The recent police killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile have prompted many hip-hop artists to reflect on the platforms they have and how they can use their music to help their communities fight against the oppressive powers that be. Earlier today, Meek Mill went on Instagram to provide words of support to the Black Lives Matter movement, telling his followers to keep pressuring their favorite artists to speak up against institutional racism, and he then addressed the violent content of his own music.
Meek explains that he, as a black man from an impoverished community, had to discover for himself that he "wasn't born to fail and just fall victim to a fake ass life that don't offer shit but jail" and "death." Upon realizing his true potential, he now conducts himself with "extreme confidence." He then goes on to defend the violent and perhaps destructive subject matter heard in his raps. "I have a right to express myself," he writes. "Don't question my raps because it's a life we lived and suffered from."
Though he doesn't apologize for the realities he's relayed through his music, Meek did announce today that, after his next project, Dreamchasers 4, he will no longer "rap about extreme violence." That implies that DC4 might contain extreme violence, but in any case, it's clear that Meek is ready to stand behind a more uplifting message. However, that's not to say that he'll shy away from the realities of his hometown community and black neighborhoods across America. "I will remain to let my people know in these terrible environments to adapt and survive," he writes, "Because US BLACK PEOPLE ARE STILL AT WAR WITH OURSELVES AND THE SYSTEM IN REAL LIFE."
At the beginning of the month, Meek revealed a good portion of the DC4 tracklist, showing features from Nicki Minaj, Lil Uzi Vert, Pusha T, and more. There is still no release date for what will be the follow-up to last summer's Dreams Worth More Than Money. He first announced DC4 last fall, and he held fans over in January with the release of two 4-track EPs.
