Album Review: Championships
Meek Mill, the gangster turned rapper, has been in the rap industry for almost a decade. He has consistently put out albums that discuss a variety of topics ranging from systematic racism to celebrating his fortune. The famous rapper was incarcerated last year for popping wheelies without a helmet. He was sentenced to four years due to the fact that he was already on probation. The rapper was released early due to public backlash which included rappers like Jay-Z speaking out against the injustice and several rallies which were held by Mill’s fans. Due to these circumstances, the album, Championships, released on November 30th, 2018, was highly anticipated and worth the wait.
Mill stays consistent with his theme of discussing political topics in a casual way on Championships. The thirteenth track on the album, “Oodles O’ Noodles Babies,” discusses the systematic oppression that individuals in poverty face. “Yeah, they called it the project, they put us in projects / what they gon’ do with us? Can’t call the cops yet, you might just get popped at / ‘Cause they the ones shootin’ us,” referring to the numerous incidents of police brutality that have gained fame in the last few years. The second track, “Trauma,” discusses Mill’s personal experience with systematic racism and comments on the recent controversy concerning Kaepernick. “And in the 13th Amendment, it don’t say that we kings / They say that we legally slaves if we go to the bing / They told Kaep’ stand up if you wanna play for a team / And all his teammates ain’t saying a thing (Stay woke) / If you don’t stand for nothing, you gon’ fall for something / And in the 60’s, if you kneeled, you’d prolly be killed / But they don’t kill you now, they just take you out of your deal.”
Mill can change up his tone and style easily which is reflected on Mill’s laid-back tracks. The album features the “Boo’d Up” singer, Ella Mai, on the twelfth track, “24/7.” Mai’s voice flows with Mill’s rapping, and the song in a whole is well-developed. “I be crushin’ you on Monday like it’s Wednesday,” says Mill referring to the popular hashtag WCW. Fans were extremely surprised by the ninth track, “Going Bad,” as it features the loved rapper, Drake. Drake and Mill had a public rap battle in 2015, but have obviously put aside their differences. With it’s catchy lyrics and defined beats the song definitely fits into the new style of rap that has emerged recently.
Championships elevated Mill up with the frontrunners of current rap like Lil Baby and Drake, and has given him the acclaim he deserves. Mill has never been a favorite rapper of mine, but Championships definitely changed that. Mill is definitely on the short list of rappers to look for during 2019.
