Why does Meek Mill bother to respond to casuals? The Philly emcee has had his fair share of online ridicule, often becoming the target of jokes on social media. Over the weekend, he responded to a user who called him “slow” by challenging them to “compare lives.”
It all went down on Sunday, March 2, when the 37-year-old rapper shared a photo of himself wearing a hoodie at the REFORM Alliance conference while others in the crowd were dressed in formal suits. He captioned the post, saying, “100 suits, nobody will ever notice that I wear hoodies to most speaking engagements on purpose so they can see me as a black man from the streets!” He added, “Rip to Trayvon Martin!”
Get this: while his message carried weight, Meek Mill has long been a frequent target for social media mockery, regardless of the subject matter. One user quoted his post in this instance, calling him “a special kind of slow.” Meek, seemingly tired of the back-and-forth, fired back: “I have millions in my bank account,” he wrote. “[R]espected by the streets and the wealthy … with over 30m raised to fight the system with reform… all houses owned from my gmom and mom… and I look out for my community … let’s compare lives right here in front of the world lol.”
The Dreams and Nightmares artist’s online experiences have not only been limited to jokes but also had real-world consequences. Last year, following accusations that Diddy was involved in a sexual assault lawsuit, Meek Mill was subjected to hurtful social media comments, including being dubbed “Freak Mill.” This led to his son also being targeted with cruel jokes about his father’s sexuality. Such online mockery has frequently crossed the line into personal and damaging territory, including after Meek posed simple, legitimate questions.
Amidst the discourse, Meek focuses on his music and efforts to inspire. A recent highlight was his guest appearance on Fridayy’s song “Proud Of Me” from the album Some Days I’m Good, Some Days I’m Not. On the track, Meek raps: “I got everything, but I just really wanna hold hands with my old man/ On wedding day while we slow dance… But ain’t no love, shot him in his heart, ain’t have no chance/ So I can’t sleep, ‘somniac, bullet holes out the Pontiac/ Swear to God, I’d trade in all these riches to get Robbie back/ Swear to God, I’d trade in all these foreigns to get Terry back/ I’m hangin’ out with my daddy, lost his life, and I’m aware of that.”