Meek Mill on ‘Dateline’: ‘I Feel Like a Sacrifice For a Better Cause’

In his first post-prison interview, the rapper Meek Mill spoke with Dateline about his new intentions as a free man. 

The special, hosted by Lester Holt, also examined the implications of #FreeMeekMill, the worldwide movement that sprung up from his incarceration last November due to probation violations, which many thought was unduly harsh. Holt spoke to the rapper’s family and legal experts about what the contentious case could mean for criminal justice reform in the United States.

“I feel like I’m a sacrifice for a better cause,” Meek Mill told Holt. He said the main focus of his work post-prison will be to aid poverty-stricken communities and minority groups that are unfairly jailed for minor infractions, as he says he was. 

The rapper also discussed his opioid addiction, noting that the same type of drugs were what caused Prince’s death. He also emphasized how low-income people of color struggle to seek help for addiction when they are on probation, fearing more jail time.