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161-606: Robert Rihmeek Williams (born May 6, 1987), known professionally as Meek Mill , is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , he embarked on his music career as a battle rapper , and later formed a short-lived rap group, The Bloodhoundz. He signed with T.I. 's Grand Hustle Records as a solo act in 2008, although he departed by 2011 and released no albums with the label. He then signed with Rick Ross ' Maybach Music Group (MMG) that same year, and rose to mainstream recognition following his performances on

322-413: A Boyz II Men song and shout her out, and how she wanted him to leave [the management of] Roc Nation to sign with a friend of hers", referring to Mill's former partner, Charlie Mack of 215 Aphillyated, and that "she showed up at his community service" when a typical judge would not, among several other irregularities. In February 2018, the officer of Mill's original 2007 case was brought under scrutiny for

483-454: A ghostwriter for " R.I.C.O. ", a song off Mill's second album, Dreams Worth More Than Money . He also admitted that he was upset that Drake did not promote the album on Twitter, upon its release. "Stop comparing [me to] Drake. He don't write his own raps. That's why he ain't tweet my album because we found out!", Meek Mill commented. Meek Mill had identified the ghostwriter as Quentin Miller,

644-743: A 24-hour particle pollution rating of D in the American Lung Association 's 2017 State of the Air report, which analyzed data from 2013 to 2015. The city was ranked 22nd for ozone, 20th for short-term particle pollution, and 11th for year-round particle pollution. According to the same report, the city experienced a significant reduction in high ozone days since 2001—from nearly 50 days per year to fewer than 10—along with fewer days of high particle pollution since 2000—from about 19 days per year to about 3—and an approximate 30% reduction in annual levels of particle pollution since 2000. Five of

805-495: A bachelor's degree or higher. 23.9% spoke a language other than English at home, the most common of which was Spanish (10.8%). 15.0% of the populations foreign born, roughly half of whom are naturalized U.S. citizens. 3.7% of the population are veterans. The median household income was $ 52,889 and 22.8% of the population lived in poverty. 49.5% of the population drove alone to work, while 23.2% used public transit, 8.2% carpooled, 7.9% walked, and 7.0% worked from home. The average commute

966-717: A boycott of Mill due to the song's lyrical content. "As a hip-hop fan, I want to encourage every rap fan in Philadelphia who is a believer in Jesus Christ, to boycott Meek Mill until he acknowledges this blatant disrespect. And being a resident of North Philadelphia and a pastor, I revoke Meek's 'hood pass' until this happens," Johnson said in a statement. On July 17, 2012, in an interview on the BET show 106 & Park , Mill stated, "I don't think no preacher or no church approves of any type of rap music—because rap music, period,

1127-403: A budget of $ 371 million. The Philadelphia Parking Authority is responsible for ensuring adequate parking for city residents, businesses, and visitors. Philadelphia's architectural history dates back to colonial times and includes a wide range of styles. The earliest structures were constructed with logs , but brick structures were common by 1700. During the 18th century, the cityscape

1288-474: A city on the Delaware River to serve as a port and place for government. Hoping that Philadelphia would become more like an English rural town instead of a city, Penn laid out roads on a grid plan to keep houses and businesses spread far apart with areas for gardens and orchards . The city's inhabitants did not follow Penn's plans, however, and instead crowded the present-day Port of Philadelphia on

1449-514: A consequence of being on probation. On July 11, 2014, Mill's probation was revoked and he was sentenced to three to six months in jail. He was released on December 2, 2014. He was found guilty for a parole violation again on December 17, 2015, due to him performing at an Atlanta show for Nicki Minaj's Pinkprint tour , the 2015 BET Awards and American Music Awards respectively, all without reporting his actions as related court orders to gain approval. The judge hearing his case refused to give him

1610-415: A crowd-pleasing comedian with a slick tongue; he was a commentator and a storyteller" thus, rendering Busy's archaic format of rap obsolete, in favor of a newer style which KRS-One credits as creating a shift in rapping in the documentary Beef . In the 1980s, battle raps were a popular form of rapping – Big Daddy Kane in the book How to Rap says, "as an MC from the '80s, really your mentality

1771-468: A diss track titled "I'm Coming". In November 2018, Sigel supported Mill's album, Championships , stating there were "no skips" on the album, assumably ending the dispute between the two. In an interview with Power 106 in November 2018, when Meek Mill was asked about rapper 6ix9ine , who was arrested on racketeering , weapons and drugs charges earlier that month, he spoke about wanting to warn him of

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1932-437: A five-minute freestyle, "92 Bars", which was rumored to be a diss towards Meek Mill. Previously, Mill and Game collaborated on 2015's "The Soundtrack". Hours after the release of "92 Bars", Game admitted that the freestyle was specifically a diss towards Mill. The next day, the two rappers ended up in an Instagram exchange, with The Game cyber-flirting with Meek Mill's girlfriend, Nicki Minaj, as well as accusing Mill of informing

2093-425: A format which is now the predominant form of battle rap, where two emcees battle against each other without a beat, trading prewritten verses in three-round battles. The impromptu aspect of battling still exists in the form of rebuttals, which are short rhymes (usually at the beginning of a verse) where an emcee either comments on something about their opponent that was thought up on the spot (for instance, making fun of

2254-509: A freestyle battle before the studio audience and three celebrity judges (the DJ sometimes acts as the 3rd judge). Each competitor alternates freestyling for 30 seconds in each of the two rounds (originally only 1 round when the segment first began). The rappers are not allowed to use profanities or sexually suggestive lyrics, punishable by disqualification. After the battle, the judges decide the winner, per majority vote. Eventually, battle rap moved to

2415-497: A grid pattern between the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers that is aligned with their courses. The original city plan was designed to allow for easy travel and to keep residences separated by open space that would help prevent the spread of fire. In keeping with the idea of a "Greene Countrie Towne", and inspired by the many types of trees that grew in the region, Penn named many of the east–west streets for local trees. Penn planned

2576-716: A growth in its population in 2007, which continued with incremental annual increases through the present. A migration pattern has been established from New York City to Philadelphia by residents opting for a large city with relative proximity and a lower cost of living . Philadelphia's geographic center is about 40° 0′ 34″ north latitude and 75° 8′ 0″ west longitude. The 40th parallel north passes through neighborhoods in Northeast Philadelphia , North Philadelphia , and West Philadelphia including Fairmount Park . The city encompasses 142.71 square miles (369.62 km ), of which 134.18 square miles (347.52 km )

2737-631: A joint effort between former mayors John F. Street and Michael Nutter . The zoning changes were intended to rectify incorrect zoning maps to facilitate future community development, as the city forecasts an additional 100,000 residents and 40,000 jobs will be added by 2035. The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) is the largest landlord in Pennsylvania. Established in 1937, the PHA is the nation's fourth-largest housing authority, serving about 81,000 people with affordable housing, while employing 1,400 on

2898-471: A joint venture with Roc Nation . Mill spoke on the deal saying "Creating a record label has always been the next step in my journey as a businessman and I appreciate Roc Nation and Jay-Z's support on this new venture. I want to take my experiences in the music industry, use them to find young, hungry talent and open doors for the next generation of artists." The label also handles its own operations, creative strategy, marketing and business affairs. Jay-Z spoke on

3059-549: A light" on the criminal justice system. On July 24, 2019, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania granted Mill's appeal, overturning his 2008 conviction and ordering a new trial to be overseen by another judge other than Judge Brinkley. In a statement, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office said it was pleased that the appeals court "validated our position that Robert Rihmeek Williams deserves

3220-636: A local rapper from Atlanta. Meek Mill's claims received support from Funkmaster Flex , an American hip hop DJ on New York City's Hot 97 radio station. Flex released multiple audio recordings of reference tracks featuring Quentin Miller performing the soon-to-be Drake songs, "10 Bands", "Used To", "Know Yourself" and his guest verse on "R.I.C.O." Drake was later supported by his long-time friend, collaborator and co-founder of OVO Sound , award-winning multi-platinum selling producer Noah "40" Shebib , who claimed that not only does Drake write his own songs, he has also written number-one records for other artists. "No one

