Meek Mill is addressing a viral clip in which he got emotional. On Friday (December 15), he joined Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro for a bill signing ceremony to celebrate the passage of probation reform.
“We grew up in the streets,” Meek said at the event inside Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center. “We try to be better, but they labeled us ‘felons,’ sent us back to jail. I had to fight against that the whole time to gain my respect and be who I am today. And I’m proud of that.”
Meek Mill began to tear up as he spoke to the media. The Philadelphia-bred rapper spent many years on probation in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He now serves as a Co-Chair of the REFORM Alliance non-profit organization.
In addition, Meek Mill posted on Instagram about helping to get the bill passed in his home state. The 36-year-old Expensive Pain album creator also addressed his teary speech in a social media message.
“I don’t know how I cried on the news, I ain’t even cry in my cell! I needed that!” Meek shared on the X platform. In January 2023, then-Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf pardoned the Dream Chasers leader for prior state convictions.
As a Founding Partner of the REFORM Alliance alongside billionaires like Michael Rubin and Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter, Meek Mill has played a role in assisting several states to pass criminal justice reform laws. REFORM also successfully lobbied legislatures in California, Michigan, Louisiana and Virginia.