Meek Mill’s Dateline interview with Lester Holt aired on Sunday night, following the Philadelphia rapper’s release from prison last month. Mill’s sit-down with Holt is the first in-depth interview he’s granted since getting released on bail, and during the discussion Meek expressed a desire to use his experience to advocate for criminal justice reform.
“At this point, it’s not all about me having the light to shine on my situation,” Mill said. “It’s about the thousands of others that’s caught up in that situation…Let’s continue, let’s retire the free Meek Mill hashtag and make it hashtag justice reform.”
Mill was locked up on charges related to a parole violation stemming from a 2008 conviction on drug and gun offenses.
“I ain’t feel free since I caught this case at the age of 19,” the now 31-year-old told Holt. “Me, I just pray. I believe God is my first lawyer; I’ve always believed that. I don’t feel free at all.”
Mill supporter and 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin also appeared in the Dateline episode. Rubin famously flew Mill directly from prison to a Sixers playoffs game against the Miami Heat.
“If I think about how much the world has changed as a result of the Me Too Movement, I think Meek Mill will be to criminal justice reform in a lot of ways, what’s happened with the Me Too Movement,” Rubin told Holt. “So I think he’s going to shine a giant light on this incredible problem that we have. And I think he’s going to help to make it significantly better.”
Watch a clip of the interview below and the entire Dateline episode here. Mill is also documenting his legal saga in a documentary series produced by Jay-Z for Amazon. It’s expected to be released sometime in 2019.