3381-589: A major transatlantic gateway and transcontinental hub; the rapidly-growing PhilaPort seaport ; and Interstate 95 , the spine of the north–south highway system along the U.S. East Coast . Philadelphia is a city of many firsts, including the nation's first library (1731), hospital (1751), medical school (1765), national capital (1774), university (by some accounts) (1779), central bank (1781), stock exchange (1790), zoo (1874), and business school (1881). Philadelphia contains 67 National Historic Landmarks , including Independence Hall . From

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3542-430: A misdemeanor firearm charge in Philadelphia. All other charges were dismissed, officially ending the case against Mill from 2007 and temporarily dismissing him as a convicted felon. On August 9, 2019, a docuseries Free Meek premiered on Amazon Prime Video . The five-part series was produced by Roc Nation, with Mill and Jay-Z serving as executive producers. On November 29, 2017, Meek Mill and Roc Nation were sued by

3703-610: A moderately sunny climate with an average of 2,498 hours of sunshine annually. The percentage of sunshine ranges from 47% in December to 61% in June, July, and August. The January daily average temperature is 33.7 °F (0.9 °C). The temperature frequently rises to 50 °F (10 °C) during thaws. July averages 78.7 °F (25.9 °C). Heat waves accompanied by high humidity and heat indices are frequent, with highs reaching or exceeding 90 °F (32 °C) on 30 days of

3864-415: A name for himself in this field as well as a more popularized version of competitive rapping on a television platform. While he takes a more humorous approach to his opposition, he still performs with the intention of winning a contest. A cipher is any collection or gathering of rappers, beatboxers, or breakers forming in a circle in order to perform together – the term has also in recent years come to mean

4025-525: A new trial before a court that has no appearance of partiality." However, the D.A. declined comment on its plans for a new trial, stating the office was weighing its options before proceeding. Reports alleged that there was an FBI investigation into the conduct of Brinkley, the judge presiding over his case. This was later publicly acknowledged by Mill's defense team. Mill's attorney, Joe Tacopina, made several allegations of inappropriate statements and actions by Brinkley, including that "she requested he re-record

4186-668: A remix of his enemy, Drake 's song, " Back to Back ", and a remix to Drake and Future 's song, "I'm the Plug", but unfortunately, due to DC4 being released commercially, neither of these two remixes made the final cut. On January 16, 2016, Meek Mill dropped songs on his extended play , 4/4 , with 4 tracks. On January 30, 2016, Meek Mill released another extended play title 4/4, Pt. 2 . Meek Mill released DC4 on October 28, 2016. On July 21, 2017, Mill released his third studio album titled Wins & Losses . On November 16, 2018, Mill announced his fourth album, Championships , which

4347-484: A response to Lamar's verse on "Control". Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia , colloquially referred to as Philly , is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the sixth-most populous city in the United States , with a population of 1,603,797 in the 2020 census . The city is the urban core of the larger Delaware Valley , also known as the Philadelphia metropolitan area,

4508-498: A response track with his cousin and label mate Omelly called " War Pain ". The track references several lines from "Summer Sixteen", including an incident in which Drake played "Back to Back" in a public hotel, in which, he had a room directly above Mill. Four months later, Mill released a remix of Fat Joe and Remy Ma 's " All the Way Up " with fellow rappers Fabolous and Jadakiss . Meek directly references Drake in several lines of

4669-622: A result of him not completing his required community service hours. His house arrest ended fifteen days later. On March 11, 2017, Mill was arrested at the St. Louis Lambert International Airport in Missouri for assaulting two employees. Shortly after his arrest, he was given a court summons. Then, in August, he was detained in New York City after a noise complaint was filed over Mill popping

4830-442: A second chance and ordered him not to work or perform before his sentencing on February 5, 2016. He was sentenced to 90 days of house arrest on February 5. The sentence became effective on March 1. Mill was not allowed to work and was required to do daily community service with groups serving adults. He was also sentenced to an extended six years probation. On June 2, 2016, Mill was sentenced to eight additional days of house arrest as

4991-429: A setback occurred, when Mill was sentenced to a stint in jail for a drug and gun charge. After being released in 2009, he continued working as an artist under Grand Hustle, Mill formed a work relationship with the label's resident disc jockey , DJ Drama . Mill and Drama teamed up to release the third edition of Mill's Flamers series. The mixtape, titled Flamers 3: The Wait Is Over , was released on March 12, 2010, and

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5152-465: A student and a teacher, the narrative was enough to give the league a huge boost in exposure. In 2014, former Don't Flop performers and staff broke away to form King of the Ronalds as a reaction to Don't Flop's move towards a more sanitized version of the product and sponsorship from the likes of Foot Locker . King of the Ronalds presents a more raw ethos, with a philosophy that has much in common with

5313-815: A time, row houses built elsewhere in the United States were known as "Philadelphia rows". A variety of row houses are found throughout the city, from Federal-style continuous blocks in Old City and Society Hill to Victorian-style homes in North Philadelphia to twin row houses in West Philadelphia . While newer homes have been built recently, much of the housing dates to the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, which has created problems such as urban decay and vacant lots. Some neighborhoods, including Northern Liberties and Society Hill, have been rehabilitated through gentrification . As of 2014 ,

5474-406: A total 50 million dollars to the foundation as of 2019. To lead the organization, Reform hired political activist, and CNN host/political analyst Van Jones as their inaugural CEO. A feud started between Meek Mill and fellow Philadelphia-born rapper Cassidy , when Mill offered to battle several underground rappers including Cassidy. Cassidy would later accept the challenge, adding "if the money

5635-657: A town in Finland with a Swedish majority. In 1655, a Dutch military campaign led by New Netherland Director-General Peter Stuyvesant took control of the Swedish colony, ending its claim to independence. The Swedish and Finnish people settlers continued to have their own militia , religion, and court, and to enjoy substantial autonomy under the Dutch. An English fleet captured the New Netherland colony in 1664, though

5796-617: A wave of crime in Baltimore . It received positive critical reviews. A month earlier, in October, Mill also claimed to have had plans to release an album before the end of the year. However, this did not occur, as his fifth studio album, Expensive Pain , was only released a year later, on October 1, 2021. It debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 after accumulating 95,000 equivalent units. Mill went on to state that Atlantic Records

5957-492: A way for messages about hip hop styles and knowledge to be spread, through word-of-mouth and encouraging trends in other battles. Leagues such as King of the Dot ( Canada ), and Don't Flop ( U.K. ), which all started in 2008, with Ultimate Rap League ( N.Y. ) in 2009, furthered the popularity of battle rap via video hosting website YouTube , brand marketing, and creating divisions across their home nations and beyond. King of

6118-401: A wheelie on his motorcycle. Soon after, he was released once the disturbance violation and reckless driving charges were dropped. The case was later taken to court in October, and was to be dismissed if Mill would have completed six months of therapy, resulting in good behavior and thirty hours of community service added to his Pennsylvania-state related twenty-hour term. On November 6, 2017, he

6279-539: A wide variety of rapping styles and a wide range of MCs as personal inspirations is recommended. Various MCs have started out writing mostly battle raps and battling other MCs before releasing commercial records. Battle rap is believed to have started in the East Coast hip-hop scene in the late 1980s. One of the earliest battles occurred in December 1981, when Kool Moe Dee challenged Busy Bee Starski – Busy Bee Starski 's defeat meant that "no longer an MC just

6440-532: A written format created through months of preparation mixed with improvised lines as means to attacking his opponent or creating an image of himself as greater than his adversary. This is presented in his battle against Tay Roc in the main event of the Ultimate Rap League's "Summer Madness 6," a battle that the general consensus believes that Hollow Da Don walked away from in victory Summer Madness 6 main event. Fellow battle rap peer Conceited has made

6601-444: Is 31 minutes. Rap battle Battle rap is like verbal warfare, where competitors trade insults, wordplay, and clever rhymes in a competitive setting. It's all about lyricism, delivery, and sometimes even performance. It's a blend of poetry, wit, and bravado, often performed in front of an audience or judged panel. Battle rap was loosely described by 40 Cal , previously a member of American hip hop collective The Diplomats , in

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6762-407: Is a contest in which two or more rappers compete or battle each other using improvised lyrics. Each competitor's goal is to " diss " their opponent through clever lyrics. As hip-hop evolved in the early 1980s, MCs gained their fame through live battles with other MCs. Freestyle battles can take place anywhere: on street corners, on stage at a concert, in school, or even online. The live audience

6923-636: Is a lot of bad stuff said. But at the end of the day, it's real life. And me, I wasn't trying to disrespect no religion or anything like that." Mill released the third installment of the Dreamchasers series, Dreamchasers 3 . The mixtape featured guest appearances from Rick Ross , Akon , Future , Waka Flocka Flame , Wale , Trina and Jadakiss among others. The mixtape was scheduled to be released on May 6, 2013. However, he had announced that it would be pushed back, eventually to be released on September 29, 2013. In November 2013, Mill announced that he

7084-763: Is as talented as Drake... [there are] countless number ones and songs Drake has written for others never mind himself", 40 said on Twitter. On July 25, 2015, Drake premiered a track, titled " Charged Up " on the Beats 1 OVO Radio Show that is widely seen as a response to Meek Mill's allegations. Drake highlighted Meek Mill's relatively low sales volume and further claimed that the rapper was fading into obscurity. Drake also dissed Funkmaster Flex by promoting his rival DJ Clue? . On July 29, Drake released an aggressive diss track, named " Back to Back ", that further attacked Meek Mill. The track, streamed over 500,000 times in 4 hours, heavily suggested that Mill's relationship with Nicki Minaj

7245-517: Is battle format... your focus was to have a hot rhyme in case you gotta battle someone... not really making a rhyme for a song". Battle rapping is still sometimes closely associated with old school hip-hop – talking about battle rapping, Esoteric says, "a lot of my stuff stems from old school hip-hop , braggadocio ethic". The New Music Seminar (NMS) is a Music Conference and Festival held annually each June in New York City . The New Music Seminar originally ran from 1980 to 1995. It quickly spawned

7406-470: Is critical to a battle as each emcee (MC; Master of Ceremonies) must use skill and lyrical ability not only to 'break down' their opponent, but to convince the audience that they are the better rapper. Appointed judges have been used in formal contests, but even when no winner is announced, the rapper who receives the best audience response is viewed as the victor. Currently, talents such as Hollow Da Don use various elements of battle rap that include reciting

7567-509: Is helmed as a " Gangsta Grillz mixtape". The mixtape features his promotional single "Rosé Red", which was later remixed with additional verses from fellow American rappers T.I., Rick Ross and Vado . Rick Ross contributed his verse after he was visiting Philadelphia and asked his Twitter followers who he should collaborate with; Meek Mill was the overwhelming response. The remix was included on Mill's following mixtape, Mr. Philadelphia . Due to Mill and T.I.'s respective legal troubles, Mill

7728-410: Is highly variable. Some winters have only light snow while others include major snowstorms. The normal seasonal snowfall averages 22.4 in (57 cm), with rare snowfalls in November or April, and rarely any sustained snow cover. Seasonal snowfall accumulation has ranged from trace amounts in 1972–73, to 78.7 inches (200 cm) in the winter of 2009–10. The city's heaviest single-storm snowfall

7889-665: Is land and 8.53 square miles (22.09 km ), or 6%, is water. Natural bodies of water include the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, lakes in Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park , and Cobbs , Wissahickon , and Pennypack creeks. The largest artificial body of water is East Park Reservoir in Fairmount Park . The lowest point is sea level and the highest point is in Chestnut Hill , about 446 feet (136 m) above sea level on Summit Street near

8050-595: Is lopsided in the latter's favor and also further criticized the former for not responding to "Charged Up" and for only relying on Twitter to attack Drake. The track was released for streaming on the OVO SoundCloud account and on Apple Music . The next day, Meek Mill released a track attacking Drake titled " Wanna Know " through Funkmaster Flex on Hot 97. On "Wanna Know", Meek Mill revealed another reference track, ghostwritten by Quentin Miller for Drake, who he criticized for being soft. Meek Mill also dissed AR-Ab on

8211-598: Is one of the largest contiguous urban park areas in the U.S. The two parks, along with the Colonial Revival , Georgian and Federal -style mansions in them, have been listed as one entity on the National Register of Historic Places since 1972. Within the Köppen climate classification , Philadelphia falls under the northern periphery of the humid subtropical climate zone (Köppen Cfa ). Within

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8372-554: The Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at No. 51, becoming Mill's most successful single at that time. In August 2011, Mill released Dreamchasers , a well received mixtape featuring his urban hit "House Party" and guest appearances from Rick Ross, Yo Gotti and Beanie Sigel among others. In February 2012, MTV listed Meek Mill as the "#7 hottest MC" in their annual "Hottest MCs in the Game" list. On May 7, 2012, Mill released

8533-456: The 2020 U.S. Census , there were 1,603,797 people residing in Philadelphia, representing a 1.2% increase from the 2019 census estimate. The racial composition of the city was 39.3% Black alone (42.0% Black alone or in combination), 36.3% White alone (41.9% White alone or in combination), 8.7% Asian alone, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native alone, 8.7% some other race, and 6.9% multiracial. 14.9% of residents were Hispanic or Latino. 34.8% had

8694-788: The Battle of Brandywine in Chadds Ford Township , on September 11, 1777, during the Philadelphia campaign , the revolutionary capital of Philadelphia was defenseless and the city prepared for what was perceived to be an inevitable British attack. Because bells could easily be recast into munitions, the Liberty Bell , then known as the Pennsylvania State Bell, and bells from two Philadelphia churches, Christ Church and St. Peter's Church , were hastily taken down and transported by heavily guarded wagon train out of

8855-624: The British Army , which was then the world's most powerful military force. Since the Declaration's July 4, 1776, adoption, its signing has been cited globally and repeatedly by various peoples of the world seeking independence and liberty. It also has been, since its adoption, the basis for annual celebration by Americans; in 1938, this celebration of the Declaration was formalized as Independence Day , one of only eleven designated U.S. federal holidays . After George Washington 's defeat at

9016-838: The British colonial era . The city went on to play a historic and vital role during the American Revolution and Revolutionary War , serving as the central meeting place for the nation's founding fathers , hosting the First Continental Congress in 1774, preserving the Liberty Bell , and hosting the Second Continental Congress during which the nation's 56 founders formed the Continental Army and elected George Washington as its commander in 1775, and unanimously adopted

9177-631: The Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. For nine months, from September 1777 to June 1778, the city fell under British occupation during the war's Philadelphia campaign . In 1787, the U.S. Constitution was ratified in Philadelphia at the Philadelphia Convention . Philadelphia remained the nation's largest city until 1790, and it served as the nation's first capital from May 10, 1775, until December 12, 1776, and on four subsequent occasions until 1800, when construction of

9338-614: The Delaware River watershed , western Long Island , and the Lower Hudson Valley . Most Lenape were pushed out of the region during the 18th century by expanding European colonies, exacerbated by losses from intertribal conflicts. Lenape communities were weakened by newly introduced diseases, mainly smallpox , and conflict with Europeans. The Iroquois occasionally fought the Lenape. Surviving Lenape moved west into

9499-684: The Eastern Mediterranean during the Greek and Roman periods, including modern Alaşehir , mentioned as the site of an early Christian congregation in the Book of Revelation . As a Quaker , Penn had experienced religious persecution and wanted his colony to be a place where anyone could worship freely. This tolerance, which exceeded that of other colonies, led to better relations with the local native tribes and fostered Philadelphia's rapid growth into America's most important city. Penn planned

