The issued ban will now sideline Meek from traveling to Los Angeles and touring Africa.
Williams, a 25-year-old North Philly street rapper with a growing reputation as the “next big thing,” was supposed to be in Los Angeles on Wednesday to appear on the Conan O’Brien show, his last U.S. stop before ending 2012 in Africa with shows in Lagos, Nigeria, and Libreville, Gabon. But Williams is on probation for a 2008 gun-and-drug conviction for which he needs to periodically appear in Philadelphia courts. Judge Genece Brinkley’s ruling today ensures his tour will be limited to the streets of North Philadelphia. At issue was a request by Williams to lift a ban on travel for concert and other related appearances. (Philly)
Last week, Mill’s legal team tried to have the ban uplifted so he could hit the road freely.
On Wednesday, criminal defense lawyer Dennis Cogan and associates Gary S. Silver and Susan V. Buck filed a motion asking Brinkley to lift any ban on Meek Mill’s travel for concert and other related appearances. The motions contends the travel ban “could potentially cost [Meek Mill] approximately $500,000 in estimated revenue over the course of the next three weeks and significant loss of momentum in his emerging career.” The motion includes page after page of e-mails that Cogan said inform the court in advance and document every moment Meek Mill is out of the city. Assistant District Attorney Noel A. DeSantis said she will oppose reinstating Williams’ travel permit. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
He also had a court meeting last month to address past gun and drug-related charges.
Philly rapper Meek Mill will be back in court on Monday. Prosecutors tell us he has a status hearing on his prior gun and drug charges. We are also told the judge is not happy with the rapper who, earlier this month, told the judge he missed a court appearance because he was trapped in New York after Hurricane Sandy. But, that same day, Meek Mill was pulled over in Philadelphia, detained in a jail cell, and tweeted a picture about the incident. (My Fox Philly)
Earlier this year, the Philly rapper revealed his first criminal charge and various run-ins with the law.
“I was 18, just turned [into] an adult when I went to jail,” he reveals, recapping his brush with the law that changed everything. “I caught a case and had 57 charges. Young guys that get caught with a gun — they’re gonna automatically charge you up. All I did was walk outside with a gun.” Meek explained that the long months he spent in jail made it clear to him that he needed to make a life change. “In jail you ain’t got nothing to do but sit in there and think all day,” he said. “I just [didn’t] wanna die, I [didn’t] wanna get shot or get life in jail because that’s the usual script. I ended up going about 20-something months and realized that wasn’t the place I wanted to be.” (MTV)
