Robert Rihmeek Williams, 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. In 2008, Atlanta-based rapper T.I. signed Williams to his first record deal. In February 2011, after leaving Grand Hustle Records, Williams signed with Miami-based rapper Rick Ross's Maybach Music Group (MMG). Williams' debut studio album, Dreams and Nightmares, was released in 2012 through a joint venture between MMG and Warner Bros. Records. The album, preceded by the lead single "Amen" (featuring Drake), peaked at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200.
Williams rose mainstream recognition after featuring on MMG's Self Made compilation album, as his debut singles "Tupac Back" (featuring Rick Ross) and "Ima Boss" (featuring Rick Ross), were included on volume one (2011). He released his second album, Dreams Worth More Than Money, in 2015 and his third album, Wins & Losses, in 2016. His fourth album, Championships, was released in November 2018 and debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 chart. Its lead single, "Going Bad" (featuring Drake), peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Williams' highest charting single to date. Williams' fifth album, Expensive Pain, was released on October 1, 2021. Williams launched his own label titled Dream Chasers Records in 2012, which would promptly release his output and sign other artists, including singers Yung Bleu and Vory.
In November 2017, he was sentenced to two to four years in prison for violating parole, before being released while his trial continues after serving five months. In August 2019, a documentary series about his battle with the criminal justice system, Free Meek, was released on Amazon Prime Video. Rapper Jay-Z executive produced the series; he and Williams would later co-found the nonprofit Reform Alliance the same year, which focuses on national prison reform.
