Meek Mill And Rick Ross Tease Musical Reunion "Shaq & Kobe"
BY Malcolm Trapp / 9.26.2023
Meek Mill turned up the heat after teasing the early release of his upcoming single “Shaq & Kobe” featuring Rick Ross. On Monday (Sept. 25), the Philadelphia native took to Instagram to share the cover art for the record. He also promised fans an early drop only if they delivered.
“If you miss that MMG SOUND OF RAP MUSIC, leave a comment,” Meek wrote. “20,000 comments and I’ll leak KOBE AND SHAQ [before] Friday (Sept. 29).” At the time of reporting, the post rocketed toward its goal by racking up 20,800 replies.
In August, the rapper gave his followers a behind-the-scenes look at a recording session with Ross. Shot at Miami’s House of Hits, the clip showed snippets of their unreleased music in addition to amplifying the hype for their forthcoming project.
“MEEK X ROZAY SOUNDS. I know it’s gonna drop,” the 36-year-old captioned the Instagram post. The comment section quickly filled with fire emojis and pleas for an immediate release. Radio host Ebro Darden also chimed in. He stated, “Man, this music right here… We need [it].”
This teaser harkened back to a controversial point in time for Meek. In 2021, he faced backlash for a lyric referencing the late Kobe Bryant. In the leaked song, he allegedly rapped, “Yeah, and if I ever lack, I’m goin’ out with my chopper, it be another Kobe.”
The artist subsequently apologized, and this new track suggested a more respectful tribute to the NBA legend and his teammate, Shaquille O’Neal.
Beyond social media antics, Meek and Ross have maintained a strong relationship over the years. In March, the “Dreams and Nightmares” rapper publicly applauded the latter for fair business practices with Maybach Music Group. “Rozay kept it solid with my contract,” he tweeted.
During a May interview with “Drink Champs,” Ross also praised his former mentee after a turbulent period in their working relationship. He said, “The energy that Meek creates when he’s in those stadiums, you can’t photocopy that. You can’t fake that s**t, so don’t waste your time.”