9660-528: The Flint water crisis in Michigan as he teamed up with Big Sean . In 2018, following his release from state custody, Mill immediately became a leading advocate of criminal justice reform in the United States , where he transitioned his advocacy into the co-formation of Reform Alliance with fellow recording artist and entrepreneur Jay-Z . The nonprofit organization states its mission is "to dramatically reduce

9821-583: The Great Migration from the South . By the 20th century, Philadelphia had an entrenched Republican political machine and a complacent population. In 1910, a general strike shut down the entire city. In 1917, following outrage over the election-year murder of a Philadelphia police officer, led to the shrinking of the City Council from two houses to just one. In July 1919, Philadelphia

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9982-559: The Second Continental Congress , which adopted the Declaration of Independence in what was then called the Pennsylvania State House and was later renamed Independence Hall. Historian Joseph Ellis , in 2007, described the Declaration of Independence, written predominantly by Thomas Jefferson , as "the most potent and consequential words in American history," and its adoption represented a declaration of war against

10143-480: The Trewartha climate classification , Philadelphia has a temperate maritime climate ( Do ) limited to the north by the continental climate ( Dc ). Summers are typically hot and muggy. Fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is moderately cold. The plant life hardiness zones are 7a and 7b, reflecting an average annual extreme minimum temperature between 0 and 10 °F (−18 and −12 °C). Snowfall

10304-486: The federal regulatory environment of Washington, D.C. Greater Philadelphia is also a biotechnology hub. The Philadelphia Stock Exchange , owned by Nasdaq since 2008, is the nation's oldest stock exchange and a global leader in options trading. 30th Street Station , the city's primary rail station, is the third-busiest Amtrak hub in the nation, and the city's multimodal transportation and logistics infrastructure also includes Philadelphia International Airport ,

10465-486: The promotional singles "I'm So Fly," "Prolli," and "Hottest in the City." Flamers 2 caught the attention of Charles "Charlie Mack" Alston, founder and president of 215 Aphillyated Records. Mack, who previously represented for other Philadelphians Will Smith, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Boyz II Men and Ms. Jade , was so impressed with Mill that he immediately signed him to his management company. During that same year, Meek Mill also met

10626-595: The pseudonym Meek Millz. He often stayed up well past midnight filling notebooks with phrases and verses that he later drew on. Later he and three friends formed the rap group The Bloodhoundz. They bought blank CDs and jewel cases at Kinkos , encouraging friends to burn them with the group's songs and distribute them. The Bloodhoundz lasted long enough to release four mixtapes . From 2006 to 2008 Mill released three solo mixtapes including The Real Me , The Real Me 2 , and Flamers . In 2009, Mill released his fourth solo mixtape, Flamers 2: Hottest in tha City, which spawned

10787-581: The second installment to his Dreamchasers series. Within six hours of its release on mixtape website DatPiff.com, Dreamchasers 2 was downloaded 1.5 million times. On May 10, it was announced Meek Mill signed with Roc Nation management. On June 19, 2012, " Amen " - originally included on Dreamchasers 2 , was released as the lead single from Mill's debut studio album . Before releasing his debut studio album Dreams & Nightmares , Mill received co-signs from both Mariah Carey and Nas , with him appearing on Carey's 2012 single " Triumphant (Get 'Em) " and

10948-490: The 1980s. Historic areas such as Old City and Society Hill were renovated during the reformist mayoral era of the 1950s through the 1980s, making both areas among the most desirable Center City neighborhoods. Immigrants from around the world began to enter the U.S. through Philadelphia as their gateway, leading to a reversal of the city's population decline between 1950 and 2000, during which it lost about 25 percent of its residents. Philadelphia eventually began experiencing

11109-665: The 2 square miles (5.2 km ) of Center City to the roughly 134 square miles (350 km ) of Philadelphia County . In the latter half of the 19th century and leading into the 20th century, immigrants from Russia, Eastern Europe, and Italy, and African Americans from the southern U.S. settled in the city. Philadelphia was represented by the Washington Grays in the American Civil War . The African-American population of Philadelphia increased from 31,699 to 219,559 between 1880 and 1930, largely stemming from

11270-703: The DVDs—a cutting edge technological and artistic hustle at the time. Fight Klub is one of the earliest battle rap leagues and was the only league that aired on TV. It aired on MTV2 sometime in 2006. It is hosted by international P. A lot of the original rappers on there are now legendary in the battle rap game such as Arsonal, Jin and Hollow da don . Jump Off TV's World Rap Championships premiered in London 2006, featuring American and British rappers. In Cuba, freestyle battles often follow organized concerts and juxtapose composed songs with ‘flowing’ lyrics that are relevant to

11431-511: The Delaware River and subdivided and resold their lots. Before Penn left Philadelphia for the final time, he issued the Charter of 1701 establishing it as a city. Though poor at first, Philadelphia became an important trading center with tolerable living conditions by the 1750s. Benjamin Franklin , a leading citizen, helped improve city services and founded new ones that were among the first in

11592-461: The Dot's Travis Fleetwood, a.k.a. Organik , built a reputation as one of Canada's elite battle emcees with 4 wins at the Toronto -based freestyle competition Proud 2B Eh Battle MC , where he met a local producer/DJ by the name of RyanPVP. They teamed up to put together the first event which was initially intended to be a flash-mob -style event at Yonge-Dundas Square in downtown Toronto. However,

11753-405: The Dot's rise. Smack and Ultimate Rap League (URL) are New York-based battle leagues. Rappers included Aye Verb (StreetStatus), Conceited (LionsDen), DNA (GrindTimeNow) Hitman Holla (StreetStatus), Tay Roc (LionsDen), Hollow Da Don (GrindTimeNow) and many more. Don't Flop is a popular UK battle rap league founded in 2008, following a controversial judging decision in which co-founder, Eurgh,

11914-451: The MC and DJ Battles for World Supremacy – a fertile showcase for rappers and DJs to make a name for themselves. Participants include a wide variety of very influential rappers such as Busy Bee , Melle Mel , MF Grimm , and Kool G Rap with judges such as Afrika Bambaataa , P Diddy , and many other influential rappers. Some of the most prominent battles that took place on record are listed in

12075-794: The Second Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation on November 15, 1777, and the city later served as the meeting place for the Constitutional Convention , which ratified the Constitution in Independence Hall in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787. Philadelphia served as capital of the United States for much of the colonial and early post-colonial periods, including for a decade, from 1790 to 1800, while Washington, D.C. ,

12236-585: The United States after Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Philadelphia's neighborhoods are divided into six large sections that surround Center City: North Philadelphia , Northeast Philadelphia , South Philadelphia , Southwest Philadelphia , West Philadelphia , and Northwest Philadelphia . The city's geographic boundaries have been largely unchanged since these neighborhoods were consolidated in 1854. However, each of these large areas contains numerous neighborhoods, some of whose boundaries derive from

12397-465: The arrest remains unknown; no charges were filed, and Mill was released from custody. However, in December, because of the incident, Mill was found to have violated his probation for his 2008 federal drug and gun charges, resulting in Judge Brinkley revoking Mill's travel permit. In May 2013, Mill was again found to have violated his probation and ordered to take etiquette classes. The violation

12558-539: The authorities of a robbery involving Sean Kingston . On September 18 Meek Mill released a diss track toward Game, a remix to Young M.A .'s " Ooouuu " with Omelly and fellow Philadelphia-based rapper Beanie Sigel . Two days later, The Game responded with "Pest Control", using the same beat and sending shots at Meek Mill, Omelly, Beanie Sigel, and Sean Kingston. In 2018 the two reconciled after Mill's incarceration and subsequent release from prison. A dispute between Meek Mill and Beanie Sigel ensued on September 26, 2016, when

12719-434: The battle that evening. The two would go on to meet on two other occasions during the 1990s, thereby establishing a place in battle rap as one of the earliest and most exciting sagas in the subculture. From the late 1990s to the end of the 2000s, freestyle rapping became very popular, with many artists getting attention for new styles, charisma, and witty punchlines in battles such as Scribble Jam and Rocksteady. Following

