#TBT: Mixtape Meek Mill

It's difficult now to believe that not long ago, Meek Mil was one of the most respected emcees in the game. His bravado and unrelenting ferocity on the mic have been evident since the mid-aughts, when he was a raw talent rapping and selling drugs at the same time in North Philly (see below).

Meek earned his stripes with vaunted Flamers mixtape series and shaved his braids around the time he signed his deal with Maybach Music Group in 2011. It wasn't a Samson scenario; he didn't lose his powers. If anything, he was better than ever.

Click through the gallery to listen to 10 of the best tracks from Mixtape Meek.

Mixtape: Flamers (2008)

Meek Mill's vocal charisma captivated Philadelphia during the long hot summer of 2008. The streets were alive with the sounds of Flamers. You couldn't drive two blocks without hearing Meek urgently rapping, "I'm cooler than a fan!"

Mixtape: Flamers (2008)

A regional hit, "In My Bag" was produced by Philly product Sap, who was only 18 at the time. The Sap-Meek partnership began on MySpace, which was home to a thriving music economy in those days.

"I don't get mad, I just get paper" remains one of Meek's most memorable lines ever.

Mixtape: Flamers 2.5 (2009)

"Make Em Say" was the quintessential Meek-Jahlil collaboration until "Ima Boss" happened. This beat is so overpowering that Meek actually slows things down, explores various flows, and delivers arguably the best hook of his mixtape era.

Mixtape: Flamers 3 (2010)

The "Make Em Say" hook was so hot Meek decided to make a whole song out of it. Rapping over a particularly hype Jahlil Beats instrumental, Meek ratchets up his enthusiasm to sixth gear as he raps about his favorite things: fashion, fast cars, & fellatio.

Mixtape: Dreamchasers (2011)

By the time Meek dropped his MMG debut Dreamchasers, he had graduated from talented street rapper to nimble storyteller. "Middle of da Summer" feels like a soulful, nostalgic jawn ripe for the summer kickback, it is actually a harrowing narrative of the violence that occurs when the hot weather ushers the entire population of North Philly out into the street.

"City of brotherly love, I was only thirteen, I seen a puddle of blood
Grown man lying there, he got one in his mug
His grandma screaming, "told you about selling them drugs!"

Mixtape: Dreamchasers (2011)

Meek Mill's magnum opus, "Tony Story" is the tale of a man who kills his business partner and is then hunted down by his partner's cousin. The song might be interpreted as an alternate ending to "Paid in Full."

"Yes, he had the nerve to carry the casket
Strapped up before he went he had to carry his ratchet
He nervous, walking like he tryna carry him faster
Nigga even grabbed the shovel tried to bury him faster"

"Tony Story" was so good Meek added a second part on on his 2012 debut album Dreams & Nightmares.

Mixtape: Dreamchasers (2011)

"House Party" begins with a conspicuous utterance, "I tell her meet me in the bathroom!!!" Despite his new deal with MMG, Meek is not too good for a bathroom quickie. Indeed, he is more lecherous than ever.

Mixtape: Dreamchasers (2011)

Floyd Mayweather made this song his intro music... 'nuff said.

Mixtape: Dreamchasers 2 (2012)

With clanging cathedral bells, cinematic strings, and the best use of the air raid siren this side of London on da Track, Jahlil Beats's particular brand of bangers are lavish and epic, fit for any ancient king. He produced "Burn" also produced a successful partnership between Meek and Big Sean that they would later revisit on the criminally slept-on 2015 high-speed burner "B Boy."

Mixtape: Dreamchasers 2 (2012)

Meek takes nothing granted. In "Amen," he bows his head and thanks God for the following: