Certainly Philadelphia-born, up-and-coming hip hop artist Meek Mill faced a tall task in releasing his latest effort, Dreamchasers 2, on May 7th; after all, his first tape, Dreamchasers, exceeded 500,000 downloads, ranked #5 on datpiff.com's list of the greatest mixtapes of 2011, and brought him to the forefront of the popular hip-hop along with fellow Maybach Music labelmates Wale and Rick Ross. Ten days after the release of the project, it is clear: Dreamchasers 2 is simply a continuation of the start to an impressive career, garnering an astounding 2,750,000+ downloads on datpiff.com alone, an improvement nearly sixfold over his last effort and good enough to be the most-downloaded tape of 2012 thus far. Named the seventh hottest rapper in the game right now by MTV in February, one could make an argument that just three months later Meek Mill, christened Robert Williams, is hotter than any of the artists who had been listed ahead of him. Incredible flow and sound, impressive and rapidly improving lyrical talents, depth of experience that seems almost a prerequisite for a success in rap (Williams has already served one jail sentence on gun charges), and a deal with MMG bode well for a successful career. At the very least, the Dreamchasers series as well as his less acclaimed Flamerz series have provided plenty of quality music in a remarkably short period of time.
Below is a track by track review of DC2. Give it a read, but more importantly, give Dreamchasers 2 a listen and continue to keep an eye on Meek Mill and Maybach Music in years to come.
1) Intro (prod. by The Beat Bully): If perhaps this intro does not match the lyrical hype provided by the A One-produced Intro from the original Dreamchasers, the sample from a Muhammad Ali speech that sets the self-lauding tone that Meek uses throughout the tape. If DC1 was about chasing dreams, DC2 is a reflection on having achieved those dreams (and, of course, aspiring for even greater). This is an excellent two-minute lead-in to a series of excellent songs at the outset of the tape.
Notable bars: "Yeah, it's a lot of bad b-tches in the building, Amen / Came in the game killin' n-ggas, J Lin"
2) Ready or Not (prod. by All Star): Essentially an extension of the Intro, this song features a reflective by Meek on his coming to fame, eloquent interjections by mixtape host DJ Drama on the nature of dreams, and a beat by All Star that can best be described as, well, dreamlike. In particular, this song speaks to all that Robert Williams overcame to become the Meek Mill that we know today: poverty, fear that he might be killed in his sleep, legal troubles, and friends that turned against him. There have been plenty of hype rappers that emerge for a few years but fail to find a permanent niche in the rap game; however, few of these put the feeling into their music that Meek Mill does. This track serves as another reminder of this.
Notable bars: "The meek shall inherit the earth / So I'mma own this b-tch until I'm buried in dirt"; "And I don't know why, I just feel like I'm the one / They label me a victim but now look what I become / Or should I say became, I don't do it for the fame"; "The system made me stronger / And being broke just gave me my hunger"
3) Amen ft. Drake, Jeremih (prod. by KeY Wane): This is a feel-good track with a bumping beat; in other words, Meek Mill at his very best. Although he is possibly outshone on this particular track by Drake's excellent verse (certainly there is no shame in this), this song still stands out as one of the best on the tape. The chorus is catchy, Drake and Jeremih both come strong, and Mill is on top of his game also. Since both the Drake feature and the upbeat tone to the song are conducive to radio airtime, don't be surprised if this song becomes a soundtrack to your summer.
Notable bars: Drake - "And good ain't good enough, and your hood ain't hood enough / Spent my whole life putting on, you spend your whole life putting up"; Meek Mill - "Lord forgive me for my sins, I'm just tryna win and sh-t / Devil in a dress but if she knock I let her in"
4) Burn ft. Big Sean (prod. by Jahlil Beats): This is, in my humble opinion, the absolute best track on the tape. Big Sean and Meek Mill have styles that complement each other perfectly. The pace is breakneck, the bass knocks like crazy, and the lyrics are a steady stream of self-lauding, cocky, badass-ness, executed, of course, to perfection. 'Burn' is this tape's 'I'ma Boss'; it has all the components of a successful rap song. A quick sidebar: this is Big Sean's best work in a very long time. A Meek Mill-Big Sean collaboration tape would be absolutely incredible. One can wish.
Notable bars: Meek Mill & Big Sean - "Cause we next and we flex like / 90PX, working all night no breaks or recess"; Big Sean - "My cousin finished school can't believe he graduated / Threw him 20,000 dollars told his ass congratulations"; Meek Mill - "And they say life's a game of chess, you can play checkers on my jacket / Cause it's Damier and we bombs away on y'all big rappers"; Big Sean - "Oh that's your girl? Damn n-gga you ain't learn sh-t / She naked in my studio, I'm on that Howard Stern sh-t"
5) A1 Everything ft. Kendrick Lamar: Forgive me if I'm biased on this track; Kendrick Lamar is perhaps my personal favorite young MC in the game. If 'Burn' is the strongest track on DC2, then 'A1 Everything' is a very close second. This is album-quality music: the lyrics are flow are impeccable, the production is commendable, the final product is a work of art. Kendrick Lamar and Meek Mill are actually both currently touring together along with Drake on his Club Paradise tour, and there is a May 30th tour date in Detroit. If I can grab a tough ticket, this blog will certainly see more than a few pictures.
Notable bars: Meek Mill - "So I'm just riding around in my Rolls, about to get on my bike / Just to touchdown in my hood and I put that on my life"; Kendrick Lamar - "Pray to God I washed my hand, but I be damned / 2012 100 racks to Uncle Sam / A 24 year old millionaire / Don't read the contract 'less a mill in there"
6) Use to Be ft. Jordanne: I hate to draw too many parallels between DC1 and DC2, but this song is very much comparable to 'Dreamchasers' off of the first edition. The solemn, reflective tone is a change of pace from the first five tracks of the tape. Rather than focusing on newfound fame and success, the lyrics ponder the life that Robert Williams left behind, aided by a catchy, nearly haunting hook by R&B artist Jordanne. This is probably the song that provides the most insight into the captivating story of Meek Mill's rise and all that he escaped. Pay particular mind to the lyrics when listening to this song; they are truly heartfelt.
Notable bars: Jordanne - "I used to grind in the dirt / I used to cry 'til it hurt / I will look up to the heavens / When is my time gonna come"; Meek Mill - "Looking at my son while his head lay on my shoulder / Thinking in my head will I make it to see him grow up / Or will I catch a bullet from something these n-ggas throwing"; Meek Mill - "Trying to get a couple bricks so I can make a house / Close friends hating on me really trying to play me out"; Meek Mill - "The man with the gold makes the rules / And one who makes the rules breaks the rules / Some n-ggas make it alive, some make the news / It's either family or money, I hate to choose"
7) Flexing (prod. by Jahlil Beats): Another banger, as one can come to expect when Meek and Jahlil Beats work together on a track. The attitude and characteristic frenzied tone are back for Meek Mill on this track. This is exactly the sort of track that has made him popular; although devoid of features, the money-flaunting, braggadocios flair that Meek Mill brings so consistently makes the track at the very least a great song to vibe to.
Notable bars: "Heater on my hip, trunk full of that work / I say my shooters like Dirk, 10 racks and you murk"; "I don't chase no b-tches, I just chase my dreams / We ridin' 'round so dirty in this whip that's so clean"
8) I Get It ft. Travis Scott: Most notable on this track is that Travis Scott, a nineteen year old MC from Houston, comes correct and hangs with one of the game's best. Travi$ Scott has worked with T.I. before on a track called 'Animal', which is likely where he came upon this connection, but this track will likely provide his first taste of nationwide notoriety. Already he has been the subject of an XXL piece this month; no doubt, this is a name to watch.
Notable bars: Meek Mill - "Hustle hard in that daytime but I ball off in that night life / My chain lit with them black stones, but they shine as hard as yo white ice"; Travis Scott - "Ride around just me and Meek, a couple dimes and that's 20 / Sit behind while we pull around, we might blind with canaries"
9) Everyday ft. Rick Ross (prod. by Cardiak): The two best hype rappers in the game right now, not to mention MMG labelmates, come together for a bass-pounding song, repping both MMG and Philadelphia fully. As the past two years have proved, a chorus by Ross is a recipe for success; this song is no exception. I said earlier that no two rappers complement each other so perfectly as Meek Mill and Big Sean. If there is an argument against this, it is that Meek and Ricky Rozay are just that much better. My only complaint is that this is Ross' only feature on the tape: if Meek Mill can feature three to four times on Rich Forever, Rick Ross should have appeared at least as much on DC2.
Notable bars: Meek Mill - "Diamonds flashing like a camera, my whip sound like a monster / My b-tch on that sh-t, she got a million dollar sponsor"
10) Racked Up Shawty ft. Fabolous, French Montana: With Fabo coming strong once again, and French Montana fresh off of his release of Coke Boys 3, this track had potential for success. Somehow, however, it the result was one of the least inspiring songs on the tape. The beat is decent, but the chorus seems to lack both energy and lyrical creativity. Needless to say, I'm disappointed; in my opinion, this is Meek Mill's worst performance on the tape, coupled with a French Montana verse that seems ill-suited to the beat.
Notable bars: Fabolous - "Won't catch me in that passenger, and that's word to Pac (damn) / That's word to B.I.G. (damn), rest in peace to the legends (yeah)"; French Montana - "Ass fat can't sit straight, ballin' like Griff Blake / Chain blue or white - Penn State, touring off a mixtape"
11) Lean Wit It (prod. by Cardiak): This beat is extremely well-suited to Meek Mill's flow and style. This is perhaps not the most polished piece on the mixtape, but could be album-worthy with a feature or if the lyrics were cleaned up or made more inspiring. Perhaps it is just the high standard set by the majority of the music on DC2, but this short stretch does not live up; 'Lean Wit It' is the last such song that really didn't do anything for me.
Notable bars: "Club LIV my last tag, I could've bought a fast Jag / The way these b-tches waving at me you would think a cab passed"
12) Big Dreams (prod. by All Star): Street gospel. This track is gold, and needs no features, none of Meek Mill's characteristic yells; it needs nothing besides the story that Meek Mill has to tell. Beginning with another brief cameo by DJ Drama, the piece dives into all of the work and all of the hardship on the road to success and fame. Good rap songs come, essentially, in two varieties: bangers, relying on flair and bass to wow and hype their way to hit status, and songs like 'Big Dreams', which is more in the line of a personal narrative or a social commentary.
Notable bars: "If you ain't got a dream, you ain't got nothing / A lot of n-ggas changed on me when I got money"; "Papa gotta eat, n-ggas shooting right around my momma way / Cops run in my sister crib, I swear I gotta find a way / Tryna touch a million dollars and I'm like a dime away / Never ask a n-gga for a handout, I would grind away"; "I was sixteen getting on my little knees / Asking the Lord please help me get a little cheese"; "Get a ad, picture that, he don't want no job / Lost hope, some n-ggas don't even want no God"
13) Take U Home ft. Wale, Big Sean (prod. by Beat Billionaire): More great work. Big Sean makes his second appearance and, once again, puts forth a very solid effort, joined on this song by Wale, another MMG frontman who is a personal favorite due to his status as rap's most renowned sneakerhead. Having seen all of these artists in concert, Wale is certainly the most impressive in person; he puts on an excellent concert. The same statement I made regarding Rick Ross on this tape also applies to Wale: why so few appearances? I know it's not an MMG collaborative or anything, but Wale definitely could have made valuable additions to a number of songs on the tape.
Notable bars: Meek Mill - "Got that from bruh Jeezy and then I put Dean on / I'm seven looking like Heaven, I love when them jeans on"; Wale - "He ain't talking about no paper we don't listen to him / I try to love 'em in the physical not literal"; Big Sean - "Man I like my drinks high, my lights low / And I'm stacking paper like trifolds / 'Til my momma neighbors them white folks / 'Til my account triple O, oh, triple O, oh"
14) The Ride: I don't have a lot to say about this song except that it's not anything remotely near as good as Drake's original. I'm not sure why Meek tried this particular cover. The beat and flow required are not really suited to his personal flair and style.
Notable bars: "There's jack-boys downstairs, no man with the big bag / Just a man with a big gap tryna take your sh-t back / 'Cause he feel the world owe him / And his daughter want a Barbie doll for Christmas"
15) Face Down ft. Wale, Trey Songz, Sam Sneaker (prod. by Sam Sneaker): Wale returns, but the highlights of 'Face Down' are excellent production and an excellent chorus by Sam Sneaker, and a full verse rapping from Trey Songz, who is often relegated to singing the chorus during many of his features. This is excellent all around, and an excellent vibing song (if a bit R-rated lyrically).
