Meek Mill

The American rapper known as Meek Mill was born as Robert Rihmeek Williams in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 6, 1987. Influenced by his hometown's thriving hip-hop scene, he was mentored by his uncle -- DJ Grandmaster Nell, who also played an influential role in the careers of actor/rapper Will Smith and record producer DJ Jazzy Jeff -- at a young age. By 18 years old, Meek Mill launched his career as a member of the rap group Bloodhoundz, although persistent trouble with the American legal system resulted in prison sentences and various parole violations during the following years.

Against this backdrop of legal battles, Williams launched a successful solo career with his gold-selling debut album, Dreams and Nightmares, which charted at Number on the Billboard Top Rap Albums chart and Number 2 on the Billboard 200. His second solo release, Dreams Worth More Than Money, was released in 2015 and proved to be even more popular, topping the Billboard 200, winning a Billboard Music Award for Top Rap Album, and earning a platinum certification. The mixtape DC4 followed in 2016, with Meek Mill's third full-length album, the gold-selling Wins & Losses, appearing in 2017. Returning straight to the recording studio, he topped the Billboard 200 once again with 2018's Championships, which became his second platinum-certified album. "Going Bad," the album's most successful single, became one of the biggest hits of 2019, peaking at Number 6 on the Hot 100 and going platinum five times. The hits continued with 2021's Expensive Pain, whose track list included the Top 40 rap singles "Sharing Locations" and "Blue Notes 2."