Raised in the North Philadelphia section of the city with his sister and inspired by his mother and father; who died when he was five, Meek Mill began taking the rap game seriously at the age of 12 after losing a street battle to neighboring rappers. He says his desire to rap grew after watching his uncle Philly hip-hop pioneer Grandmaster Nell. While hanging out in his neighborhood, Meek met three guys and formed the group, “BloodHoundz,” which consisted of Mel Love, Dat Nigga Leel and Young Pooh. The group lasted for fives years and Meek ventured on his own.
With a solo career in tow, Meek became one of Philadelphia’s hottest underground rap artists on an independent label. In 2007, Meek debuted his Flamerz series, which stands for hottest songs and released his first mix tape, Flamerz 1, which featured the hit single, “In My Bag.”
In 2008, Meek debuted the highly anticipated Flamerz 2 –“Hottest In Da City,” which showcased more of his lyrical abilities with the singles, “So Fly,” “Prolli,” and “Hottest In Da City.” Upon release of Flamerz 2, it caught the attention of founder and President of 215Aphillyated Records, Charlie Mack. Mack was immediately impressed with Meek that he signed him to his management company. During the same year, he met the founder and owner of Grand Hustle, TI. TI was impressed with his lyrical ability that he offered him an opportunity to travel to Los Angeles to meet with him along with the Warner Brothers Records, within one week both record companies offered him a deal. Meek was overwhelmed by the offers; however, he felt collaborating with TI was an opportunity of a lifetime and chose his label. An ecstatic Meek was on top of the world; a record deal and the chance to work with one of hip hop’s greatest rappers and then a set back occurred. He was arrested, charged with a crime and order to serve seven months in jail.
Meek pre-released three singles from his third mix tape Flamerz 2.5 – “The Preview” in August of 2009, which featured the chart topping hits, “Make ‘Em Say,” “Imma Da Ish,” featuring Ms. Jade and “Starting Something,” in honor Michael Jackson. Within the first two weeks of its release, Clear Channel added it to their play list, which is an anomaly in the music business. In June of 2009, Meek began immediately working on his freshman album – Flamerz 3, “Hottest In America – Gangster Grill Edition,” hosted by DJ Drama and featuring the songs: “Baby Girl,” “Hottest In America,” and “I’m Killinem.” The highly anticipated cd is set to be released on January 19, 2010. Despite his stint in jail, Meek’s fans remained loyal, he currently boasts of 13 million hits on My Space and 20 million viewers on You Tube. Meek Mill has recently just signed to Rick Ross's Maybach Music Group.
In the future, Meek plans to establish the Meek Mill Foundation, which will mentor young males between the ages of 12-24 on the importance of “Education over Incarceration.” He gives a shoutout to the next artist coming up named shizz.. He also plans to collaborate with United Community Action Network and the Lifers of Graterford Prison to address the violence plaguing our cities. To learn more about Meek, you can visit the official website: www.meekmillflamerz.com and for bookings or shows, you can call Charlie Mack at 215-910-4675 or e-mail: firstoutdalimo@aol.com.
2015 - BEEF WITH DRAKE
In July 2015 Meek attempted to air out Drake for "not writing his own raps" via popular social media site Twitter. These tweets resulted in a huge reaction from the hip hop community, however, the stunt went awry when Drake (Aubrey Graham) decided to respond. Drake released the diss track "Charged Up" during an Apple Music stream and an immediate response from Meek was demanded. Funkmaster Flex announced he would debut Meek's response live on Hot97. However, the track never came. After four days there was still no sign of a response from Meek, prompting Drake to release a second diss track "Back To Back." The response to this was huge and a harsh blow to Meek's career. Two days later Meek finally released "Wanna Know." This track received largely negative reviews and it was clear to most that Drake had won the beef. On August 2nd at the annual OVOfest, Drake truly roasted Meek Mill; performing "Back To Back" in front of various memes poking fun at Meek to a raucous Toronto crowd. Many fans believed this to be the nail in the coffin spelling the end for Meek's career.