Notable bars: Meek Mill - "I take her home I touch that down, you take her home and you gon' punt / 'Cause y'all gon' kick it, and about my business"; Wale - "Couple bad independent women in my section / You be tricking dollars I don't even pay attention"
16) Str8 Like That ft. 2 Chainz, Louie V: 2 CHAINZ! Even Meek needed a verse from 2 Chainz, Tity Boi, or whatever name the former member of Playaz Circle will go by, the current rapper of the moment. 2 Chainz is not a particularly gifted lyricist but what he lacks in this respect he makes up in flow and pure swagger. If asked to name the top hype rappers in the game right now, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who would not name Meek Mill or 2 Chainz within ten seconds. The result is something like a club-banger.
Notable bars: Meek Mill - "And like Alakazam! This shi-t way out of my hands! / And I'm with black card shawty, vroom-vroom jumpin' out of that Lamb"; 2 Chainz - "All I do is turn up, I'm about to show y'all / Early bird get the worm, I'm up way before y'all"; 2 Chainz - "My rhyme style's unorthodox, my weed stank no Tic-Tac / Asking me where I get that, Gucci sat on my flip flap! / Paint job cost me ten stacks, rim cost me another ten / So tell a friend to tell a friend to tell a friend to tell a friend"; Meek Mill - "'Cause I'm balling, like Spalding / My wrist flooded, New Orleans / And I'm sh-tting on 'em, no toilet / And no referee, I called it"
17) House Party Remix ft. Fabolous, Wale, Mac Miller (prod. by The Beat Bully): A horrible remix to a great song. Really disappointing. Mac Miller comes correct and deserves recognition for doing so, but overall this version is simply inferior to the original 'House Party' off of DC1. It's never a good idea to change a hook that was as wildly successful as this one, even if it is ever so slightly. There is quality here lyrically, but the remix does not stack up to the original song.
Notable bars: Meek Mill - "If I score and her her girlfriend, I'm calling that And-1 / If I murder that from the back, I'm calling it 'redrum'"; Mac Miller - "You only getting one shot, I hope your picture takes / B-tch I'm spitting ont his remix like I'm Kid and Play"
18) Real (prod. by SAP): This is a solid track, although short, and although the mixtape doesn't exactly end with a bang the way one might prefer. However, the last few songs focus once again on Meek Mill's roots and all that he overcame. In 'Real', Milly focuses on the purpose and meaning of life, and how different these concepts can look in dire economic straits. Songs like this and the next one are evidence of Williams' gradual maturation and lyrical improvement.
Notable bars: "I said I used to get high, just to get by / Couldn't deal with my reality, was livin' in a lie / Sometimes I asked God is we livin' just to die / Conversations with my dad, and he livin' in the sky"; "I think 'am I goin' crazy?' or is this sh-t for real / The spirit of a n-gga who will or is appealed / Fightin' to see the light and I'm fightin' to keep it real / Like a n-gga with no lawyer I'm ready to take a deal"
19) On My Way (prod. by All Star): As 'Real' transitions into 'On My Way', we hear the transition in Meek Mill's story from being lost and without greater ambition than selling drugs or keeping his family afloat to a brighter future provided by his talents in rapping. The beat, tone, and lyrics are all suddenly less dark, and hope can be heard in Meek Mill's voice; he does a great job of recreating the hope that came into his life when it became clear that he was destined for greater things than could be found in his impoverished neighborhood. This is street gospel at its best.
Notable bars: "Look, I'mma give you a tip / Never let nobody tell you what you can be / They told me I couldn't / But I bet they told Obama he couldn't be the president either"; "I had basketball dreams, they deflated / I wasn't as good as Michael Jordan so they faded"
20) Outro (prod. by All Star): After a few tough bars, DJ Drama comes in to provide in to provide a number of informational snippets to tie the mixtape together. First, he alludes to Dreamchasers as a group with "exclusive membership", and lists Rick Ross, DJ Khaled, Philadelphia 76ers point guard Lou Williams, Def Jam president Joey IE, and himself. Having made these shoutouts, he finally hints at Meek Mill's next project with a short allusion: "'Dreams and Nightmares' up next. The rap game will await eagerly.
OVERALL: 4.5/5 STARS. This rating falls below perfect, only slightly, for one reason; as great as this tape is, I did not like it quite so much as DC1. Since DC2 has only been out now for a total of about three weeks, it is possible that this opinion could change, but the original was one of my very favorite mixtapes of all time. Everything is stellar about this mixtape: production, features, lyrical content, proper variation of styles and tones, and overall execution. I can scarcely wait for 'Dreams and Nightmares', which is rumored to be on pace for an August 2012 drop. Stay tuned.
-EA
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