Meek Mill may be the hottest rapper in the world right now. Coming off a breakout year, being signed to a powerhouse label (Maybach Music Group), and keeping his name relevant with standout guest appearances in between, he makes an impressive case for the position. With an enormous amount of hype surrounding him, it’s sink or swim for the Philly native and his latest project, Dreamchasers 2.
The “Intro” begins with a clip of Mike Tyson popping off at the mouth brashly, then proceeds to see Meek Mill rival this fierceness with killer raps (“I’m getting’ money/Must be Illuminati/ They think I signed up ‘cause I just got a new Ferrari”). One of the best with wordplay, the entire tape showcases his lyrical skill. “Flexin’” and “Everyday” both have heavy production and see Meek throw around hot lines like ones at a strip club; frequent and almost carelessly. “A-1 Everything” features Kendrick Lamar, and he gruffs his way through the fast-paced song, (I got a bus full of b*tches/ Call that Jerome Bettis). However, the best track here is “Burn”, featuring Big Sean who outshines Mill and propels the song to anthem-level heights (“Bad b*tch in her cha-cha/ Grabbin’ on her chi-chi’s”). The mixtape is composed of hard beats and hard rhymes; it’s the sort of quality street music that’s very hard to resist.
Another standout is “Amen”– a more feel-good song with no shortage of quality rapping, featuring Drake. Meek Mill attempts to balance out the boastful rhymes with different tones of music, like the afore mentioned; “Use To Be” does a decent job at creating a ominous, inspirational record, but the adaptation of “Ready or Not” does it better.”Take U Home” features both Wale and Big Sean and is sure to divide fans and critics alike. Sampling the chorus of the ’80s hit by Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam, some may see it as innovative and neat, while others will deem it wack in mere seconds. Posse cuts “Racked Up Shawty” (Fabolous, French Montana) and “House Party Remix” (Fabolous, Wale, Mac Miller) do their job of keeping the flow of good music going. Meek doesn’t have to stray away from bragging since he’s good at it.
If you like rap, you’ll most likely find something to like on this record. There is no denying the slick lines that Meek Mill kicks; he’s as hot as Young Jeezy was back in the early 2000’s. Because he’s with MMG, all of his production is top-tier, and he has no trouble getting high-profile guest appearances. There are some sub-par tracks on the record, but ultimately Meek Mill just raised his buzz from its already tall heights. Dreamchasers 2 is too hard to hate.