Meek Mill says lingering case has him shook about going back to jail
The rap star, now known as much for his legal trouble as any music he's done says he's afraid his situation could go wrong and land him back behind bars
Rapper Meek Mill has had a whirlwind year.
Set free from jail, he’s now getting his groove back and taking center court as an artist back on his grind doing what he does best – making albums. With his recently released single Legends of the Summer, Mill spoke to The Philadelphia Inquirer about gearing up to headline the Labor Day weekend Made in America fest, which is the brainchild of his good friend Jay-Z who took a pivotal role in helping him get released.
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Mill’s got love for his city and much gratitude for the support he’s garnered along the way on a long, hard road filled with pit stops. Some of those stops have been good like reuniting with his family and his kids. While others are bad – like the ongoing legal potholes in his path.
One of those recent potholes was a Philadelphia court’s unwillingness to change judges in his long-running criminal case involving a gun and drug charge. His lawyers say Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Genece Brinkley has something against him. That alone has the rapper still shook about possibly returning to prison.
Mill, who stepped out of jail in April on bail, opened up about the ongoing crusade to keep him free and how he agonizes over going back behind bars.
“I always worry about that, every day. And I don’t like living like that. … Being somebody who pays a lot of taxes, somebody who employs people, who takes care of their family and … Why me? Why do I have to be the person caught up in the middle of this?” Meek said to the Inquirer.
Since his release from prison, Mill, born Robert Rihmeek Williams, has emerged from jail as an advocate for criminal justice reform. He spoke about the difficulties he’s faced with the criminal justice system.
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“I get off probation in 2023. The way that my case has been going, it’s like embarrassing to the whole justice system of Philadelphia. Every time out-of-town people hear about it, they’re like, if the D.A. is not fighting your case, why are you still being charged with anything? Other people had their cases dismissed because a dirty cop testified against them, but mine hasn’t. I’m caught in the middle of something that’s not usual.”
But Mill admits he’s still haunted by what the future holds for him. When asked if he was confident that justice would be served, he answered:
“I don’t know. I believe on a higher level it will because I have to believe. They let me out of prison. I’ve got a two- to four-year sentence and I’m out on bail, but it took a lot of work.”
