Meek Mill is hitting the road next year for The Motivation Tour, following the release of his new albumCHAMPIONSHIPS, which comes out this Friday, Nov. 30.
Meek kicks off his tour on Feb. 19 in Miami, Florida, with 16 stops across the U.S. before he wraps in Atlanta, Georgia on March 24. Ahead of his tour, the Philadelphia rapper will be stopping by The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Nov. 28, and joining Elliott Wilson on Dec. 2 for an episode of CRWN to discuss the making of his new album. Meek also partnered with Foot Locker and Puma for some special CHAMPIONSHIPS exclusives.
CHAMPIONSHIPS follows Meek’s last album Wins & Losses from 2017, and marks the rapper’s first full-length project since his release from prison in April. Earlier today, Meek shared an op-ed in the New York Times announcing his new criminal justice reform organization and arguing publicly for prison reform.
“Like many who are currently incarcerated, I was the victim of a miscarriage of justice—carried out by an untruthful officer, as determined by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office, and an unfair judge,” he said. “The ordeal cost me my most precious commodity: my freedom. I served five months. With the help of friends and the intervention of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, I was released on bail this past April and was able to resume my life.”
In the op-ed, Meek emphasizes several of the negative effects our current criminal justice system has on society. “It’s clearer than ever that a disproportionate number of men and women of color are treated unfairly by a broken criminal justice system,” he said. “The system causes a vicious cycle, feeding upon itself—sons and daughters grow up with their parents in and out of prison, and then become far more likely to become tied up in the arrest-jail-probation cycle.”
Through his new organization, which hasn't been launched but can be visited at www.reformnow.com, Meek plans to continue fighting laws that disproportionately effect black and brown people. “Together, we will demand stronger prison rehabilitation programs, updated probation policies—including shortened probationary periods—an improved bail system and balanced sentencing structures,” he said. “The money saved from imprisoning fewer people could then be used for employment programs and mental health counseling that would equip the formerly incarcerated with the tools for reintegration into society.”
Check out a full list of dates for The Motivation Tour below. Tickets go on sale this Friday at LiveNation.com. Those of you with a TIDAL subscription can already purchase tickets starting today, Nov. 26, through the TIDAL app.
2/19 - Miami, FL @ The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater
2/22 - Dallas, TX @South Side Ballroom
2/23 - Houston, TX @ Revention Music Center
2/26 - Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre
2/28 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
3/1 - San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
3/5 - Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
3/8 - Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom
3/9 - Detroit, MI @ The Fox Theatre
3/12 - New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
3/15 - Philadelphia, PA @ The MET
3/19 - Hartford, CT @ XFINITY Theatre
3/20 - Lowell, MA @ Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell
3/21 - Washington, DC @The Anthem
3/23 - Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
3/24 - Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy
