Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill incurred the wrath of some social media users and Kobe Bryant fans after he made reference to the helicopter crash that killed the legendary basketball star in a leaked track.
In the song, which features Lil Baby and is titled “Don’t Worry (RIP Kobe)”, Meek Mill raps: “Yeah, and if I ever lack, I’m goin’ out with my chopper, it be another Kobe,” Us Weekly reported.
Bryant, 41, alongside eight others including his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, passed away in a helicopter crash in Calabasas last year when they were headed to a youth basketball game. After the snippet of the song circulated on social media, Meek Mill, born Robert Rihmeek Williams, was called out for the allegedly offensive and insensitive lyric.
“Kobe & Gigi Bryant’s deaths were only a year ago. Their family is still grieving heavily over them. The last thing they need is a ‘bar’ to be made out of their loss right now. Meek Mill always been lame, but this is a new low,” a Twitter user wrote.
As the backlash intensified, the 33-year-old rapper, in a series of tweets on Thursday, claimed the criticisms stemmed from people following a false narrative. “Somebody promo a narrative and y’all follow it…. y’all internet antics cannot stop me ….shit like zombie land or something! Lol,” he posted.
In a follow-up tweet, the Dreams and Nightmares rapper likened his earlier claim to “mind control.” “They paying to influence y’all now … its almost like mind control ‘wake up’,” he tweeted.
His posts, however, did not help his case as one user replied: “I mean if they paying to influence us using you they need to get the money back. They could have found someone more high profile.”
Take a look at some more reactions below:
I don’t know when I’ll be ready to hear a song that references Kobe, but I know it ain’t now & I know that line Meek Mill just dropped ain’t it. Let that man RIP a little longer & the next man who wants to try, work a little harder to ensure that your bar isn’t so disrespectful.
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) February 18, 2021
Yo that Meek Mill Kobe bar is completely disrespectful. Idgaf nobody should be mentioning Kobe’s death in any manner especially on some corny ass shit like that.
— ✞ 𝓡𝓘𝓟 𝓝𝓮𝓮𝓴𝔂 ✞ (@THEGOONEEZ) February 18, 2021
