Some Philadelphia families will be able to spend the holidays together thanks to Meek Mill.
The rapper paid the bail for 20 women who are now detained at the Riverside Correctional Facility in Philadelphia so they may spend Christmas at home, the rapper’s NGO REFORM Alliance said over the weekend.
“The women, who were unable to afford bail, will now be able to spend the holiday season with their families and loved ones,” the REFORM Alliance official Instagram handle released a statement on Saturday.
“Five women were released today and will be reunited with their families, with the goal of 15 more women being released in the coming week. The women will also each receive a gift card to purchase groceries or gifts for the holidays.”
“For families impacted by the criminal justice system, the holidays can be an extremely challenging time,” Mill stated.
“No one should have to spend the holidays in jail simply because they can’t afford bail, and no child should be without their parents during this time if we can do something about it. I’m grateful for the opportunity to help these women be with their families and loved ones during this special time of year.”
Here are images of a few of the women’s joyful releases.
Christmas Miracle
The Christmas miracle Mill performed this year wasn’t the only one. The Philadelphia Eagles and previous 76ers owner Michael Rubin joined together with Mill and REFORM earlier this month to surprise 35 kids whose families were impacted by the criminal justice system.
The adults took the kids to an Eagles training facility where they signed them for a unique (and formal) one-day contract, gave them personalized jerseys, and had them interact with some of the players.
Meek Mill, a stage name for Robert Rihmeek Williams (born May 6, 1987), is an American rapper. He began his musical career as a battle rapper and later founded the short-lived rap group The Bloodhoundz. He was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Rapper T.I. from Atlanta was born in 1988. After that, Mill’s first record contract was signed. After leaving Grand Hustle Records in February 2011, Mill joined Miami rapper Rick Ross’s Maybach Music Group (MMG).
Dreams and Nightmares, Mill’s debut album, was published in 2012 via MMG and Warner Bros. Records. The album’s lead song, “Amen,” which featured Drake, was released before it and reached its highest point on the U.S. 200 on Billboard.
Collaborations and Singles
The debut of Mill’s own label imprint, Dream Chasers Records, dubbed after his mixtape series, was announced in October 2012. Additionally, Mill frequently works with fellow MMG label members.
His first two singles, “Tupac Back” (with Rick Ross) and “Ima Boss” (featuring Rick Ross), were featured on volume one of MMG’s Self Made compilation series.
The artist’s second album, Dreams Worth More Than Money, was released in 2015; Wins & Losses, his third, was published in 2016. Championships, his fourth studio album, landed atop the Billboard 200 chart when it was launched in November 2018.
The album’s lead track, “Going Bad” (with Drake), became Mill’s highest charting song to date as it reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100. Expensive Pain, Meek’s fifth album, was made available on October 1, 2021.
For violating his parole, he was given a two- to a four-year jail sentence in November 2017. However, following serving five months of that sentence, he was freed while his trial was still pending.
Free Meek, a documentary series on his conflict with the legal system, debuted on Amazon Prime Video in August 2019. With fellow rapper Jay-Z, Mill acted as the show’s executive producer.
The two also co-founded the nonprofit Reform Alliance, which works on reforming parole, probation, and the legal system.
Life before Career
Nasheema Williams, his older sister, is a woman. Kathy was born into poverty and lost her mother when she was a little child. When Mill was five years old, his father was reportedly killed during an attempted heist.
Mill’s father was referred to as the “black sheep of the family” by his uncle, Robert. After her husband passed away, Kathy relocated to North Philadelphia with Meek and his sister, where they stayed in a three-bedroom apartment on Berks Street.
Because of their dire financial situation, she started cutting hair, working other jobs, and stealing to help support her family. As a result, Mill was quiet at home and hardly ever spoke.
When he was young, he made friends with one of his father’s other siblings, Grandmaster Nell, an influential DJ in the Philadelphia hip-hop scene of the late 1980s who influenced DJ Jazzy Jeff and Will Smith.
These early influences increased Meek’s interest in hip-hop. Additionally, he was influenced by independent hip-hop singers Chic Raw and Vodka, whose DVDs he learned to imitate.
Under the alias Meek Millz, Meek frequently competed in rap battles in his early adolescence. He often stayed up far past midnight writing down words and verses for later use in notebooks. He later founded the rap band The Bloodhoundz with three of his pals.
They encouraged friends to burn blank CDs and jewel cases with the group’s music and distribute them by buying them at Kinkos.
