>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WELCOME BACK TO THE SHOW LEER ON
THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY FIRST GUEST THIS EVENING IS A RAP ARE
AND AN ACTIVIST WITH A NEW DOCUMENTARY SERIES CALLED "FREE
MEEK."
PLEASE WELCOME TO THE LATE SHOW MEEK MILL.
(APPLAUSE) HOW ARE YOU DOING?
>> I'M DOING WELL, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> Stephen: YOU HAD A REALLY SIGNIFICANT WEEK THIS MAST WEEK.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: EXPLAIN TO THE THE PEOPLE, SORT OF SUCCINCTLY AS
YOU CAN, WHAT HAPPENED 12 YEARS AGO AND THIS FIGHT YOU HAVE BEEN
HAVING TO GET A NEW SHOT AT A TRIAL FOR THE LAST 12 TO 13
YEARS.
>> BASICALLY WHEN I WAS 19 YEARS OLDK I AM 32 YEARS OLDK I COME
FROM NORTH PHILADELPHIA.
(APPLAUSE) I COME FROM I WOULD SAY LIKE THE
HOOD PART OF NORTH PHILADELPHIA, YOU KNOW, OUT OF POVERTY, YOU
KNOW, KIND OF LIKE POCKETS OF BAD ENVIRONMENTS.
AND I WAS ACTUALLY BROUGHT UP IN ONE OF THEM ENVIRONMENTS A AND
BEING AT THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME I WAS FALSELY ACCUSED
OF A LOT OF CHARGES.
I GOT FOUND GUILTY OF ALL CHARGES.
I'M 32 YEARS OLD NOW, HAVE I NEVER BEEN BACK TO PRISON FOR
CRIME AND PROBATION HAS SENT ME BACK TO PRISON THREE OR FOUR
TIME WAS COMMITTING A CRIME.
>> Stephen: YOU WENT IN, YOU HAD A SHORT SENTENCE ORIGINAL
LEIGH.
>> IT WASN'T A SHORT, A YEAR AIN'T SHORT.
>> Stephen: MY APOLOGIES.
A NOARKS I KNOW, ANY LENGTH OF TIME IS WRONG.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: BUT YOU HAD A RELATIVELY TO SOME OTHER
SENTENCES, RELATIVELY SHORT.
AND BECAUSE OF PROT BASE SYSTEM, ANY MINOR INFRACTION IN THE THE
LAST 12 YEARS, YOU GO RIGHT BACK.
>> YEAH.
FOR THOSE NOT FAMILIAR, IT COULD BE LIKE MAKING A U-TURN, POLICE
CONTACT IS ACTUALLY A TECHNICAL VIOLATION, THEY CALL IT TECH NAL
VIOLATION BECAUSE ST NOT ACTUALLY COMMITTING CRIME.
BUT GOING OVER THE NEW JERSEY BREJ IS A TECHNICAL VIOLATION,
POLICE CONTACT.
>> Stephen: BECAUSE YOU ARE LEAVING THE AREA YOU ARE
SUPPOSED TO BE LIVING IN.
>> IF YOU CROSS THE LINE, IN PHILADELPHIA YOU GO TO THE MALL
IN-- YOU MIGHT CROSS THE COUNTY LINE WITHOUT KNOWING YOU CROSSED
THE COUNTY LINE AND ARE YOU IN TECHNICAL VIOLATION.
OR JUST TRAVELING, TAKING YOUR KIDS TO DISNEY WORLD LIKE A
REGULAR THING, IT RESTRICTIONS YOU FROM A LOT OF THINGS.
>> Stephen: SO YOU ARE OUT OF JAIL BUT IN SOME WAYS NOT FULLY
FREE.
>> YEAH, I JUST LOOKED AT IT AS TELLING SOMEONE LIKE ME, YOU
HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE AVERAGE PERSON, I AM IN THE MUSIC
INDUSTRY, MAKING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, MI ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR
MY FAMILY.
HAVE I A JOB.
