Meek Mill Says Streaming Has Set The Music Industry Back By 10 Years

BY Aron A.
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Feb 17, 2019; Charlotte, NC, USA; Recording artist Meek Mill performs before the 2019 NBA All-Star Game at Spectrum Center.
Feb 17, 2019; Charlotte, NC, USA; Recording artist Meek Mill performs before the 2019 NBA All-Star Game at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images/USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Meek Mill is not happy about the current state of the music industry.

Every so often, Meek Mill has a point, and more often than not, it’s when he’s reflecting on broader issues in the music industry outside of his own grievances. Most recently, the Philadelphia rhymer took to X where he called out the impact of streaming on small artists. First, he vowed to release music for free to prove that it isn’t difficult to create music.

“The business of music has gotten far from our hands,” he wrote. “The way it operates and the decisions being made that shape the business do not align with talent at all, just viral moments.”

Then, he directed his issues toward the label executives who’ve devalued music to pennies, especially as it relates to how streaming numbers translate to album sales. “Whoever made up 1500 streams a sale is insane and whatever music artist or black person that was in the room when that decision was made help set the music eco system back 10 years for the artist and consumer! How did that come about?” he added. 

Meek Mill Calls Out Streaming Services

While streaming remains the primary method of consuming music, the way that streams are calculated does seem unfair for the artist. Billboard charts determine sales based on streaming tier–one album sale can come from 1,000 paid subscription streams or 1,500 ad-supported streams. 

His recent comments come shortly after he unloaded some new music on fans. The rapper delivered “Philly Heathens” and “Am I Wrong,” which interpolates Nico & Vinz’s song. And while the latter did face a bit of pushback for the sample, Meek’s latest releases prove that fans are still hopeful that he’ll come through with more new music more frequently. Check out his recent comments above and sound off with your thoughts in the comments below. 

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.

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