Meek Mill

The city of brotherly love has produced its very own brand of raw street rap with the rise of Maybach Music Group member Robert Williams, also known as Meek Mill.

The Maybach lieutenant paints a grimy portrait of distrust, family loss and going after what you desire by any means necessary. “Dreams & Nightmares” is as vicious and aggressive as it is thematic and conceptual.

While those are all great things to have, the originality and successful execution of the concept might be up for debate.

Expensive MMG productions brought from far and wide (from Jahlil Beats to Boi-1da) bring this piece to Meek’s best “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” impersonation.

This premiere studio album delivers in-your-face bangers like the Rick Ross-featuring “Believe It” and eye-opening firecrackers like the titular opener. The latter is so cool that the title isn’t even mentioned, just bars on top of bars.

The not-so-subtle but mildly entertaining “Young & Gettin’ It” lays blueprints for holes to appear throughout the project.

Meek gets away with occasional laziness but overall delivers a story well-told.

By Patrick Guilfoyle