Robert Rihmeek Williams (born May 6, 1987), known professionally as Meek Mill, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he embarked on his music career as a battle rapper, and later formed a short-lived rap group, The Bloodhoundz. He signed with Atlanta-based rapper T.I.'s Grand Hustle Records as a solo act in 2008, although he departed by 2011 and released no albums with the label. Williams then signed with Miami-based rapper Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group (MMG) that same year, and rose to mainstream recognition following his performances on the label's Self Made Vol. 1 (2011) compilation album; his song "Tupac Back" (featuring Rick Ross) served as the album's lead single while its follow up, "Ima Boss" (featuring Rick Ross) entered the Billboard Hot 100.
Williams' debut studio album, Dreams and Nightmares was released in 2012 through a joint venture with MMG and Warner Bros. Records. The album, preceded by the lead single "Amen" (featuring Drake), peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. His second album, Dreams Worth More Than Money (2015) peaked atop the Billboard 200, while his third album, Wins & Losses (2016) peaked at number three. His fourth album, Championships (2018) debuted atop the chart once more; its lead single, "Going Bad" (featuring Drake) peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains his highest charting song. His fifth album, Expensive Pain (2021) likewise peaked at number three, and his collaborative album with Rick Ross, Too Good to Be True (2023) peaked at number 23. He founded the record label Dream Chasers Records in 2012, which has released his own projects and signed other artists including Yung Bleu, Vory, and the late Lil Snupe.
In November 2017, he was sentenced to two to four years in prison for violating parole, before being released while his trial continues after serving five months. In August 2019, a documentary series about his battle with the criminal justice system, Free Meek, was released on Amazon Prime Video. Rapper Jay-Z executive produced the series; he and Williams then co-founded the nonprofit Reform Alliance that same year, which focuses on national prison reform.