Report: Jay-Z's '4:44' Tour is Severely Underselling
Source: Live Nation
Source: Live Nation
Since it was announced that Meek Mill would be sent to jail for two to four years for violating his probation, Jay-Z has been a vocal defender of the Philadelphia rapper. Now, the 4:44 artist has penned a New York Times op-ed about Meek's current situation and how flawed America's criminal justice system really is.
WATCH: Jay-Z Takes Time Out Of His Concert To Speak Out Against Meek Mill's Prison Sentence
"Meek was around 19 when he was convicted on charges relating to drug and gun possession, and he served an eight-month sentence. Now he's 30, so he has been on probation for basically his entire adult life," Jay-Z writes. "For about a decade, he's been stalked by a system that considers the slightest infraction a justification for locking him back inside."
"What's happening to Meek Mill is just one example of how our criminal justice system entraps and harasses hundreds of thousands of black people every day. I saw this up close when I was growing up in Brooklyn during the 1970s and 1980s," the rapper continues. "Instead of a second chance, probation ends up being a land mine, with a random misstep bringing consequences greater than the crime. A person on probation can end up in jail over a technical violation like missing a curfew."
According to a recent report, Judge Genece Brinkley, who is overseeing Meek's case, is being investigated by the FBI.
"The feds have an interest in the judge and [her] potential relationships. This is an investigation looking into a possible extortionate demand. Undercover agents have been in the courtroom monitoring the Meek proceedings since April 2016," a source told PageSix.
Meek's lawyer Joe Tacopina has spent the last week criticizing Brinkley, saying that she has a personal issue with the rapper. Tacopina made headlines when he told news outlets that Brinkley wanted Meek to do things like cover a Boyz II Men song and change his management.
Source: nytimes.com
