Album Review: Meek Mill — Wins & Losses

Porsha.
Porsha.
Jul 30, 2017 · 3 min read

Meek Mill’s highly anticipated third album is finally here! It has been a journey of relationship breakups, rap beefs, loss of loved ones and much more which were instrumental to this body of work. Having survived the backlash of the internet from the countless memes and becoming synonymous with taking an L. Throughout this album, he skilfully defines what is a win and a loss to him.

We were anxiously hoping the infamous rap beef with Drake and his break up with Nicki Minaj would be discussed on the album. As someone that follows Meek quite closely, his fall outs with Beanie Sigel, The Game and 50 cent were also potential conversation starters. It opens with a direct message to all the people that doubted him and acknowledging it hasn’t been an easy road. But he reminds us, despite the so-called losses, he has gone from “eating oodles and noodles to lobster”. He is known for attention grabbing opening tracks, and he didn’t disappoint.

This was a very introspective album touching on— backstabbing friends (“Shit I’d rather work and walk ‘fore I ride luxury with niggas that don’t fuck with me”), struggling with trust issues after a breakup (“I can’t trust a bitch ’cause I got issues”) and dealing with fame and success(“Shit, ever since I got money, I ain’t been happy like I used to”).

I loved some of the features on the album, Rick Ross and Yo Gotti’s verses on “Connect the Dots” worked perfectly with Papamitrou on production, Dreamchaser’s first signed producer. The album’s lead single, “Whatever You Need” featuring Chris Brown and Ty Dolla $ign, sampled Tony! Toni! Toné!’s song “Whatever You Want” and “A Dream” by DeBarge. It was great to hear Meek, who is known for his street anthems show a softer side and both featuring artists delivered a catchy chorus and bridge. There was a strong vocal on “Made It From Nothing” from Teyana Taylor. I wasn’t a big fan of Future’s contribution on “These Scars”, it seemed out of place and was completely unrelated but Guordan Banks’ soulful voice was easy on the ear but it wasn’t enough to save the song.

What truly has been impeccable is the album’s rollout, he has produced a mini-movie, which is available here. He has partnered with Tidal to host a series of intimate pop-up shows in New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC. During his interviews promoting the album, he has been forthcoming but I was disappointed he didn’t visit the Breakfast Club. I was looking forward to him and Charlamagne going back and forth on a few issues.

Overall, this album highlights Meek Mill’s growth as an artist whilst staying true to his roots and serving his core fan base. This album helped to remind me why I fell in love with Meek, a street rapper from Philly, who made it out, despite having all the odds stacked against him. Not many rappers could have survived what Meek Mill has endured over the past two years and come out on the other side with a hit album, according to projections, “Wins and Losses” will secure the number 2 spot on the Billboard 200.

On Repeat: Connect the Dots, Whatever You Need, 1942 Flow, Glow Up, Issues and Fall Thru

Songs I didn’t need: F**k that Check Up, Ball Player and These Scars

Rating: 3.5/5

Listen to the album for free on Tidal here

Written by

Porsha.

Language Learner | Wanderlust| Blogger |

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade