The city of Philadelphia is on a high this evening.
Because the Eagles won the Super Bowl? Villanova won the NCAA men’s basketball championship? The 76ers have two of the best 20 players in the NBA?
Nope, nope and nope.
All these things may be true, but the City of Brotherly Love is psyched at the moment because one of its own has finally been released from prison.
Oh, yes, Meek Mill is a free man.
At last!
The rapper received a jail sentence of two to four years in November, stemming from a parole violation following a pair of arrests earlier in the year.
The first arrest transpired last March due to a scuffle at an airport in St. Louis; the related charges were dropped.
After that, Meek Mill then pleaded guilty to reckless driving in October after he posted videos of himself doing wheelies on a dirt bike in New York City
His sentencing late in the year created a national outcry among a certain section of society who believed he was being unjustly punished, beginning with Jay-Z, who said the following when Meek Mill was sent to the slammer:
“The sentence handed down by the Judge – against the recommendation of the Assistant District Attorney and Probation Officer – is unjust and heavy handed.
“We will always stand by and support Meek Mill, both as he attempts to right this wrongful sentence and then in returning to his musical career.”
Compare this quote to what the iconic musician said after Meek Mill walked out on Tuesday might from the Chester State Correctional Institution:
“Today, Meek Mill, a son of Philadelphia, is a free man. 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.”
Mill, meanwhile, wasted no time in taking advantage of his freedom.
He was picked up via helicopter by 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin and flown to the team’s opening round playoff game against the Miami Heat.
But he also found time to jump on Twitter and issue a few important statements:
I’d like to thank God, my family, and all my public advocates for their love, support and encouragement during this difficult time. While the past five months have been a nightmare, the prayers, visits, calls, letters and rallies have helped me stay positive.
To the Philly District Attorney’s office, I’m grateful for your commitment to justice. I understand that many people of color across the country don’t have that luxury and I plan to use my platform to shine a light on those issues.
In the meantime, I plan to work closely with my legal team to overturn this unwarranted conviction and look forward to reuniting with my family and resuming my music career.
Upon arriving at the 76ers game, TMZ has a video of Meek Mill saying he feels “great.”
And why shouldn’t he?
Sporting a Joel Embiid jersey, the rapper went ahead and rang Philadelphia’s ceremonial bell before the game against the Heat.
It’s pretty good to be Meek Mill right about now.
Which is not something we would have written as recently as one day ago.