Meek Mill is already feeling the Super Bowl fever. The Philadelphia-born rapper says he is confident that the Eagles will beat the Patriots.
Ahead of the anticipated games next month, Meek Mill, whose real name is Robert Rihmeek Williams, has started rallying support for his hometown's team. The artist, who was sent to prison for two years for violating his parole, also talked about how his song "Dreams and Nightmares" became the unofficial anthem of the Eagles.
Bring Home The Bacon
"It really lifted my spirit to hear the team rally around my songs and that's why I make music — to inspire others and bring people together," Williams said when he heard that the Eagles blasted his song after a win against Minnesota Vikings. "The Eagles have also motivated me with the way they've overcome tough situations and injuries to succeed this year."
The Philadelphia Eagles are returning to the Super Bowl for the first time in 13 years, but the rapper thinks that it is time for the sports team to be champions. He said he is "confident" that the team will be able to beat defending champions the New England Patriots next Sunday, Feb. 4, at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota.
Pop superstar P!nk will sing the national anthem to kick off the event. Meanwhile, Man of the Woods Justin Timberlake will perform, for the first time in more than a decade, for the halftime show.
Meek Mill's Prison Sentence
As for Williams, he will be watching even if he cannot physically support the Philadelphia Eagles in Minnesota. The rapper is currently serving a minimum of two years sentence after a judge found him guilty of violating his probation last year.
Meek Mill has been in probation for nearly a decade after he was convicted of gun and drug charges when he was just 21 years old.
Following the Eagles' victory last week, fans and fellow artists have been hoping to free the rapper from jail. Billboards demanding his sentencing to be overturned have popped up all over Philadelphia. Supporters that included basketball legend Julius Erving and rappers Rick Ross and Freeway also rallied in support of Williams outside of the courthouse on the day he was sentenced. Online, football superstar Colin Kaepernick called for a criminal justice reform.
"Sadly there are Black folks going through the same radicalized injustice(s) within the justice system that Meek Mill has experienced for over a decade EVERY SINGLE DAY," said the quarterback. "This requires more than just gradual reform in laws — It requires a swift overhaul."