Jay-Z reportedly talked recently freed rapper Meek Mill out of visiting the White House Friday and meeting with President Donald Tump about prison reform.
According to TMZ , the 48-year-old rapper reportedly convinced Mill that attending the Prison Reform Summit and meeting with Trump would be bad for his image and wouldn’t help the cause. The event included members of Congress and people who have been outspoken about criminal justice reform.
Rapper Meek Mill looks on during Game Two of the Eastern Conference Second Round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden on May 3, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics defeat the 76ers 108-103. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
“I was originally scheduled to be part of a panel on Prison Reform at the White House to help shed light on the issues within the system,” the 31-year-old rapper shared. “Unfortunately, the focus turned to the president and myself, which concerned me that it might take away from creating a positive result from today’s discussions.”
“As a result, I decided not to attend so that the focus would be solely on fixing our prison system,” he added. “Most importantly, I remain fully committed to improving our criminal justice system.”
Since his release last month, Mills has become a vocal advocate for criminal justice reform.
In November, Judge Genece Brinkley sentenced the rapper to up to four years in prison for violating his probation from a decade-long weapon and drug conviction.
Mill, whose real name is Robert Williams, was convicted on drug-dealing and drug-possession charges in 2008. In 2017, he was sentenced to two-to-four years in state prison for violating his parole after an altercation in an airport.
Mill’s incarceration sparked outrage on social media with the hashtag #FreeMeek. The rapper served nearly five months behind bars before being released April 24. His legal team has raised questions about the judge in his probation case and say she is “enamored” with him.
During his prison stint, well-known artists, athletes and politicians visited him and spoke out about the injustice of his sentence.