I PROVIDE JOBS FOR PEOPLE, DO I COMMUNITY SERVICE, I PAY TAXES.
AND AT THE SAME TIME I WASN'T INVOLVED IN CRIME, AT THE SAME
TIME I WAS STILL GETTING PULLED BACK INTO THE SYSTEM, BEING
PLACED IN JAIL.
>> Stephen: SO WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK THAT MIGHT CHANGE THAT
FOR YOU.
>> LAST WEEK THEY RULED FOR ME TO VEY NEW TRIAL TO REVIEW THE
CASE THAT I WAS INITIALLY PUT ON PROBATION FOR, I GOT A LABEL
WITH JAY-Z THE SAME DAY, I GOT THE NEWS THE SAME DAY, YOU KNOW.
(APPLAUSE) THANK YOU.
I'M NOT A FELON ANY MORE.
I AM NOT ON PROBATION ANY MORE.
I JUST HAVE AN OPEN CASE.
(APPLAUSE).
>> Stephen: LOOKING GREAT.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: THE NEW DOCUMENTARY SERIES ON AMAZON IS
CALLED AS I SAID BEFORE "FREE MEEK."
DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE WORLD IS FINALLY HEARING YOUR SIDE OF THE
STORY?
>> I JUST THINK IN TODAY'S TIME WE GOT SO MANY PLATFORMS, WE
HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU HAVE GOT GOOGLE, YOU HAVE PLACES WHERE
YOU CAN ACTUALLY RESEARCH.
YOU HAVE DATA NOW, AND PEOPLE CAN FOCUS AND PAY MORE
ATTENTION, LIKE A LOT OF THESE THINGS REALLY LIKE COMMON SENSE.
ME AND MYSELF, I HAVE BEEN ON PROBATION MY WHOLE ADULT LIFE.
I HAVEN'T BEEN INVOLVED OR ACCUSED OF ANY CRIME SINCE HAVE
I BEEN ON THIS PROBATION AT THE AGE OF 19, BUT SMALL
INFRACTIONS, SMALL MISTAKES KEPT STRETCHING THE PROBATION OUT.
I STARTED OFF WITH TEN YEARS OF PROBATION.
POLICE CONTACT, MAKING 16 YEARS OF PROBATION.
SO IT IS KEEP STREMPING OUT.
FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON, TRYING TO GET A FAIR SHOT IN AMERICA,
THAT IS LIKE KIND OF EXTREMELY HARD.
SO YOU KNOW, WE CAME UP WITH THE REFORM ALLIANCE, ME MYSELF,
ROBERT CRAFT, JAY-Z, CLARRA MIKE RUBEN, A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT
KAISM TOGETHER TO COME TOGETHER FOR A BETTER CAUSE, AND WE ARE
WORKING ON IT ON A DAILY BASIS.
>> WHICH HAVE A CLIP HERE WERE "FREE MEEK."
I BELIEVE THIS IS JAY-Z TALKING ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE.
>> YEAH.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON.
OR DON'T BELIEVE IT UNTIL THEY REALLY SEE IT, MEEK IS NOT THE
ONLY ONE.
YOU TELL PEOPLE THESE STORIES, YOU CAN'T BELIEVE IT UNTIL YOU
HEAR IT, LIKE YOU HEAR IT FROM A SOURCE.
AND ARE YOU LIKE OH, THIS IS NOT FANTASY, THIS IS FACT.
YOU KNOW, THESE ARE JUST THINGS THAT ARE SO FAR, THAT I HAVE TO
SAY SOMETHING.
>> Stephen: IT IS NOT JUST JAY-Z, AS YOU WERE SAYING, THERE
ARE A LOT OF PUBLIC FIGURES COMING OUT IN SUPPORT OF YOU AND
SAYING FREE MEEK.
HOW AWARE WERE YOU OF THE FREE MEEK MOVE.
, WERE YOU INCARCERATED AT THE TIME.
