Inside Meek Mill's past scandals after he deletes rude tweet to Vanessa Bryant, says he apologized in private
Meek Mill seems reluctant to render a much-expected apology to Vanessa Bryant after she called out the insensitive lyrics from the rapper's new song 'Don't Worry (RIP Kobe)'. This, however, is not the first time the rapper has found himself at the center of controversy as he has had several legal issues in the past.
Vanessa Bryant, the wife of late American icon Kobe Bryant, highlighted a part of the lyrics that say, "Yeah, and if I ever lack, I’m goin’ out with my chopper, it be another Kobe” — terming it as "extremely insensitive and disrespectful".
She also implied that he can do better in showing admiration for her late husband. However, the 33-year-old rapper soon responded to her with a rude and unapologetic tweet saying: "I’m going back savage in this shit... f#%k ya feelings!" which has now been deleted by Mill.
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Kobe Bryant's wife Vanessa slams rapper Meek Mill for 'insensitive' lyrics, fans demand apology
In the latest update to this controversy, Mill posted a new tweet claiming that he has apologized to Vanessa in private, not in public.
I apologized to her in private earlier today not to the public...Nothing I say on my page directed to a internet viral moment or the family of a grieving woman! If you care about someone grieving change the subject!
— Meek Mill (@MeekMill) February 23, 2021
Meek Mill's scandalous past
In 2008, Mill faced an imprisonment sentence of 11 to 23 months and eight years probation, following a conviction in drug dealing and illegal possession of guns, according to Rolling Stone. Mill was released within a year in early 2009 with a five-year-parole agreement.
However, Mill violated his probation in December 2012 and got his travel permit revoked. He repeated this violation in May 2013 as well. At that time, he failed to report his travel plans to authorities and shared controversial posts on social media that led to death threats to his assigned probation officer, according to a report by E! News. This time, he was mandated to take etiquette classes but the rapper again did not report his travel plans the next month as instructed.
Judge Genece Brinkley, who was overseeing Mill's criminal proceedings from the beginning, insisted on the importance of attending his etiquette classes and why he needed to comply with the rules of conduct. However, Mill reportedly complained to his probation officer, "You just gonna miss money all day."
In July 2014, Mill was sentenced to jail once again and released on December 2, 2014. He reportedly continued his behavioral pattern of disregard for rules as he violated parole again in December 2015. He was thereafter sentenced to 90 days of house arrest during which he was barred from working or performing anywhere, along with compulsory community service and six additional years of probation, according to reports.
However, his repeated offenses and penalties seemed to have allegedly no effect on his demeanor, as evident from his arrest on March 11, 2017, in Missouri on charges of assaulting two pedestrians. In November that year, Mill faced a sentence of two to four years in state prison, stated reports. It is believed that there was an FBI probe into the conduct of Mill's previous judge Brinkley for irregular behavior, reported Billboard.
After his release from prison in 2018, Mill gained support from stars like Jay-Z and Kevin Hart, as he spoke out about the existing criminal justice system. His appeal for a retrial of his 2008 conviction was granted by the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.
In August 2019, the 'Free Meek' docuseries aired on Prime Video, produced by Jay-Z, Roc Nation and Mill himself. The latter two were sued in November 2017 by the family of Jaquan Graves, who was killed in gunfire outside Mill's concert in Connecticut in December 2016. Mill is presently a leading advocate of the Criminal Justice Reforms movement.
Controversy's favorite child
Vanessa Bryant is not the first person to call out Mill's songs for problematic lyrics. His song 'Amen' from 'Dreams & Nightmares' was boycotted by Philadelphia pastor Rev Jomo K Johnson for offensive words hurting religious sentiments.
Later, he entered feuds several times with other celebrity rappers like Cassidy, Drake and Kendrick Lamar — problems which often ended in release and counter-release of diss tracks.