Meek Mill is coming home to love.
On Tuesday (April 24), the Philadelphia Supreme Court ordered his release after almost five months behind bars. Almost immediately, #MeekFree began trending, a nod to popular #FreeMeek hashtag that sprouted while the Philly rapper sat behind bars. Following his release, several public figures celebrated the news.
Meek’s attorney Joe Tacopina addressed the news. “It’s so bittersweet,” he told TMZ. “It’s sweet, obviously, because justice has finally been served. Meek is going home to be with his family, where he belongs, but bitter because it’s taken this amount of time. This guy was unjustly convicted 10 years ago by a lying and corrupt cop, who was subsequently named a lying and corrupt cop by both the FBI and District Attorney. Then [he had] a judge who could not be fair and impartial, but really had to go to extremes to try to extract punishment from Meek to take this to a different level of unprofessionalism and a legal vendetta.”
Tacopina also seemed optimistic about the future. “We’re not worried that this case is ever gonna stand,” he said, “because the prosecutor and the defense both agree that the case needs to be dismissed for constitutional violations and overturned. He’s never going back to jail.”
Meek’s Roc Nation boss JAY-Z celebrated the joyous occasion. “Today, Meek Mill, a son of Philadelphia, is a free man,” he wrote. “He was incarcerated unjustly and caught in a probation trap for years by a broken system. Now we can celebrate his release. We thank every individual that has supported and fought alongside Meek every step of the way.”
Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin, who picked Mill up from prison, said Meek will “more than likely” attend the organization’s playoff game against the Miami Heat this evening. The rapper may even ring the ceremonial bell, according to The New York Times‘ Daniel Victor.
Kevin Hart, who visited Mill with Rubin earlier today, also acknowledged his release on Instagram. “Meek Mill is Frrrrreeeeeeeee,” he wrote. “I just left from seeing him in jail with @michaelgrubin and we were just told that he is being released. Woooooooow……Stand Up Philadelphia!!!!!”
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The New England Patriots also published images of Meek with owner Robert Kraft, who recently visited Mill in prison. “Justice for our friend,” they wrote on social media. “Finally free.”
Roc Nation also issued a statement about their client’s release. “As we have said all along,” they wrote, “Meek was unjustly convicted and should not have spent a single day in jail.” Meanwhile, Rick Ross posted a series of flexing emojis alongside Meek’s name, presumably to signify strength.
Meek’s collaborator A$AP Ferg rejoiced over the release during an interview with MSNBC. “Jail is where murderers and people who need to do hard time go, to sit down for a long time,” he explained. “He’s not that. He was outside making art and music…Doing things for people in his neighborhood. He’s not barbaric, a gargoyle. He’s a very wholesome human being.”
Reverend Al Sharpton also spoke about the case. “When I visited him in jail, he said, ‘Reverend, at 18, I was a criminal,’ but he became an entrepreneur, an artist, and a successful one,” said Sharpton, who celebrated Mill’s release.
T.I. commended Meek during a phone call, which he publicized on Instagram. “They made you a political prisoner to silence you,” he wrote in the video’s caption. “You stood tall and stayed SOLID!!! They can’t stop you now lil bro!!!! It’s almost OVER!!!”