Meek Mill has had a whirlwind year ever since he was released from prison, receiving support from practically the whole hip-hop community. He's even found time to release new music, and most importantly he's doing better than ever. In a new cover story for XXL, he took some time to look back at his career so far.
"My question to you, Meek, is: Are you willing to travel those rocky roads towards your throne? Most importantly: Are you sure you want this responsibility?" Meek writes in the letter he penned to his 19-year-old self. "Trust, you will get yours. You will set the rap game on fire. What if I told you that you will record with Mariah Carey? Or that you’ll buy a Ferrari after coppin’ the Rolls-Royce? That fly shit is cool but you wanna know what tops it all? Mom never having to worry about money again because you believed in yourself."
The touching letter only gets more real from there with him addressing the current state of race relations in the States.
"I’ll be honest—same as African-Americans in this country—things are about to get both easier and more difficult for you," Meek writes in the letter. "Over the next decade, you and your people will make major moves—you, professionally and Black people, politically. We’ll all begin to realize that our culture is our most valuable product. Unfortunately, on the streets, not much will change. In 2018, Black lives won’t matter much more than they do in 2006."
He continues from there, referencing both Hurricane Katrina and former U.S. President Barack Obama. "You saw what happened last year with Hurricane Katrina," he wrote. "You saw how the administration didn’t care whether we drowned or ended up homeless. We could have a Black president and they’d still disrespect them like they were just another nigga. And just like it will cost you to claim your power, the same goes for our race."
Look out for the full fall issue of XXL when it drops on Oct. 16.
