. [164] On January 30, 2016, Mill dissed 50 again on "War Pain", in the middle of his verse, saying, "My Philly boys will creep up on you when you ain't looking, with your little memes." [165] The next day, 50 and several members of his group, G-Unit, counter-dissed Mill at a concert. [166]
On June 30, 2016, Joe Budden dissed Mill and Drake on "Making a Murderer, Pt. 1", a counter-diss to Drake's "4PM in Calabasas", as well as on his guest verse to French Montana's "No Shopping". [167]
Mill dated rapper Nicki Minaj from early 2015 until January 2017. [168] [169]
Mill has three children. In 2020, his then-girlfriend Milan "di Rouge" Harris gave birth to his third child, and her first, on the rapper's 33rd birthday. [170] [171]
Studio albums
Collaborative albums
Year | Title | Role | Note |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Streets | Himself | [15] |
2020 | Charm City Kings | Blax | [173] |
Leslie Edward Pridgen, better known by his stage name Freeway, is an American rapper. Originally hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he first gained recognition after appearing on Jay-Z's fifth album, The Dynasty: Roc La Familia in 2000. The following year, he became a member of the Philadelphia-based hip hop collective State Property, which were signed to Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings. After releasing their debut album, Pridgen signed to Roc-A-Fella as a solo artist and began work on his debut album, Philadelphia Freeway (2003). Upon release, the album peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and saw positive critical response. He released a follow-up, Free at Last (2007) to moderate reception before him and fellow State Property cohorts were dropped from the label.
Barry Adrian Reese, better known by his stage name Cassidy, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He first garnered attention for his freestyles and competitions as a battle rapper in the late 1990s, and formed the Philadelphia-based hip hop collective Larsiny Family by the end of the decade. American record producer Swizz Beatz discovered the group in 2000 and signed Cassidy to his newly-established Full Surface Records, in a joint venture with J Records. He adopted a commercially-oriented approach for his 2003 debut single "Hotel" and its follow-up, "Get No Better" ; the former peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 while both preceded the release of his debut studio album, Split Personality (2004).
Dwight Equan Grant, better known by his stage name Beanie Sigel, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is best known for his association with Jay-Z and his label Roc-A-Fella Records, to which Grant signed in 1998 and became a flagship artist. His debut studio album, The Truth (2000) was met with critical and commercial success, peaking at number five on the Billboard 200. Along with his solo career, Grant was the de facto leader of the Philadelphia-based hip hop collective State Property, which he formed with Roc-A-Fella labelmates, and who debuted in 2002 with a namesake film in which Grant starred. The group released two well-received studio albums.
Larsiny is an American hip hop group from North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rapper Cassidy formed the group in the late 1990s with hometown natives Akbar and Shiz Lansky. They first signed with the Ruff Ryders Entertainment-subsidiary label TD Entertainment by 2000, and were subsequently featured on the song "Ryde Or Die Boyz" from the Ruff Ryders Ryde or Die Vol. 2 (2000) compilation album. AR-Ab later joined the group in 2005, while Lansky was featured the song "I Pray" from Cassidy's B.A.R.S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story (2010) album.
Dreamchasers 2 is the ninth mixtape by American rapper Meek Mill. It was released on May 7, 2012, by Maybach Music Group and Warner Bros. Records, and also released for digital download on DatPiff. It serves as the second installment in the Dreamchasers series, following Dreamchasers (2011). The mixtape features guest appearances from American rappers Travis Scott, Rick Ross, Fabolous, French Montana, Wale, Big Sean, Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller, 2 Chainz and Canadian rapper Drake – along with singing vocals by Jeremih, Trey Songz and Jordanne; as well as production that was provided by Jahlil Beats, SAP, All Star, Cardiak, Reginald Smith, and Jesse Wilson, among others. The mixtape consists mostly of original material, including a remix to Meek Mill's single from his previous mixtape Dreamchasers, "House Party", and a cover of Drake's "The Ride".
"Amen" is a song by American rapper Meek Mill from his debut studio album, Dreams and Nightmares (2012). Featuring Canadian rapper Drake, the song includes background vocals from Jeremih. It was produced by Key Wane and Jahlil Beats, with the first serving as a songwriter alongside the vocalists. Due to the interpolation of the Doobie Brothers' "Minute by Minute", written by Lester Abrams and Michael McDonald, they also received songwriting credits. The song was thought of by Key Wane in New York's Times Square, after he prayed when experiencing failure. On June 19, 2012, it was released for digital download and streaming as the album's lead single by Maybach Music Group and Warner Bros. Records. At the time of release, Philadelphia reverend Jomo K. Johnson encouraged boycotting the song over alleged usage of the church for sinful activities, leading to the two debating publicly on Hot 107.9. Mill eventually apologized for any offense and Johnson called off the boycott, forgiving him. A hip hop number with pop and R&B elements, the song relies on a gospel beat, with lyrics focused on sexual exploitation and wealth.
Dreams and Nightmares is the debut studio album by American rapper Meek Mill, released on October 30, 2012, by Maybach Music Group and Warner Bros. Records. Mill intended for it to be authentic and more cohesive than his mixtapes, having a stronger connection through both vocals and beats. The album features guest appearances from Kirko Bangz, Rick Ross, Nas, John Legend, Drake, Wale, and Mary J. Blige, among others. Production was primarily handled by Jahlil Beats and Boi-1da, alongside the likes of Tone the Beat Bully and Key Wane. The recording took place from January to September 2012, including sessions in a studio bus on the Club Paradise Tour. Sessions were also held in Los Angeles and Miami, and multiple recordings were included on Mill's ninth mixtape, Dreamchasers 2 (2012). The dreams represent Mill making money as a performer, while the nightmares are based on coming up from his neighbourhood.
