Meek Mill writes a letter to his younger self about perseverance, race in U.S., and recognizing his own how far he has come for his XXL magazine cover story.
Hailing from Philadelphia, Meek has become the face of prison reform and freedom in the hip-hop community. His letter is written to his 19-year-old self, before he was ever incarcerated.
In his letter, Meek celebrates major career milestones and outlines his battle with the legal system. Majority of the battle occurred during his promising rap career.
Over the last year, Meek Mill’s battle with the criminal justice system has been highly publicized. His fans and the hip-hop community have supported it. Famous athletes, other artists, and singers publicly spoke about the injustices in Meek Mills case. Here is a small excerpt from Meek’s letter to his younger self.
“I’ll be honest—same as African-Americans in this country—things are about to get both easier and more difficult for you,” Meek continues. “Over the next decade, you and your people will make major moves—you, professionally and Black people, politically. We’ll all begin to realize that our culture is our most valuable product. Unfortunately, on the streets, not much will change. In 2018, Black lives won’t matter much more than they do in 2006. You saw what happened last year with Hurricane Katrina. You saw how the administration didn’t care whether we drowned or ended up homeless. We could have a Black president and they’d still disrespect them like they were just another nigga. And just like it will cost you to claim your power, the same goes for our race. For upping our stock in this country, we will pay like a muthafucka.”
The Ice Box 