Meek Mill is reflecting on the moments when critics assumed his career was over, particularly during his beef with two of the world’s biggest stars.
In a new interview on the Desires Podcast, the rapper opened up about being written off after his highly publicized beef with Drake and his breakup with Nicki Minaj. “I’m into proving people wrong,” Meek said. “People will be like, ‘After your second album, you gonna be done. Drake, he’s done. Nicki, he’s done. He went to jail for two years, he’s done.’”
Meek explained that the pressure wasn’t just external. He was also fighting his own fears about survival in the industry. “You know where I come from?” he said. “I’m on a 20-year journey, and people that met you in year 18 telling you, ‘You done.’ You know how long I been working at this?”
Meek and Drake’s rivalry exploded in the summer of 2015 after Meek accused Drake of using ghostwriters, sparking a series of diss tracks and viral moments that dominated hip-hop culture for months. Around the same time, Meek was in a high-profile relationship with Nicki Minaj, which began in early 2015 and lasted until their split in January 2017. The breakup played out publicly, with Minaj later releasing songs that appeared to reference their relationship.
The Philadelphia native said being labeled an underdog during his clash with Drake only strengthened his resolve. “Being young and coming from poverty, you’re already at a disadvantage,” he shared. “When I was battling Drake, they had to draw L’s in my comments.”