12880-606: The book How to Rap (2009) as an "extracurricular" display of skill, comparing it to the dunk contest in the NBA . Battle rap has been developed into highly organized league events drawing in significant revenue and attention. Mainstream artists such as Diddy , Busta Rhymes , Eminem , Machine Gun Kelly , Drake , Kendrick Lamar , Joe Budden and Cassidy have attended or participated in battles to help increase their popularity. Rap battles are often written and performed to impress crowds with technically inventive rapping, and knowing

13041-561: The book, Ego Trip 's Book of Rap Lists , and include such battles as the Roxanne Wars (1984–1985), Juice Crew vs. Boogie Down Productions (1986–1988), Kool Moe Dee vs. LL Cool J (1987–1991), MC Serch vs. MC Hammer (1989–1994), Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg vs. Luke (1992–1993), Common vs. Ice Cube (1994–1996), MC Pervis & Brand New Habits and LL Cool J vs. Canibus (1997–1998) – all of which include memorable battle rap verses. As hip-hop asserted its presence across

13202-472: The boroughs, townships, and other communities that constituted Pennsylvania County before their inclusion within the city. The City Planning Commission , tasked with guiding growth and development of the city, has divided the city into 18 planning districts as part of the Philadelphia2035 physical development plan. Much of the city's 1980 zoning code was overhauled from 2007 to 2012 as part of

13363-463: The case for a hearing. Hours after his release from prison, Michael G. Rubin , a minority owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and longtime supporter of Mill, flew Mill in by helicopter to a 76ers game to perform a ceremonial bell-ringing on the court. Garnering support from other public figures such as Jay-Z and fellow Philadelphian Kevin Hart , Mill has said that he would like to use his situation to "shine

13524-402: The city and its surrounding Pennsylvania counties. With five professional sports teams and one of the nation's most loyal and passionate fan bases, Philadelphia is often ranked as the nation's best city for professional sports fans. The city has a culturally and philanthropically active LGBTQ+ community . Philadelphia also has played an immensely influential historic and ongoing role in

13685-587: The city for its outlying railroad commuting towns and newer housing. The resulting reduction in Philadelphia's tax base and the resources of local government caused the city to struggle through a long period of adjustment, and it approached bankruptcy by the late 1980s. In 1985, the MOVE Bombing of the Cobbs Creek neighborhood by city helicopters occurred, killing 11 and destroying 61 homes. Revitalization and gentrification of neighborhoods began in

13846-532: The city's 17th century founding through the present, Philadelphia has been the birthplace or home to an extensive number of prominent and influential Americans . Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the early 17th century, the Philadelphia area was home to the Lenape Indians in the village of Shackamaxon . They were also called the Delaware Indians, and their historical territory was along

14007-456: The city's director of public safety, but political pressure still prevented long-term success in fighting crime and corruption. In 1940, non-Hispanic whites constituted 86.8% of the city's population. In 1950, the population peaked at more than two million residents, then began to decline with the restructuring of industry that led to the loss of many middle-class union jobs. In addition, suburbanization enticed many affluent residents to depart

14168-399: The city's tallest building. The Comcast Technology Center was completed in 2018, reaching a height of 1,121 ft (342 m), as the tallest building in the United States outside of Manhattan and Chicago. For much of Philadelphia's history, the typical home has been the row house . The row house was introduced to the United States via Philadelphia in the early 19th century and, for

14329-519: The city's total park space, including municipal, state, and federal parks in the city, amounts to 11,211 acres (17.5 sq mi). Philadelphia's largest park is Fairmount Park , which includes the Philadelphia Zoo and encompasses 2,052 acres (3.2 sq mi) of the total parkland. Fairmount Park's adjacent Wissahickon Valley Park contains 2,042 acres (3.2 sq mi). Fairmount Park, when combined with Wissahickon Valley Park,

14490-694: The city. The Liberty Bell was taken to Zion German Reformed Church in Northampton Town, which is present-day Allentown , where it was hidden under the church's floor boards for nine months from September 1777 until the British Army's departure from Philadelphia in June 1778. Two Revolutionary War battles, the Siege of Fort Mifflin , fought between September 26 and November 16, 1777, and the Battle of Germantown , fought on October 4, 1777, took place within Philadelphia's city limits. In Philadelphia,

14651-399: The classes, noting that Mill has "a lot of issues" and that the classes would provide him with a "big-picture perspective" on his personal and professional actions. Brinkley said the classes were "more important than any concerts he might have". Of the requirement to provide travel plans to his probation officer, Mill complained, "You just gonna miss money all day." The ADA explained that it was

14812-529: The colonies made it a natural center for America's revolutionaries . By the 1750s, Philadelphia surpassed Boston as the largest city and busiest port in British America , and the second-largest city in the entire British Empire after London . In 1774, as resentment of British colonial practices and support for independence was burgeoning in the colonies, Philadelphia hosted the First Continental Congress . From 1775 to 1781, Philadelphia hosted

14973-473: The colony. Penn made a treaty of friendship with Lenape chief Tammany under an elm tree at Shackamaxon , in what is now the city's Fishtown neighborhood. Penn named the city Philadelphia, which is Greek for "brotherly love", derived from the Ancient Greek terms φίλος phílos (beloved, dear) and ἀδελφός adelphós (brother, brotherly). There were a number of cities named Philadelphia in

15134-508: The company are no longer partners in the exact term, he and Jay remain on good terms. Despite his departure, the two still work on their prison reform venture, the REFORM Alliance. On October 26, 2012, Meek Mill announced the launch of his own record label imprint, Dream Chasers Records , with the flagship artists Louie V. Gutta, Lee Mazin and Goldie. On July 24, 2019, Meek Mill announced the official launch of Dream Chasers Records as

15295-534: The consequences of his antics. In January 2019, after it was revealed that 6ix9ine would be cooperating with prosecutors, Meek tweeted that he already predicted that 6ix9ine would do so, and would continually diss him for that. After 6ix9ine was released earlier from prison in 2020, he and Mill continued to take shots at each other; at one time Mill called 6ix9ine's song " Gooba " "trash". In June 2020, 6ix9ine criticized Mill for releasing his protest song, "Otherside of America", while not "protesting". On February 14, 2021,

15456-407: The country, MC battles were growing in popularity. One of the early predecessors of the contemporary, more confrontational variation of battle rap was the 1994 face-off between Craig G and Supernatural . The battle happened organically, by virtue of Supernatural calling out Craig G while he was performing. As it so happened, Craig G was in the crowd, and the host invited him to the stage. Craig G won

15617-402: The country, and the first Black Episcopal Church . The free Black community also established many schools for its children with the help of Quakers . Large-scale construction projects for new roads, canals , and railroads made Philadelphia the first major industrial city in the United States. Throughout the 19th century, Philadelphia hosted a variety of industries and businesses; the largest

15778-490: The creation of five public parks in the city which were renamed in 1824. Centre Square was renamed Penn Square ; Northeast Square was renamed Franklin Square ; Southeast Square was renamed Washington Square ; Southwest Square was renamed Rittenhouse Square ; and Northwest Square was renamed Logan Circle/Square . Center City had an estimated 183,240 residents as of 2015 , making it the second-most populated downtown area in

15939-420: The crowd which forms around the battles, consisting of spectators and onlookers. This group serves partly to encourage competition and partly to enhance the communal aspect of rap battles. The cipher is known for "making or breaking reputations in the hip hop community; if you are able to step into the cipher and tell your story, demonstrating your uniqueness, you might be more accepted". These groups also serve as

16100-520: The development and evolution of American music, especially R&B , soul , and rock . As of 2022 , the Philadelphia metropolitan area had a gross metropolitan product of US$ 518.5 billion and is home to five Fortune 500 corporate headquarters. Metropolitan Philadelphia ranks as one of the Big Five U.S. venture capital hubs, facilitated by its geographic proximity to both the entrepreneurial and financial ecosystems of New York City and to

