Meek Mill has been as candid as ever during the press run for his Wins & Losses album, including at a stop by his hometown Power 99 radio station. Ever-resilient, he categorized his beef with Drake as a “win” in his interview with Power 99 DJ Cosmic Kev, but not specifically because he believes he out-rapped Drake.
https://youtu.be/QFua-SZPJDE?t=24m5s
“They made me into a monster,” Meek said of everyone from the cacophony of social media meme-makers to CN Tower operators who supported Drake during their 2015 rift. Even though the conflict was largely his doing, Meek felt his “back against the wall” as most of the hip-hop world sang along to “Back To Back,” befuddled at his fumbling of damning ammo against Drake. Meek was close to becoming a hip-hop footnote, which compelled him to refocus on his craft.
Along with the internal aspects, Meek also mentioned the addiction by subtraction of hangers-on in his crew, noting “the minute it looked like it slowed down, I was in the studio with three or four people,” as opposed to the large entourage he’s known for.
His statements exposed a bigger picture perspective not centered on whether he got the upper hand on Drake musically –because it’s nearly impossible to argue he did — but rather the clarity he received after realizing his life’s devolution. He recalled living the rock star lifestyle in an LA Mansion with his then-girlfriend Nicki Minaj, hurling a drug and anger-fueled volatility at the world one social media rant at a time, making hasty decisions like burning his bridge with Drake on a whim.
He now looks down on the period –but doesn’t regret it, as he says it made him who he is today. Perhaps he picked up game not just from Rick Ross, who weathered his own controversy, but from his Roc Nation boss Jay-Z, who noted, “a loss ain’t a loss, it’s a lesson” on 4:44.
