Meek Mill’s
‘Championships’ is intense, entertaining, and in parts aggressive. The rappers
first full length album since the Philadelphia-bred rapper’s controversial two-year
imprisonment is driven and inspiring in parts. The West Coast artist was released
early this year as a number of celebrity driven campaigns supported by millions
on social media fought to have the rapper released based on false imprisonment.
Robert Rihmeek
Williams, known as Meek Mill was sentenced to serve a minimum of two years for
a breach of bail. The breach being in the form of perfoming a ‘wheelie’ on a
dirt bike when recording a music video in upper Manhattan. The two-to-four-year sentence was deemed too
heavy by the majority, it was also suggested that there was a lack of credibility
surrounding the arresting officer, this resulted in the rapper’s early release
as he served a total of 5 months.
Since his release this
year Meek Mill has received a hero-like welcome. As he was invited to ring the
infamous bell at the beginning of Philadelphia 76ers play-off game immediately
after his release. He was reported to have been flown in via helicopter
directly from his prison release in time to sit court side. Where his precious
76ers took the L as the Boston Celtics won the series 4-1 progressing to the
Eastern Conference finals.
It is evident that the
West Coast rapper had the ‘bit between his teeth’ when writing this album, it
holds a crusade like style. As he speaks of his mistreatment and the experience
of being imprisoned ’23 hours a day’. Mill also described the thin line between
‘success and jail’ for people who come from a background similar to his. After
the death of his father, aged just 5 Meek Mill and his widowed mother struggled
until his success as a ‘teenage rap sensation flowing on Philadelphia street
corners’. Mill is now proclaimed as one of the world’s most charismatic rap
stars.
‘Championships’ brings
together past and present stars of Hip Hop, paying homage to giants such as
Mobb Deep and The Notorious BIG. Mill also incorporates a number of new names
from the genre, including collaborations Cardi B and Kodak Black.
Mill uses the album as
a platform to discuss the rights of African Americans, for example he discusses
the 13th Amendment and the work of NFL player turn activist Colin
Kaepernick, who famously ‘took a knee’ whilst the national anthem was performed
before a NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and the San Diego Chargers.
A long side this Meek
Mill discussed the life of a young black American growing up in any one of many
poor neighbourhoods. 'When the drugs have hold of your mama, and the judge got a gold of your father, got to school, bullet holes in the locker.' Taken from the track 'Trauma' the rapper attempts to give his listeners an insight into what it is like for young black children living in poverty across America.
The album in its entirety is a success as it celebrates the release of the Philadelphia native, from an extremely controversial prison sentence. Following this it tells the stories of the less fortunate children of America, supplying the exposure needed to encourage change. Tracks such as 'Trauma', 'On me' and 'Whats Free' are no doubt the highlights of the collection of high paced tracks.
