Meek Mill was met with controversy on Wednesday (February 17) after a snippet of an unreleased song in which he references late NBA legend Kobe Bryant’s death surfaced online. The untitled track — known as “Don’t Worry (RIP Kobe)” on Genius’ website — is a collaboration with Lil Baby, which finds Meek bringing up Bryant passing away in a helicopter crash.
“This bitch I’m fuckin’ always tell me that she love me but she ain’t ever showed me,” Meek raps in his verse. “Yeah, and if I ever lack, I’m goin’ out with my chopper, it be another Kobe/Shit, I could tell that they ain’t never know me/’Cause if they knew me they would’ve never showed me.”
Unsurprisingly, Hip Hop and NBA fans alike took to Twitter to blast the Philadelphia-bred rapper for his choice of words.
One Twitter user wrote, “He made a reference about Kobe’s death in the helicopter, meek is a fucking weirdo ass clown for that,” while another said, “Meek Mill been a clown but too say that line about Kobe & a choppa…… ON BLACK HISTORY MONTH???”
DJ Sourmilk of Power 106’s L.A. Leakers wrote, “I do agree that people are pussies these days and wanna cancel everything, but that Kobe line could’ve been swapped out.”
He made a reference about Kobe’s death in the helicopter, meek is a fucking weirdo ass clown for that
— Rob (@RobertA64099814) February 18, 2021
Meek Mill been a clown but too say that line about Kobe & a choppa…… ON BLACK HISTORY MONTH??? pic.twitter.com/eFCCRKXmPy
— . (@IovelsX) February 18, 2021
I do agree that people are pussies these days and wanna cancel everything, but that Kobe line could’ve been swapped out. ?
— dj sourmilk (@djsourmilk) February 18, 2021
Shortly after becoming a Twitter trending topic, Meek sent out a couple of tweets on Thursday morning (February 18) defending himself.
“somebody promo a narrative and y’all follow it,” he wrote. “y’all internet antics cannot stop me ….shit like zombie land or something! Lol. They paying to influence y’all now … its almost like mind control ‘wake up.’
somebody promo a narrative and y’all follow it…. y’all internet antics cannot stop me ….shit like zombie land or something! Lol
— Meek Mill (@MeekMill) February 18, 2021
They paying to influence y’all now … its almost like mind control “wake up” ?
— Meek Mill (@MeekMill) February 18, 2021
Elsewhere in the snippet, Baby mentions Bryant in a line about wanting to name his kids after the Los Angeles Lakers great and his daughter Gianna Bryant, who also died in the fatal January 2020 accident.
“I made a promise before God, that want’ll never hold me,” he raps. “I damn near wanna have a son, so I can name him Kobe/Daughter Gigi, I done beat them odds, I wish lil’ one could see me/Tiger took the charge without a problem, there he ever need me.”
Take a look at more reactions to Meek’s lyrics below.
How black Twitter is doing Meek Mill after hearing that line about Kobe pic.twitter.com/lrU6w8cfOj
— Rich (@UptownDCRich) February 18, 2021
Meek Mill said what about Kobe.. going out with your chopper?! ??♂️ pic.twitter.com/wul9aOEa38
— Dirk Diggler (@jasodatdude) February 18, 2021
Lil baby after hearing what this mf Meek mill said about Kobe: pic.twitter.com/x2eOAjMgaN
— Danyell (@Danyell28995168) February 18, 2021
Lil baby watching meek mill in the studio when he said that line about Kobe pic.twitter.com/jPc5hixC4W
— Noah (@alan_noah05) February 18, 2021
Meek Mill will never have bars like Kobe had bars pic.twitter.com/gDgSEXoX7B
— Weekly Newsical (@WeeklyNewsical) February 18, 2021
Kobe dropping down from heaven to slap the shit outta Meek Mill for his line in that verse pic.twitter.com/pUwGsT7V7p
— Rich (@UptownDCRich) February 18, 2021
The whole internet after hearing meek mill make that kobe verse: pic.twitter.com/uNNsNPyE4V
— redge0rh?? (@RHufane) February 18, 2021
Meek using Kobe's Death in a rap Bar pic.twitter.com/nd7cmCAec5
— Papi HATHAWAY ?? (@HeadcACE1906) February 18, 2021