Meek Mill released his fifth studio album Expensive Pain on Friday (October 1) with features from Lil Baby, Young Thug, Lil Durk, Moneybagg Yo, Lil Uzi Vert and others. Speaking to Apple Music ahead of its release, the Philadelphia rapper admitted he thinks he doesn’t get the respect he deserves compared to other rappers who came up around the same time as him.
“Personally, and it’s up for the fans to have an opinion, and that’s what keeps me going, I don’t feel like I get the credit that I deserve as far as the artists,” Meek Mill told Zane Lowe. “I come from the 2012 era. If you go check the [2011 XXL Freshman Class cover], shout out to Vanessa, I’m on the cover. It’s me, YG, it’s Kendrick [Lamar], it’s Mac Miller, rest in peace, Fred The Godson.”
He added, “But all them guys, I respect them highly, and a lot of them guys lasted in the game. I’m one of them guys that’s still here in 2021. I’m about to put on at a talented level, not a marketed level. I want to go straight to the fans.”
Unlike previous albums such as Dreams & Nightmares,, Wins & Losses and Championships, Meek Mill was able to smoke weed and feel more creative with Expensive Pain now that he’s not on probation.
“This season right here, if I could tell you the truth, I never really was smoking weed my whole life because I was on probation,” he said. “When I used to be 18, I was a young kid caught up in a trap house in the basement, smoking weed, writing my raps. That’s the real spirit of Meek Mill when I really took rap serious.
Rick Ross Promotes Meek Mill's New Album In Spite Of Akademiks' 'MMG Beef' Report
“Now I’m back in the studio smoking freely. I’m not on probation. It unlocked the real art side of me, really new flows, new melodies, being more vulnerable, more personal. I think the people going to be able to identify when they hear this album. I got a lot of energy but I’m not screaming on a lot of records. You can hear me more clear because I’m expressing myself.”
Stream Meek Mill’s Expensive Pain album below.
Nobody real respects Mac Miller. The fakest industry legend – some rich kid who stole from the greats and never found it himself to be humble and show respect to those who made his success possible.
How’s life under that bridge, troll?
same guy celebrating over R Kelly came back to cry a little more over Mac Miller. Mac Miller Can Rest In Piss.
You’re a jealous bitch.. people like you never do anything in life. Negative ass energy gtfo put some respect on Mac and I don’t know who you fw but they wouldn’t want you as a fan disrespecting Mac like that. He did a lot for the music industry period.
Mac did a lot for the music industry? How? By ripping off Lord Finesse and having his people call DITC a bunch of dust heads and has beens? Never tried to give proper credit for the record that first got him shine? He was suspect from the jump. I like plenty of white artistes and emcees. Mac was not one of them
Can’t argue with stupid.
You gotta be the dumbest motherfucker to even attempt to listen to music
No Meek Mill, you ain’t up there with them.
U are an idiot school out
Mac Miller was always overrated. He sounds like a rip off of wiz khalifa and lets be real, the real wiz khalifa ain’t all that. Mac is the Alsi brand wiz, minus Any talent. And meek mill doesn’t get credit because he doesn’t deserve credit. He’s a sub par rapper with an uninteresting personality and story. He’s lucky anyone ever looked him in the first place.
Meek Mill ain’t even at King Tekashi waist level. He sound salty coz ain’t nobody checkin for him.
Meek Mill is a good rapper. He’s talented but just like everyone else trying to live upto this trolling, mumbling, trapping, corny generation he’s not living upto his full capacity.
yeah no, meek is pretty corny and not that original as a rapper. He is a good mid level rapper.
Nuff said. Have a good night y’all
Nah. He is a terrible rapper so that puts him at a disadvantage from jump. The activism is good, so that gives him a few points. But he is hardly a victim. Yes initially, the beating he took from the cops was horrific. However, he made the plea deal and continued to break the rules he agreed to obey, thus leading to more probation. He had the means to avoid all of it, he didn’t have to surround themselves with morons, he could have been done with his sentence way sooner if he wasnt a goofball. So his trash rapping combined with his desire to be the poster boy for police reform gives him a big L. R.I.P Big L.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. He’s a clown ?. His music is shit, he gets the most popular corny rappers like lil baby and young thug in order to remain relevant. Oh and he took 3 massive L’s
1 singing to Rick Ross label who is a big fucking fraud
2. Dating Nicki Minaj and acting like a complete douche when she dumped him
3. Losing to Drake the Canadian pop singer with a diss track
King of Philly has to be Black Thought
He doesn’t get the same respect as Kendrick Lamar and Mac Miller because he’s not as good and definitely not as influential but yeah he’s still pretty solid just not at their level. 2011 class fire overall.