16261-417: The diss track "Repo", which Mill later said would be the final diss record he would release against Cassidy. Cassidy later said the feud was not personal, saying it was all in the spirit of hip hop . On January 6, 2013, Cassidy released a 10-minute-long diss response titled "Raid". Eight months later, on September 5, 2013, Meek Mill released another diss record towards Cassidy, titled "Kendrick You Next". This

16422-410: The family of Jaquan Graves, who was shot and killed in the parking lot outside a Connecticut concert in December 2016. Graves had just left the facility when gunfire started and he was killed. The lawsuit also claims that Mill and Roc Nation allowed "thugs" to remain on the premises after exhibiting disorderly, disruptive, argumentative, angry and agitated behaviors toward patrons. In May 2019, Meek Mill

16583-620: The first modern International Style skyscraper in the United States, the PSFS Building , designed by George Howe and William Lescaze . The 548 ft (167 m) City Hall remained the tallest building in the city until 1987 when One Liberty Place was completed. Numerous glass and granite skyscrapers were built in Center City beginning in the late 1980s. In 2007, the Comcast Center surpassed One Liberty Place to become

16744-543: The first official World's fair in the U.S. Immigrants, mostly from Ireland and Germany, settled in Philadelphia and the surrounding districts. These immigrants were largely responsible for the first general strike in North America in 1835, in which workers in the city won the ten-hour workday. The city was a destination for thousands of Irish immigrants fleeing the Great Famine in the 1840s; housing for them

16905-422: The founder and owner of Grand Hustle Records , Atlanta -based rapper and record executive T.I. T.I. was also impressed by Mill and offered him an opportunity to travel, to meet with him and Warner Bros. Records ; within a week both record companies offered him a deal. Although he was offered other record deals, Mill felt collaborating with T.I. was "an opportunity of a lifetime" and thus chose his label. However,

17066-627: The intersection of Germantown Avenue and Bethlehem Pike at: 40.07815 N, 75.20747 W. Philadelphia is located on the Atlantic Seaboard Fall Line that separates the Atlantic Plain from the Piedmont . The Schuylkill River's rapids at East Falls were inundated by completion of the dam at Fairmount Water Works . The city is the seat of its own county . The city is bordered by six adjacent counties: Montgomery to

17227-419: The joint venture, saying "Everything he has done leading up to this point shows he is ready to [lead] the next generation. We look at the big picture — this is way beyond signing artists and having hot records." As president of the label, Mill oversees a team in a corporate New York office and also help operate a recording studio for the label's artists. When he was 18, while walking to a corner store armed, Meek

17388-531: The label's Self Made Vol. 1 (2011) compilation album; his song " Tupac Back " (featuring Rick Ross) served as the album's lead single , while its follow-up, " Ima Boss " (featuring Rick Ross) entered the Billboard Hot 100 . Meek Mill's debut studio album, Dreams and Nightmares (2012)—released in a joint venture with MMG and Warner Bros. Records —peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and

17549-551: The last occurrence of such a temperature being July 21, 2019. The lowest officially recorded temperature was −11 °F (−24 °C) on February 9, 1934. Temperatures at or below 0 °F (−18 °C) are rare, with the last such occurrence being January 19, 1994 . The record low maximum is 5 °F (−15 °C) on February 10, 1899, and December 30, 1880. The record high minimum is 83 °F (28 °C) on July 23, 2011, and July 24, 2010. See or edit raw graph data . Philadelphia County received an ozone grade of F and

17710-546: The late 1970s and continues into the 21st century with much of the development occurring in the Center City and University City neighborhoods. But this expanded a shortage of affordable housing in the city. After many manufacturers and businesses left Philadelphia or shut down, the city started attracting service businesses and began to market itself more aggressively as a tourist destination. Contemporary glass-and-granite skyscrapers were built in Center City beginning in

17871-434: The latter ridiculed the former's intelligence towards him through a radio interview. Minutes after the interview, Sigel was punched on the back of his head by someone who was believed to have been one of Meek Mill's affiliates. Three days later Mill criticized Sigel through many derogatory Instagram messages. Later Mill dissed Sigel, The Game and Drake in a freestyle on Funkmaster Flex 's radio show. Sigel responded by releasing

18032-551: The latter stating, "I got my eyes on him. He's the next one to take this shit over." The album was released on October 30, 2012. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 165,000 copies. In its second week, the album sold 41,000 more copies, dropping six spots on the chart to number eight. Following the release of the lead single for Dreams & Nightmares , entitled " Amen ", Philadelphia area pastor Rev. Jomo K. Johnson called for

18193-545: The nation's eighth-largest metropolitan area and seventh-largest combined statistical area with 6.245 million residents and 7.366 million residents, respectively. Philadelphia has played an extensive role in United States history . The city was founded in 1682 by William Penn , an English Quaker and advocate of religious freedom , and served as the capital of the Pennsylvania Colony during

18354-971: The nation, including a fire company , library , and hospital . A number of philosophical societies were formed, which were centers of the city's intellectual life, including the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture (1785), the Pennsylvania Society for the Encouragement of Manufactures and the Useful Arts (1787), the Academy of Natural Sciences (1812), and the Franklin Institute (1824). These societies developed and financed new industries that attracted skilled and knowledgeable immigrants from Europe. Philadelphia's importance and central location in

18515-469: The nation. Fairmount Park , when combined with adjacent Wissahickon Valley Park in the same watershed , is 2,052 acres (830 ha), representing one of the nation's largest and the world's 54th-largest urban park . Philadelphia is known for its arts, culture , cuisine , and colonial and Revolutionary-era history; in 2016, it attracted 42 million domestic tourists who spent $ 6.8 billion, representing $ 11 billion in economic impact to

18676-509: The new national capital in Washington, D.C. was completed. Philadelphia maintains extensive contemporary influence in business and industry , culture , sports , and music . With 17 four-year universities and colleges in the city, Philadelphia is one of the nation's leading centers for higher education and academic research . The city is a national cultural center, hosting more outdoor sculptures and murals than any other city in

18837-449: The northwest; Bucks to the north and northeast; Burlington County, New Jersey to the east; Camden County, New Jersey to the southeast; Gloucester County, New Jersey to the south; and Delaware County to the southwest. Philadelphia was created in the 17th century, following the plan by William Penn 's surveyor Thomas Holme . Center City is structured with long, straight streets running nearly due east–west and north–south, forming

18998-831: The number of people who are unjustly under the control of the criminal justice system – starting with probation and parole", where it plans on doing so by gathering leaders from various fields such as business, entertainment, government, sports, technology, and more, who have the common interest of donating and advocating for criminal justice reform in the United States. Later, in August 2018, Mill donated 6,000 backpacks to students of Philadelphia. The founding partners of Reform Alliance, besides Meek Mill and Jay-Z, includes Kraft Group CEO and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft , Philadelphia 76ers owner Michael G. Rubin , Brooklyn Nets co-owner Clara Wu Tsai , Vista Equity Partners founder Robert F. Smith , as well as other leaders in business, law and politics, whom have collectively pledged

19159-430: The police presence and private security at the location forced the event to move down the road to an alley beside radio station Flow 93.5 . After a few events at that location, they were unable to accommodate the growing crowds, so Organik opted to relocate to Alexandra Park for the wide open space and gritty location. The crisp visuals and production value, as well as local celebrity guest judges, contributed to King of

19320-408: The potential mishandling of his arrest. This came upon a whistle-blower's testimony responsible for the revelation of hundreds of other corrupt officers. An appeal to reverse Mill's conviction was submitted. With Mill's continuous arrests and probation from Brinkley, he is estimated by his booking agency and management to have lost millions of dollars in profit. In August 2019, Mill pleaded guilty to

