Meek Mill’s New Conscious Rap May Be His Most Important Song Yet (Audio)

Life is too short to listen to bad music. So…let AFH fight through it for you and only supply you with that great stuff. Despite the reports, Hip-Hop is alive and well and, in many ways, is better than it’s ever been. Not only are we able to go back and listen to all of our favorites, at the click of a button, there is also a ton of great music still being made by artists, young and veteran alike…if you know where to look.

To help with that task, we’ve created two playlists. One features more recent music—songs that have been released within the last year or so—while the other is throwback, focused on the 1980s and ’90s. We update each of these playlists regularly, so, if you like what you hear, subscribe to follow us on Spotify.

This Throwback Playlist Celebrates The Hip-Hop That Is Never Played-Out. (Audio)

This week, Meek Mill released Wins & Losses, his first album since 2015’s Dreams Worth More Than Money. In the time that’s passed, the spotlight on Meek has focused on everything but his music. He engaged in 2 high profile beefs with Drake and The Game, and had a public and nasty split from his girlfriend, Nicki Minaj. Whether it was these events or the natural process of maturing, the substance of Meek’s lyrics has significantly evolved. While he still has verses about the street life, and plenty of shots to fire at his enemies, Meek has added a dimension of conscious Rap that is authentic and powerful. Nowhere is that on fuller display that with his lead single “Young Black America.”

Meek Mill’s Blueprint For A Comeback Is Music With A Powerful Message (Video)

Set to an amped up re-interpretation of the “Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)” track produced by Bink for JAY-Z, Meek delivers a charged verse about the plight facing his generation. “White man kill a black man, they never report us/Black man kill a white man, they gon’ start a war up/Mama she was sour, sippin’ on the Absolut/Young ni**as brainwashed, they just wanna rap and hoop/Could’ve been a lawyer until they came and shackled you/Felons on your records so them jobs ain’t gettin’ back at you,” he raps. At one point, Meek even likens young Black men to the Klan, based on the stark rate of Black on Black murders. It is a significant shift for the Philly MC that sounds heartfelt and authentic, rather than opportunistic.

Vic Mensa Wilds Out On Method Man & Nick Cannon With A Savage Freestyle (Video)

In addition to new Meek, the playlist has been updated with highlights from Saukrates, Tyler, The Creator and Lil Wayne, who join Kendrick Lamar, Logic, Jadakiss, Nas, Joey Bada$$, Evidence, J. Cole, XXXtentacion, Big Sean, Freddie Gibbs, Raekwon, Devin The Dude, David Banner, Brother Ali, Oddisee, Jidenna and a host of others.