None of them deserve any respect whatsoever. This is the worst period in hiphop and these guys are over promoted hacks.
Mac is a legend. He didn’t steal khalifas flow, not even close. He very much has his own sound. In fact his early raps were influenced by early 90’s rappers. You probably think every white rapper sucks, every white rapper grew up rich….. Eminem and Mac are 2 of the best ever. Kendrick only gets praise cuz he’s Dre’s artist but he’s hella overrated. YG is only big in CA, he had 1 hit like 8 years ago and he didn’t even rap in that song. Meek, talent wise is not a great rapper but he’s still better than 99% of rappers out today. Talent doesn’t sell records now days, marketing does.
Calm down… Mac was great. Kendrick is greater.
LOL I always disliked Meek because of his screaming on the tracks. Him not screaming is even worse hahahaha! Mac Miller was definitely underrated, RIP. Kendrick top 10.
i blamed all of you for makin meek popppin. if yall werent so blind by his garbage misic wed never have to listen to this rat
I blame you for saying he is popping. He isn’t. Never was, never will be.
He’s the Joe Flacco of the rap game, IS HE ELITE?!?!?! No, but he’s had from bright moments in his career.
Good comparison
No
Get respect by earning it- not by complaining about how you don’t get enough of it.
New album is Trash and I’m from Philly..he is nowhere near Kendricks level..he is mumbling through the tracks on wack beats..need a deluxe edition with real rhymes and beats ..I’m disappointed..
It honestly doesn’t matter if he is on Kendrick level or not. He exceeded expectations imo. His albums have been consistently good. I actually prefer meeks albums over kendrick even though kendrick is a way better rapper. But being a better rapper doesn’t mean you make better music. I always thought Nip, Krit and Gibbs music is better than K.Dot also. I like Kendrick more personally but Meeks music is better to me. People have became condition to not be able to give credit to someone they dislike personally. I think Meek does and says some dumb stuff, I thought that album cover was the worst I’ve ever seen. But when it’s time to listen to the music, I judge the music, I don’t say oh this dude music is trash because of what he said on twitter. I feel the same about drake personally I find him annoying but I thought his new album was good.
HOLD UP – first off, Meek aint even close to K.Dot…second, NEITHER ARE Mac Piller and YG for that matter smdh…
Mac Miller isn’t on Kendricks level but he was definitely a dope and respected MC
Meek has definitely had some bright moments… with the ‘Tony Story’ trilogy probably being the brightest of em all… but it’s too many garbage moments… since the beginning of his career I’ve always wanted to like the shit outta Meek but *sigh*
Gave his album a full listen today…. And I don’t think there’s even a term to describe how disappoint, let down and blown I was… shyt was hot garbage. He’s on Kendricks level? Dude can barely even point out a thought provoking, cohesive project… he’s the king of Philly? Fuuukkkkk no! Smdh
No
No he had a good start to his career but people cant wait for Kendricks music to drop. Kendrick Drops gems or classics with replay value. Meek mill is good but not on that level
Kendrick = Eminem, Meek = vanilla ice
Yes, this new album proves it. Kendrick may have one step ahead but Meek is killin this shit
Lol Kendrick has how many certified, mostly widely agreed upon classics? Meek how many, and this new album is doodoo. Super stale.
Meek’s picture proves how ridiculous the “giving someone their flowers” statement really is when applied to hip-hop…
Meek Midd
I think Big Krit on Kendrick level but he from Mississippi so he not going to see the same treatment. Kendrick gets love from a state that is quadruple the size of Mississippi. If Kendrick was from Mississippi would he be on top?
Stove God Cooks, Elcamino, Gibbs, YG, Mozzy and Westside Gunn (everybody hate on him but he rap like Ghostface) on K Dot level. If Larry June and Jay Worthy get stronger on their lyrics, they on Kendrick level. Also, if Jay Elect would have followed through on albums in early 2010, Kendrick wouldn’t be on top.
What does it say about him when he thinks he should be compared to those artists because he happened to be on one magazine cover with them? It’s actually comical because all those artists continue to be influential because they stood for something. Whatever that may be. Meek flashed his money, cars, and stereotypical rap lifestyle for years and now wonders why people don’t recognize him as something more than that? He’s been trying to stay with the same street ish for 15 years now. C’mon man!
Yall don’t appreciate real hiphop.