In a new interview with Gayle King on CBS This Morning, Meek Mill breaks down some of the ways in which his probation for a 2008 conviction on drug and gun charges has made his life more difficult. In a snippet posted to the show’s Instagram, Meek says he even has to get permission from his probation officer to take his son to school or pick him up because he lives across the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, which is technically crossing state lines — even though for Meek, it’s only a 15-minute drive. The full segment can be seen above.
“Even if it’s to the next county over,” he explains, “If it’s out of the city, if you don’t ask for permission, you could get the rest of your probation time given to you as jail time legally.” He delivers the heart-wrenching analogy about his son in a matter-of-fact tone that still betrays a sense of frustration and dismay. “My son lived in New Jersey, but I lived in Philadelphia, and the bridge is a 15-minute ride. It’s just a bridge. I couldn’t go get my son from school when I wanted to, ’cause you know, some days I would get off work early. I would just have a free day, and I would just want to pop up at my son’s school and get him from school. I’d been out of town for two weeks in a row working. Can’t really do it.”
Meek’s experiences have transformed him from a relatively straightforward battle rapper into a different kind of fighter — one for social justice. Since his release from prison last year after a probation violation in 2017, he and Jay-Z formed a criminal justice reform coalition dedicated to helping other people whose lives have been upended by the system. Meanwhile, let’s hope Meek’s papers are in order for his upcoming Legendary Nights tour with Future, so he can stay on the path toward becoming a free citizen.