Real Me
Meek Mill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Couldn't Deal with my reality, Was livin' in a lie
Sometimes I asked God is we livin' just to die
Conversations with my dad, And he livin' in the sky
I think am I goin' crazy? Or is this shit forreal
The spirit of a nigga who will or is appealed
Fightin' to see the light and I'm fightin' to keep it real
Like a nigga with no lawyer I'm ready to take a deal
I don't practice no religion, Cause all I do is sin
I don't even write it down, I'm just spittin' out what's in
I don't celebrate for victory man all I do is grin
Uh, Shit I ain't braggin' I don't boast
But when it come to bread fuck a slice I need a loaf
And a little bit of toast just to keep the haters off me
Man I do this for my city, All the niggas waitin on me
Look into my eyes, Tell me what you see
Youngin' full of pride, Tendencies of a G
I never gave a fuck what ya' heard about me
Never told, Never sold my soul nigga this is me
I'm a family man, Don't you ever cross that line where my family stand
I send them boys to come and get you in that family van
Cold shooters that love them hammers like Yosemite Sam
I'm from a hood where these niggas scared to dream at
Fuck the money they wanna' kno where the lean at
They make ya' lean back, I'm talkin fade-away
Mike Jordan, Gettin' it ain't important
How can I forfeit, Niggas makin' a fortune
Livin' in fortresses, Gettin' it on some corporate shit
Go hard or go home and this the orphanage
Same niggas that I grew up I be often with
Small circle 'cause niggas a murk you
Most of the time it's niggas that know, But my niggas is purple
Hearted, I seen the snakes before they even started
Caught em, And the was dearly departed
In "Real Me" by Meek Mill, the artist reflects on his past struggles with drug addiction and the perception of reality that comes along with it. He questions the purpose of life and wonders if it's all leading up to death. Through conversations with his deceased father, he tries to come to terms with his emotions and find the truth in his situation. Meek's sense of reality is questioned as he battles with the spirit of a man who he cannot see. He wants to remain true to himself and his beliefs but finds himself turning to sin rather than religion. He describes his drive to succeed through the metaphor of Khaled, who constantly "wins" in the music industry. Meek is trying to keep a positive attitude despite the challenges he faces and keep the haters off his back. He wants to stay true to himself, despite what others may say or think about him.
Overall, "Real Me" is a powerful look into the mind of an artist who has faced many struggles and continues to fight for his success. It speaks to anyone who has felt lost or alone in their struggles and encourages them to keep fighting for what they believe in, even when it seems like the odds are against them.
Line by Line Meaning
I said I used to get high, Just to get by
I used to smoke weed to cope with life
Couldn't Deal with my reality, Was livin' in a lie
My life was so hard, I had to pretend it was better in order to cope
Sometimes I asked God is we livin' just to die
I sometimes question the point of living if we're all going to die anyway
Conversations with my dad, And he livin' in the sky
I talk to my deceased father as if he's watching over me from heaven
I think am I goin' crazy? Or is this shit forreal
I question my sanity and whether the things I experience are real
The spirit of a nigga who will or is appealed
I have the spirit of someone who is determined and who others are drawn to
Fightin' to see the light and I'm fightin' to keep it real
I struggle to find positivity in my life and to stay true to myself
Like a nigga with no lawyer I'm ready to take a deal
I am prepared to accept the consequences of my actions, like someone who can't afford legal representation
Got me feelin' like Khaled, Cause all I do is win
I feel like DJ Khaled because I am always succeeding and coming out on top
I don't practice no religion, Cause all I do is sin
I don't follow a religious faith, as I believe I am always sinning
I don't even write it down, I'm just spittin' out what's in
I don't need to write down my lyrics, as I can just freestyle what's in my head
I don't celebrate for victory man all I do is grin
I don't outwardly express my happiness when I succeed, I just smile to myself
Uh, Shit I ain't braggin' I don't boast
I'm not trying to brag or show off
But when it come to bread fuck a slice I need a loaf
I don't settle for less, I need a lot of money to be satisfied
And a little bit of toast just to keep the haters off me
I need some extra security to protect myself from those who don't like my success
Man I do this for my city, All the niggas waitin on me
I make music for my hometown and fans who are waiting for me to succeed
Look into my eyes, Tell me what you see
Ask me anything and I'll answer honestly
Youngin' full of pride, Tendencies of a G
I am young and full of confidence, with the qualities of a gangster
I never gave a fuck what ya' heard about me
I don't care what rumors or stories people spread about me
Never told, Never sold my soul nigga this is me
I always stay true to myself and never compromise my values or beliefs
I'm a family man, Don't you ever cross that line where my family stand
I prioritize my family above everything else, and will defend them at all costs
I send them boys to come and get you in that family van
I have a crew of men who are loyal to me and will protect my family with me
Cold shooters that love them hammers like Yosemite Sam
These men are skilled with guns and enjoy using them, like the Looney Tunes character Yosemite Sam
I'm from a hood where these niggas scared to dream at
Growing up where I did, people were too afraid to have aspirations and goals
Fuck the money they wanna' kno where the lean at
My peers are more interested in drugs than making money
They make ya' lean back, I'm talkin fade-away
Drugs will make you relax and lose focus on your goals, while I am aiming high
Mike Jordan, Gettin' it ain't important
Like Michael Jordan, fame and success are only a means to an end for me
How can I forfeit, Niggas makin' a fortune
I will not give up on my dreams, especially when others are already succeeding
Livin' in fortresses, Gettin' it on some corporate shit
Many successful people live in luxury and are successful in the corporate world
Go hard or go home and this the orphanage
I am determined to succeed and will put in all of my effort to achieve my dreams
Same niggas that I grew up I be often with
I still hang out with the same friends I had when I was younger
Small circle 'cause niggas a murk you
I only trust a few people because others might betray or harm me
Most of the time it's niggas that know, But my niggas is purple
The people who often betray you are usually the ones you know well, but I trust my friends
Hearted, I seen the snakes before they even started
I am vigilant and can recognize when someone is trying to deceive me, even before their plan begins
Caught em, And the was dearly departed
I catch those who try to deceive me, and they are punished severely for their actions
Contributed by Adeline B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.