The Intriguing Story Behind The Song: R.I.C.O. by Meek Mill (featuring Drake)
Introduction
Hip-Hop music has a way of encapsulating powerful meaning into its lyrics and beats. R.I.C.O., a single by Meek Mill featuring Drake, released in June 2015, proved to be a standout song from the album “Dreams Worth More Than Money”. The song garnered millions of streams and downloads, making it a hit instantly. However, just like most songs, R.I.C.O. holds a deeper meaning and implies a backstory that takes the song to another level. In this article, let’s delve deeper and understand the meaning behind R.I.C.O. and what it had represented to Meek Mill’s life and the Hip-Hop music scene.
Meek Mill – The Story Behind The Song
Robert Rihmeek Williams, popularly known as Meek Mill, is known for his hard-hitting Hip-Hop lyrics that describe life in the streets. Meek’s music is often a reflection of his reality and experiences, having come from Philadelphia, a city notorious for gun violence and poverty. Meek has been very vocal about his experiences growing up in a city with rampant oppression. He shared in interviews that he never knew his father and that his mother struggled with drug addiction. He sold drugs to make a living, which saw him caught up with the law and land in prison a few times.
Meek’s music career took off in 2011 when he released his mixtape, Dreamchasers, which became an instant hit. He continued to release more mixtapes, signed to Rick Ross’s Maybach Music Group label in 2012, and released his debut album, “Dreams and Nightmares,” in 2012. By 2015, Meek, who was dating rapper Nicki Minaj at the time, was in the limelight and faced mounting pressure to release new music.
Drake Feud
The pressure intensified when Drake tweeted that Meek Mill’s album, “Dreams Worth More Than Money,” would be dropping soon, despite Meek’s tweet that the album release was postponed. Meek called Drake out on it, which resulted in a beef between the two of them that shook the Hip-Hop scene.
The feud resulted in Meek releasing R.I.C.O. as a diss track against Drake, claiming that Drake didn’t write his own rap lyrics. The lyrics in question were in the track “R.I.C.O.”, whose verse two is by Drake. The feud escalated, with both artists releasing additional diss tracks. Meek went on to claim that Drake didn’t write his own lyrics in the song, making it seem like Drake was a fraud in the industry.
The Meaning Behind R.I.C.O.
Meek Mill used R.I.C.O. as an opportunity to call out the fake artists in the Hip-Hop scene and those who he perceived as benefiting from his hard work. The song title, R.I.C.O., is short for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, which is a U.S federal law that empowers prosecutors to pursue leaders of organized criminal enterprises who commit racketeering offenses.
Meek claimed in the song that the industry is corrupt and that it is endorsed by the people who benefit the most. He also addresses the backlash he faced from other rappers for calling out the industry’s corrupt tendencies. In the song, he emphasizes that not everyone in the Hip-Hop scene is real and urges people to pay attention to who they support.
The Aftermath of the Song
Meek Mill received a lot of criticism and backlash from other rappers involved in the feud. Many labels and artists distanced themselves from him, which made it difficult for him to book shows or have anyone feature his music. Despite this, Meek Mill continued to persevere and kept releasing music. Meek also did a lot of work in the hope of reforming the criminal justice system, becoming an activist for prison reform and justice for those falsely accused.
Surprisingly, Meek and Drake would later squash their beef and collaborate, with Meek citing a need to move beyond negativity. They joined forces to release “Going Bad,” which became another chart-topping hit.
The Takeaway
Musicians, just like any other artist, create their work from their life experiences. In the case of Meek Mill, R.I.C.O. came from a place of pain, misunderstanding, and injustice. Through the song, Meek was able to vent his frustrations, call out the corrupt people in the industry, and send a message to his listeners. The song was a call for integrity and honesty, urging people not to support those who exploit the system.
In conclusion, hip-hop music has always been about expressing one’s reality and journey. Meek Mill’s R.I.C.O. accomplished that and more, showing the importance of standing up for oneself and one’s beliefs, even if it means going against the tide. R.I.C.O. is indeed a musical sample of how one can voice out the daily struggles in a world of injustice, and hopefully inspire others to do the same.
