Meek Mill released his fifth studio album, Expensive Pain, on October 1, and the album cover has a few people very upset.
The album rollout has seen Meek take up ad space with his cover art in cities all over the country. The problem, however, is that the artwork is a raunchy painting created by Nina Chanel Abney depicting three naked Black women striking sexually suggestive poses.
One man in Hollywood, California was so enraged at the sight of Meek Mill’s Expensive Pain artwork appearing on a bus for all to see that he recorded an expletive-filled reaction. A group of people holding signs joined the man in protesting the bus.
“Look at this bus that goes by my neighborhood. What the fuck is this?!” the man (who is white) yelled into his camera while pointing at the naked Black woman bending over and exposing her private parts in Meek’s artwork. “Is this what you want, Black women? Is this how you want to be respected?”
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“I’m from Philly, I should actually should support Meek Mill, [but] this is fucking disgusting bullshit,” he continued in his angry rant. “This is Satanic bullshit … Black and white checkerboard — what is that? It’s Masonic flooring. Duh!”
Meek Mill's 'Expensive Pain' Lands At No. 3 On Billboard 200 Despite Akademiks' 'Flop' Claim
He ended his rant by going full conspiracy theorist, claiming Meek Mill’s album cover is linked to the COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates that are in place across the country.
“Wake up! It’s all related! The vaccine, this crap … They’re all the same spider controlling you. Stop complying, take your freaking mask off, read about germ theory … Clean the freaking water, stop dumping shit in the air, get organic food, grow your own food!”
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Meanwhile, other fans took to social media to express their distaste over seeing Meek Mill’s raunchy artwork plastered all over public buses. The conversation has fans contemplating the depiction of Black women in Hip Hop culture and how Meek is misusing his platform.
“Imma just say it, I fuckin hate how black women are hyper-sexualized in the media,” one fan tweeted. “That Meek Mill bus is absolutely dreadful, do y’all see White, Asian, Hispanic or any other race put out art images of their women naked on city busses? No didn’t fuckin think so.”
Another mentioned Meek in their tweet saying, “This album cover not cool bro, and then I seen a video with this album cover on a bus in some cities. Like bro ain’t no way this what you promoting in our neighborhoods.”
Despite the controversy, Meek Mill is celebrating a big win with his latest album. Expensive Paindebuted at No 3 on the Billboard 200 after selling an estimated 93,000 equivalent album units in its first week. The achievement gave Meek his fifth consecutive Top 3 debut after 2018’s Championships debuted at No. 1.
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Check out more reactions to Meek Mill’s Expensive Pain album cover below.
