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Dream Chasers Records: A joint venture between Jay-Z & Meek Mill


What happens to a dream deferred?  In the midst of a time of segregation and oppression of American Negro people in the mid-Twentieth Century by White America, poet Langston Hughes wrote this unforgettable opening line to his poem, HarlemNever could he have imagined a time such as this, where two Black men, influential powerhouses in their own rights, would come together to ensure that the dreams of those who are coming behind them will not face being deferred.  These men are, in fact, the Dream Chasers.

 

Jay-Z and Meek Mill met recently in New York City at the Roc Nation headquarters to sign their new joint venture into existence, during a press conference where they drank champagne to celebrate the new partnership.  Dream Chasers Records is the brain child of Meek Mill, and he will act as President of the label.  As President, he will oversee daily functions of the label and manage staff that will be responsible for signing and developing new upcoming artists.  Meek will be opening a new recording studio to facilitate the artists’ pursuits, as well.

 

Shawn Corey Carter, professionally known as Jay-Z and affectionately known as J-Hova or HOV, is an American music mogul and a rap icon.  At the age of 49, Jay-Z has accumulated a long list of accomplishments within the last two decades.  From releasing thirteen best-selling solo albums and collaborating with his wife, Beyonce’ and Kanye West on two separate musical projects, to founding the popular clothing line, Rocawear and the luxury sports bar chain, 40/40 Club, this savvy businessman has proven his entrepreneurial prowess time and again.  In addition to topping the charts and selling over 125 million records and earning a total of 22 Grammy awards, in 2008, he founded the legendary entertainment company, Roc Nation.  Just last week, on July 24th, 2019, CBS This Morning would reveal that Jay-Z and Roc Nation would be partnering with artist, Meek Mill, to launch the new record label, Dream Chasers Records, as a joint venture.

 

Raised in North Philadelphia in the late 80’s and 90’s by a single mother after his father was killed during an attempted robbery, Robert Rihmeek Williams would later become an American rapper, songwriter, and activist known to most as Meek Mill.  One of his father’s brothers, Meek Mill’s uncle, Grandmaster Nell, was a disc jockey who pioneered the hip hop culture during the time, having a deep impact on Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff, along with his impressionable nephew.  He and a couple of friends would perform in rap battles as The Bloodhoundz, and subsequently released four mixed tapes.

 

In 2005, at the young age of 18, Meek walked to a corner store while being armed.  He would be arrested and beaten by police officers for illegally possessing a firearm.  They used extreme force, claiming that Meek Mill assaulted them, and said he chased them down and tried to kill them.  As a result of the beating that he suffered, his eye and lip were swollen and one of his braids was ripped from his head.  This run in would be a catalyst for his later activism against the unfair treatment of Black people by the criminal justice system.

 

After meeting the Atlanta-based rapper, T.I. signed Meek Mill to his first record deal in 2008.  Meek Mill’s musical career skyrocketed.  He would later leave Grand Hustle Records in 2010 to join Rick Ross at his Maybach Music Group (MMG) label. Garnering much success with his Dreamchasers series, on May 10, 2012, Meek would sign with Jay-Z at Roc Nation.  This would prove to be a life-changing decision.

 

“It’s like a dream to me,” Meek Mill says about partnering with his mentor, whom he refers to as the G.O.A.T., or Greatest of All Time.  “I always felt like I had a responsibility to lead the culture as much as I can.  I always say that Jay Z, and others that come before me, were like a snow plow for people like myself.  They made it easier to walk through the snow storm, and I want to continue to be a snow plow for the next generation coming behind me.”

 

Jay-Z and Meek Mill, along with New York Patriots owner Robert Kraft and a host of other NFL team owners and celebrities have created the REFORM Alliance, whose goal is to release one million people or more within the next five years who are unjustly stuck in the criminal justice system due to unfair laws and policies.  Meek Mill continues to fight to overturn a 2008 conviction on gun and drug charges that he is awaiting a court decision on to this day.  Connecting this way and partnering to advocate for prison reform has only furthered the friendship and respect that Jay-Z and Meek Mill have for one another.

 

“When Meek and I connected, we connected on a level beyond him being a great rapper,” Jay-Z said, speaking on this connection. “Just who he is – his honesty, his sense of responsibility.  He just came out of a situation and pulled people together. He turned a negative thing into something positive.”

 

He continued, “I know he can make music — you’ve heard it. I think he cannot only make music, but he can make stars. Not only can he make stars, but he can make films. What we lacked for so long was opportunity. We didn’t own our businesses. We’ve never been in this position before, never had this sort of power. Hip-hop is 40-something years old.  We’ve just now gotten to the point where we can really affect change.  The music and the culture that we create, we’ve been giving it away for so long, which is understandable.  You’ve got to start somewhere, you know, you’ve got to clean the floor up before you own the building, but…”

 

Jay-Z pauses, ending with a subtle smirk, “We don’t shine shoes anymore.”

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