Meek Mill - Wins & Losses

Meek Mill
Wins & Losses
2017
Spotify

The life of Meek Mill over the past few years is summed up perfectly in this new album's title Wins & Losses. Publically we have seen breakups, beefs and even a viral video of Meek falling down some slippery stairs. For the guy who seems to be ready and willing to attack anyone in sight it was a tough position to be in. Meek has always put a great deal of heart into his music, but the fake posturing was so hard to listen to, and nothing really changes on this album either. "Heavy Heart" is straight out of 90s/2000s hip hop with the big emotional song giving it up for the fallen. It would be fine if the song had not been done 200 times before this, and better at that. Opener "Wins & Losses" has one of the more basic beats that we have heard this year, and even Meek's rapid fire delivery falls flat. The song seriously sounded like it was recorded on a laptop from 2011. "Fuck That Check Up" featuring Lil Uzi Vert is the first track that actually sounds fresh with Meek doing what can only be called a Big Sean impression. In Meek Mill's world, the entire industry is against him, trying to cut down what he is doing at every single turn. The truth is however, that it really is Meek who starts shit, gets into situations where he is bound to loose and continues to dwell on beefs that He has clearly lost. I often purposely avoid writing about things with Chris Brown on them, but I will only mention "Whatever you Need" to say that it sounds like a 2Pac beat from 1995, a straight ripoff.

Meek Mill again has so little ability to edit himself, this album just drags on and on with him bringing up the same topics over and over again. The mood is set for Wins & Losses early and never fades, even the beats serving the dour outlook. The entire world cannot always be against Meek Mill, everything is not trying to hold you down, eventually He needs to grow the fuck up and move on to some new topics. Young Thug for example on "We Ball" sounds like 5 different rappers at once, but Mill's delivery is exactly the same as everything else. Wins & Losses is just so boring it's hard to latch on to anything or really get excited. "These Scars" switches up the beat a little with an electronic flourish, but again it is Meek Mill yelling about his legacy ect. ect. It is just immensely hard to care at all for Meek Mill, which is maybe the point, but will really make selling albums difficult. I think the most cringe worthy line however comes on "Fall Thru" where Mill sings "You was there through my ups and downs like a camel". I mean what in the hell is the supposedly "hard" rapper talking about fucking camels for? The album is just too long, too unfocused, too repetitive and too far from what's hot to make any kind of impact. I'll close in terms Meek might understand: AVOID AVOID AVOID!

3.2 out of 10