>> YEAH, I WAS INCARCERATED WHILE IT WAS GOING ON.
AND I WAS HEARING A LOT ABOUT IT, WHEN I CALL HOME, THEY WOULD
TELL ME THE EFFECTS OF IT IT BUT I WAS SO STRESSED OUT AND DE
PRESSED, I COULDN'T REALLY FEEL THE FULL EFFECTS AM THEN I
STARTED SEEING IT ON MAJOR NEWS PLATFORMS.
AND THEN TALKED ABOUT EVERY DAY.
AND THAT WAS THE YEAR THE EAGLES WON THE SUPER BOWLK ANY EAGLE
FANS IN THE BUILDING.
(APPLAUSE) THEY WON THE SUPER BOWL AND THEY
CAME OUT TO, THEY CELEBRATED TO MY SONG AFTER THE WIN.
JAY-Z AND BEYONCE HAD A SONG COME OUT WITH DJ KHALID, JAY-Z
IS MAY HOMIE, HE SHOUT ME OUT, THAT WAS LIKE A DREAM FOR ME,
BEYONCE SHOUTEDDED ME OUT, THAT HAD ME EXCITED WHEN I HEARD HER
ON THE RADIO.
I WOULD SEE IT IT ON THE NEWS.
I HAD GROUPING OF PEOPLE FROM MY CITY MARCHING FOR ME OUT IN THE
RAIN.
THAT IS WHAT MOTIVATED ME TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING LIKE THE
REFORM ALLIANCE TO GIVE BACK TO THE PEOPLE WITHOUT ACTUALLY
STOOD UP FOR ME.
BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THEY HAD PEOPLE CAUGHT UP IN THEIR SAME
SITUATION IF NOT BEING CAUGHT UP THEMSELVES.
SO WHEN I CAME HOME I WANTED TO DEDICATE SOME OF MY TIME TO
GIVING BACK TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO STOOD UP FOR ME.
(APPLAUSE).
>> Stephen: YOU NOW SPEND SOME TIME SPEAKING IN COMMUNITY
CENTERS, WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THE KIDS WHO ARE GROWING UP IN THE
15EU78 KIND OF COMMUNITIES THAT YOU GREW UP IN.
WHAT ADVICE ARE YOU GIVING THEM?
>> I ALWAYS GIVE THEM ADVICE TO CHASE THEIR DREAMS.
AND MY RECORD LABEL IS CALLED DREAM CHASERS, FOR EVERY KIND IN
THE WORLD, EVERYBODY HAS A DREAM.
I ALWAYS THEM THEM CHASE THEIR DREAM BECAUSE THE VEUMENT I CAME
OUT, I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYONE IS FAMILIAR WITH IT.
I CAME OUT OF ENVIRONMENT WHERE YOU MIGHT HAVE PEOPLE SELLING
DRUGS ON YOUR STEP, SHOOTK AROUND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU
WERE RAISED IN VIOLENCE.
SOME PEOPLE GROW UP AM LOVE, WE WERE RAISED IN SURVIVAL BECAUSE
IT IS SURVIVAL, A DANGEROUS PLACE, A LOT OF BAD THINGS
HAPPEN.
I ALWAYS TELL YOUNG KIDS BE A LEADER.
I ALWAYS WAS A LEADER.
OF COURSE I CAME UP AM THAT ENVIRONMENT,nd I COULDN'T BE
A SURVIVOR IN THAT ENVIRONMENT BUT I ALWAYS WAS A LEADER AND I
DID WHAT WAS BEST FOR ME AND NOT JUST FOLLOW THE CROWD, THAT IS
HOW I ENDED UP IN THE POSITION I AM IN NOW.
I WILL BE A LEADER AND NEVER LET NOBODY MISLEAD YOU AND DO THINGS
THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO DO, AND FOLLOW YOUR DREAM, CHASE YOUR
DREAM.
>> THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE IT.
>> FREE MEEK PREMIERS ON AMAZON AUGUST 9th.
MEEK MILL, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.