Artist of the Week: Meek Mill

After a number of mixtapes, Meek Mill is finally set to drop his debut studio album this year. The Philadelphia rapper is currently putting the final touches on "Dreams and Nightmares", which is expected to hit the stores in October after initially slated for an August 28 release.

Produced under Maybach Music Group and Warner Bros. Records, the record boasts "Amen" as the first single. Originally listed as part of his mixtape "Dreamchasers 2", the song drew protest from religious organizations due to the lyrics, which mix a hip-hop lifestyle with holy words, soon after it's released.

Pastor/rapper Jomo K. Johnson was one of them who strongly criticized "Amen", calling for a boycott on the song. Mill later apologized to those who were offended by the song, and Johnson subsequently withdrew his calls for boycott.

The beef, however, did not make fans lose interest in "Amen". It's shown as the Drake-assisted track charted high, peaking at No. 64 on Billboard Hot 100 and at No. 10 on Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

Prior to the controversial single, Mill entered the R&B/hip-hop songs chart with "Tupac Back" and "Ima Boss", which both feature Rick Ross and were included in Maybach Music Group's "Self Made Vol. 1". Following these accomplishments, he was chosen as one of the Hottest MCs in the Game by MTV in February 2012.

The 25-year-old most recently can be heard spitting some lines in Mariah Carey's single "Triumphant (Get 'Em)". The R&B diva said of his inclusion in her song, "Meek adds an excitement, a newness to the record that is pretty rare right now."

Post From: www.aceshowbiz.com