Dreamchasers is the eighth mixtape by American rapper Meek Mill. It was released on August 11, 2011, by Maybach Music Group and on DatPiff and is the first installment in the Dreamchasers series. Dreamchasers features guest appearances by American rappers Young Chris, Rick Ross, Beanie Sigel, Mel Love, NH, Yo Gotti, and Young Pooh. Production includes A One, All Star, The Beat Bully, Jahlil Beats, and Lex Luger.
"Burn" is a song by American rapper Meek Mill from the deluxe version of his debut studio album, Dreams and Nightmares (2012). The song features a guest appearance from fellow rapper Big Sean. Jahlil Beats handled the production, and co-wrote it with the rappers and Alexander Izquierdo. The producer recorded the song after listening to an early recording, adding more musical elements. It was released for digital download and streaming, as the second single for the album, on September 11, 2012, through Maybach Music Group and Warner Bros. Records. An up-tempo number, the song features brass throughout.
Dream Chasers Records is an American record label founded by American rapper Meek Mill. The label is a former joint venture with Roc Nation. The name was taken from his well-received mixtape series Dreamchasers.
Orlando Jahlil Tucker, better known by his stage name Jahlil Beats, is an American hip hop record producer. He has produced for artists such as Puff Daddy, Lil Wayne, Fabolous, Meek Mill, Chris Brown, Tyga, Rick Ross, Ace Hood, Bobby Shmurda, T.I., Jay Park and 50 Cent among others.
Dreams Worth More Than Money is the second studio album by American rapper Meek Mill. It was released on June 29, 2015, by Maybach Music Group and Atlantic Records. It was initially scheduled for release on September 9, 2014, however, it has been delayed few times due to Meek Mill's revoking of his probation on July 11, 2014, thus sentencing him to jail for 3 to 6 months. The album made its entry at number one on the US Billboard 200; and sold 246,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, with 215,000 coming from traditional album sales, marking as Meek's first number-one album on the chart. Due to the change in the tracking week by Nielsen Music SoundScan, its first week sales were counted towards its second week on the charts. At the 2016's Billboard Music Awards, the album won an award for Top Rap Album.
Abdul Ibrahim West, better known by his stage name AR-Ab, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is a member of OBH, a rap group he co-founded with frequent collaborator Dark Lo.
"R.I.C.O." is a song by American hip hop recording artist Meek Mill, released as the third single from his second studio album Dreams Worth More Than Money, on June 29, 2015. The song features Canadian rapper Drake. The song was produced by Vinylz, Allen Ritter and Cubeatz. The song's title refers to the "Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations" Act.
"Back to Back" is a diss track by Canadian rapper Drake directed at American rapper Meek Mill during their 2015 feud. Released on July 29, 2015, it was the second diss track released by Drake in the feud, following "Charged Up". The song was described as a "bouncier freestyle" than the latter track.
"Charged Up" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake. It is the first of two diss tracks aimed at American rapper Meek Mill by Drake. At OVO Fest 2015, Drake performed this song and "Back to Back" live.
4/4 and 4/4 Part 2 are the respective first and second extended plays by American hip hop artist Meek Mill. They were released by Dream Chasers Records and Maybach Music Group digitally for free download and stream on My Mixtapez January 16 and January 30, 2016, respectively. Both 4/4 and its second counterpart feature production by C-Sick, Jahlil Beats, The Beat Bully, Ben Billions, ChopSquad DJ, Mando Fresh, Southside, DannyBoyStyles and J.Oliver with the latter featuring guest appearances from Dave East, Future, Omelly and Tdot Illdude. The second installment of the 4/4 extended play project, was released fifteen minutes shortly after Mill's rival, Drake, released a diss track aimed towards him, "Summer Sixteen"; the EP, itself, includes a response track called "War Pain". Mill later revealed that Drake's alleged ghostwriter, Quentin Miller, sent him the lyrics to "Summer Sixteen" before it was released, which influenced Meek's response in "War Pain".
1992 is the eighth studio album by American rapper the Game. It was released on October 14, 2016, by Blood Money Entertainment and eOne Music. The album features two guest appearances by R&B singer Jeremih and by Jason Derulo, as well as uncredited appearances by Osbe Chill, Lorine Chia and Sonyae Elise.
"Two Birds, One Stone" is a hip hop song recorded by Canadian rapper Drake. It was released worldwide by OVO Sound on October 29, 2016. The song was originally meant for inclusion on Drake's fifth mixtape, More Life, however it did not make the final cut. Written in the wake of Drake's highly publicized feud with Meek Mill, it was co-written by Noah Shebib, Kanye West, and Joey Castellani, and composed by 40 and West.
"Zaza" is a song by American rapper 6ix9ine. It was released as a single through Create Music Group on February 19, 2021. The song was written solely by the artist and produced by Ray Keys. It marks 6ix9ine's first release following his second studio album, TattleTales (2020). The title of the song is slang for cannabis. In 2022, the song was removed from streaming services.
Rumors about the FBI investigation into Brinkley's handling of Mill's case emerged last month in anonymously sourced reports, but Monday's filing, confirmed as authentic by Mill's legal team, is the first public acknowledgement of the inquiry.