19481-463: The present situation. Freestyling can allow audience members to integrate into the performance stage. This provides a forum for up-and-coming underground artists to engage in a musical discussion with already prominent underground Cuban rappers. Freestyle battles often turn political when artists incorporate perspectives on social disparities and issues plaguing the Cuban population. A freestyle battle

19642-445: The rappers got into an altercation outside an Atlanta club, in which 6ix9ine clowned Mill for having security around him and lunged at them, but was stopped by Mill's security. Both rappers posted videos of the incident. On February 19, 2021, 6ix9ine released a diss track towards Mill, titled " Zaza ", with a music video that includes a clip of the altercation. In response, Mill issued a cease and desist to 6ix9ine. In August 2013, Mill

19803-433: The record label Dream Chasers Records in 2012, which has released his own projects and signed other artists including Yung Bleu , Vory , and Lil Snupe . In November 2017, Meek Mill was sentenced to two to four years in prison for violating parole, before being released while his trial continued after serving five months. In August 2019, a documentary series about his battle with the criminal justice system, Free Meek ,

19964-428: The resurgence of freestyle battling in the 21st century, competitions began to move to TV shows shown on HBO , BET , and MTV . In addition, Eminem's 2002 movie 8 Mile introduced battle rap to mainstream audiences, generating a renewed interest and popularity in battling. Starting in the early 2000s, Freestyle Friday is a watered-down battle segment on BET's popular show 106 & Park . Two rappers compete in

20125-768: The second half of the 19th century. His contemporaries included John McArthur Jr. , Addison Hutton , Wilson Eyre , the Wilson Brothers , and Horace Trumbauer . In 1871, construction began on the Second Empire -style Philadelphia City Hall . The Philadelphia Historical Commission was created in 1955 to preserve the cultural and architectural history of the city. The commission maintains the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places , adding historic buildings, structures, sites, objects and districts as it sees fit. In 1932, Philadelphia became home to

20286-571: The shirt they're wearing), or responds to something their opponent said during their previous round. While not as prominent as it once was, the art of rebutting is still respected by many as difficult to do correctly, and a sign of a well-rounded emcee. While many creative minds were battling and organizing battles in the early 2000s, Troy "Smack" Mitchell of Queens New York gathered battle rappers of hood renown including Serius Jones of New Jersey and Loaded Lux, Murda Mook and Jae Millz of Harlem, Smack began recording battles, printing and hand-selling

20447-612: The situation did not change substantially until 1682, when the area was included in William Penn 's charter for Pennsylvania. In 1681, in partial repayment of a debt, Charles II of England granted Penn a charter for what would become the Pennsylvania colony . Despite the royal charter, Penn bought the land from the local Lenape in an effort to establish good terms with the Native Americans and ensure peace for

20608-477: The song, such as "If you didn't write it, don't record it." He also implied that he was in a relationship with Drake's current love interest, Rihanna . Meek Mill and Drake were both respectively endorsed by Burger King and Whataburger for their feud. After Mill's release from prison in 2018, the feud was officially squashed. Drake was featured on Mill's song "Going Bad", from his post-incarceration album Championships . On September 16, 2016, The Game released

20769-493: The surrounding Delaware Valley in the early 17th century. The first settlements were founded by Dutch colonists , who built Fort Nassau on the Delaware River in 1623 in what is now Brooklawn, New Jersey . The Dutch considered the entire Delaware River valley to be part of their New Netherland colony. In 1638, Swedish settlers led by renegade Dutch established the colony of New Sweden at Fort Christina , located in present-day Wilmington, Delaware , and quickly spread out in

20930-522: The ten largest combined statistical areas (CSAs) were ranked higher for ozone: Los Angeles (1st), New York City (9th), Houston (12th), Dallas (13th), and San Jose, California (18th). Many smaller CSAs were also ranked higher for ozone, including Sacramento (8th), Las Vegas (10th), Denver (11th), El Paso (16th), and Salt Lake City (20th). Only two of those same ten CSAs, San Jose and Los Angeles, were ranked higher than Philadelphia for both year-round and short-term particle pollution. As of

21091-433: The track, and claimed that Drake was urinated on inside a movie theatre. Mill then removed the song from SoundCloud and said that he was moving on from his feud with Drake after WWE sent him a cease and desist . On January 30, 2016, Drake released a new diss track aimed at Mill, titled " Summer Sixteen ", as the buzz single , used to promote his fourth studio album, Views . Less than fifteen minutes later, Mill released

21252-629: The upper Ohio River basin. Following the American Revolutionary War and subsequent formation of an independent United States, the Lenape began moving further west. In the 1860s, the United States government sent most remaining Lenape in the eastern United States to the Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma and surrounding territories as part of the Indian removal policy. Europeans first entered Philadelphia and

21413-587: The valley. In 1644, New Sweden supported the Susquehannocks in their war against Maryland colonists. In 1648, the Dutch built Fort Beversreede on the west bank of the Delaware, south of the Schuylkill River near the present-day Eastwick section of Philadelphia, to reassert their dominion over the area. The Swedes responded by building Fort Nya Korsholm , or New Korsholm , named after

21574-525: The video for the track, " Pain Away ". That same month, the film, Charm City Kings , was released exclusively on HBO Max . Originally scheduled for a May 2020 theatrical release by Sony Pictures , it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and later acquired by HBO . The Angel Manuel Soto -directed and Will Smith-produced drama stars Mill and opposite Jahi Di'Allo Winston as street bikers who end up under

21735-491: The year. The average window for freezing temperatures is November 6 to April 2, allowing a growing season of 217 days. Early fall and late winter are generally dry, with February having the lowest average precipitation at 2.75 inches (70 mm). The dewpoint in the summer averages between 59.1 and 64.5 °F (15 and 18 °C). The highest recorded temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on August 7, 1918. Temperatures at or above 100 °F (38 °C) are not common, with

21896-541: Was 30.7 in (78 cm), which occurred in January 1996. Precipitation is generally spread throughout the year, with eight to eleven wet days per month, at an average annual rate of 44.1 inches (1,120 mm), but historically ranging from 29.31 in (744 mm) in 1922 to 64.33 in (1,634 mm) in 2011. The most rain recorded in one day occurred on July 28, 2013, when 8.02 in (204 mm) fell at Philadelphia International Airport . Philadelphia has

22057-420: Was a failure to report travel plans as required and social media postings that resulted in death threats to the probation officer who assigned his case. In requiring the classes and stressing the requirement to report travel, Brinkley noted, "You need to try to get this right next time." In June 2013, the court noted that Mill continually failed to report his travel plans. Brinkley established an August deadline for

22218-443: Was arrested for illegally possessing a firearm and was beaten up by the police . Because of the beating, his lips and both eyes became swollen and one of his braids was ripped out. He was charged with attempted or aggravated assault against a police officer after two black cops gave a statement against him in the case, saying he chased them down with a gun and tried to shoot one of them. He was then placed on probation. In 2008, Mill

22379-472: Was being constructed and prepared to serve as the new national capital. In 1793, the largest yellow fever epidemic in U.S. history killed approximately 4,000 to 5,000 people in Philadelphia, or about ten percent of the city's population at the time. The capital of the United States was moved to Washington, D.C. in 1800 upon completion of the White House and U.S. Capitol buildings. The state capital

22540-404: Was convicted of possession of drug paraphernalia , and second-degree possession of a loaded firearm by a convicted felon . He was sentenced to eleven to twenty-three months in prison, followed by eight years probation, by Philadelphia County Superior Court Judge Genece Brinkley. After Mill's 2008 conviction, Brinkley continued to handle Mill's further legal cases and oversaw his probation. Mill

22701-428: Was denied a place in the finals of a tournament run by the then-dominant battle league, JumpOff. Since then, notable appearances include Rizzle , Illmaculate , Mystro , and Harry Love. Don't Flop came to mainstream UK media attention in 2012 when one of their battles became a viral video , purportedly showing a teacher battling his student. Although the battlers in question, Mark Grist and Blizzard, were not actually

22862-400: Was despite the fact that he said "Repo" would be his final diss record. Three days later, Cassidy released a diss record titled "Catch A Body", as a response. By 2017, the two rappers had resolved their differences. In July 2015, Meek Mill publicly criticized Canadian rapper Drake on Twitter , calling him out for not writing his own lyrics. In a series of tweets, Meek Mill claimed Drake used

23023-514: Was developed south of South Street and later occupied by succeeding immigrants. They established a network of Catholic churches and schools and dominated the Catholic clergy for decades. Anti- Irish , anti-Catholic nativist riots erupted in Philadelphia in 1844. The rise in population of the surrounding districts helped lead to the Act of Consolidation of 1854 , which extended the city limits from

23184-482: Was dominated by Georgian architecture , including Independence Hall and Christ Church . In the first decades of the 19th century, Federal and Greek Revival architecture were the dominant styles produced by Philadelphia architects such as Benjamin Latrobe , William Strickland , John Haviland , John Notman , Thomas Walter , and Samuel Sloan . Frank Furness is considered Philadelphia's greatest architect of

23345-424: Was halfway finished with his second studio album. On March 8, 2014, Mill announced that the album would be titled Dreams Worth More Than Money . Mill's album, Dreams Worth More Than Money , which was released on June 28, 2015, topped the Billboard 200 as of the issue dated July 18, 2015. Meek Mill posted 6 videos on his Instagram previewing music for his mixtape, DC4 . The mixtape was planned to have featured

23506-496: Was included in XXL 's "Freshman Class of 2011". Later that year, he released his debut single , " Tupac Back ", featuring Rick Ross , from his label's compilation album Self Made Vol. 1 (2011). That same year he released his second single, " Ima Boss ", also take from the compilation and featuring Ross. The song was later remixed , featuring T.I., Birdman , Lil Wayne , DJ Khaled , Swizz Beatz and Rick Ross. The remix charted on

23667-678: Was led by the single " Amen " (featuring Drake ). His second album, Dreams Worth More Than Money (2015), peaked atop the Billboard 200, while his third album, Wins & Losses (2016), peaked at number three. His fourth album, Championships (2018), debuted atop the chart once more; its lead single, " Going Bad " (featuring Drake), peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains his highest-charting song. His fifth album, Expensive Pain (2021), also peaked at number three, and his collaborative album with Rick Ross, Too Good to Be True (2023), peaked at number 23. He founded

23828-529: Was moved from Philadelphia to Lancaster in 1799, then ultimately to Harrisburg in 1812. Philadelphia remained the nation's largest city until the late 18th century. It also was the nation's financial and cultural center until ultimately being eclipsed in total population by New York City in 1790. In 1816, the city's free Black community founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church , the first independent Black denomination in

23989-407: Was never able to release an official album under Grand Hustle and they parted ways in 2010. That same year, a film was released called Streets . A direct-to-DVD crime drama , starring Mill, produced by Alston and directed by Jamal Hill. In February 2011, Rick Ross announced the signing of Mill along with fellow American rapper Wale to his Maybach Music Group (MMG) label. In March 2011, Mill

24150-406: Was one of more than 36 industrial cities nationally to suffer a race riot during Red Summer in post- World War I unrest as recent immigrants competed with Blacks for jobs. In the 1920s, the public flouting of Prohibition laws, organized crime , mob violence, and corrupt police involvement in illegal activities led to the appointment of Brig. Gen. Smedley Butler of the U.S. Marine Corps as

24311-409: Was one of the many rappers mentioned by Kendrick Lamar on his guest verse on Big Sean's " Control ". Lamar touted himself as the king of both coasts and threatened to "murder" the rappers he mentioned, despite being associated with them before. During a performance at a music festival in New York City , Mill sent derogatory messages to Lamar. On September 9, 2013, Mill later released "Ooh, Kill 'Em",

24472-481: Was released in early 2009 under a five-year parole agreement after serving seven months. In January 2023, Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf pardoned Mill for these convictions. On the night of Halloween 2012, following an album release party for his debut, Dreams and Nightmares , in South Philadelphia, Mill was detained by city police after a car which he was riding in was pulled over. The outcome of

24633-509: Was released on Amazon Prime Video . Jay-Z executive produced the series; he and Meek Mill also co-founded the nonprofit Reform Alliance that same year, which focuses on national prison reform . Robert Rihmeek Williams was born on May 6, 1987, in the South Philadelphia area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , the son of Kathy Williams. He has an older sister, Nasheema Williams. Kathy grew up in poverty and her mother died when she

24794-565: Was released on November 30. The album received positive reviews from critics and debuted atop the US Billboard 200, selling 229,000 album-equivalent units in its first week (42,000 coming from pure sales ). In June 2020, Mill released his protest song " Otherside of America ", amid the protests following the murder of George Floyd . On November 20, 2020, Meek returned with a four-track EP, Quarantine Pack , which features rappers 42 Dugg , Vory , and Lil Durk , who also appears in

24955-555: Was responsible for the low sales of the album. He went as afar to state that the label wouldn't allow him to bring PnB Rock nor Roddy Ricch as artists to his Dream Chasers imprint, while also clarifying that Atlantic restricted him from releasing any more music for the following nine months and demanded his release alongside labelmates, fellow Philadelphian Lil Uzi Vert , and YoungBoy Never Broke Again . On July 11, 2022, Mill confirmed that he had ended his management deal with Jay-Z's Roc Nation Entertainment, stating that although he and

25116-493: Was right". They participated in a short social exchange, after which Cassidy released "The Diary of a Hustla", which was originally thought to be a diss track towards Mill. This was later refuted by Cassidy. They both asked $ 100,000 each for the battle to take place. However, after Meek Mill dissed Cassidy's song, "Condom Style" (a remake of Psy 's " Gangnam Style "), Cassidy released a formal diss track towards Mill with "Me, Myself & iPhone". Afterwards, Meek Mill responded with

25277-615: Was sentenced to two to four years in state prison for violating his parole. He served five months at the State Correctional Institution – Chester in Chester, Pennsylvania . On April 24, 2018, Mill was released, pending outcome of an appeal to the Pennsylvania supreme court. The Philadelphia district attorney petitioned Brinkley for his release, citing credibility issues with the arresting officer in his initial 2008 conviction. Brinkley declined and instead scheduled

25438-556: Was shy and rarely spoke. As a kid, he became acquainted with another of his father's brothers, who under the MC name Grandmaster Nell was a pioneering disc jockey (DJ) in the late-1980s Philadelphia hip-hop scene and influenced rap artists Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff . Meek's interest in hip-hop grew as a result of these early influences. He was also influenced by the independent hip-hop artists Chic Raw and Vodka, whom he learned to emulate by watching their DVDs. During his early teenage years, Meek often took part in rap battles under

25599-713: Was the textile industry . Major corporations in the 19th and early 20th centuries included the Baldwin Locomotive Works , William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Company , and the Pennsylvania Railroad . Established in 1870, the Philadelphia Conveyancers' Association was chartered by the state in 1871. Along with the U.S. Centennial in 1876, the city's industry was celebrated in the Centennial Exposition ,

25760-674: Was turned away from the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas when attempting to attend a show. His attorney, Joe Tacopina, alleged that Mill was turned away because of his race. On May 25, 2019, Mill said that he intended to pursue legal action against the hotel for racial discrimination. Within days, the Cosmopolitan issued the requested apology. Tacopina then announced that his client had accepted it, and no lawsuit would be forthcoming. In 2016, Meek Mill spent $ 50,000 to donate 60,000 Ice Mountain brand bottled water to contribute to and support

25921-486: Was young. Meek's father was killed when Meek was five years old, apparently during an attempted robbery. His uncle, Robert, described Meek Mill's father as a " black sheep of the family". After her husband's death, Kathy moved with Meek and his sister to North Philadelphia , where they lived in a three-bedroom apartment on Berks Street. Their financial condition was poor and she started cutting hair, doing other jobs, and shoplifting in order to support her family. At home, Meek

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