Meek Mill released his fifth studio album, Expensive Pain, on October 1, and the album cover has a few people very upset.
The album rollout has seen Meek take up ad space with his cover art in cities all over the country. The problem, however, is that the artwork is a raunchy painting created by Nina Chanel Abney depicting three naked Black women striking sexually suggestive poses.
Meek Mill’s “Expensive Pain” bus ad enrages anti-vaxxer ?
⏩ READ MORE: https://t.co/ZMcjsoXlj0pic.twitter.com/iFFFqVrZ7y
— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) October 13, 2021
One man in Hollywood, California was so enraged at the sight of Meek Mill’s Expensive Pain artwork appearing on a bus for all to see that he recorded an expletive-filled reaction. A group of people holding signs joined the man in protesting the bus.
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“Look at this bus that goes by my neighborhood. What the fuck is this?!” the man (who is white) yelled into his camera while pointing at the naked Black woman bending over and exposing her private parts in Meek’s artwork. “Is this what you want, Black women? Is this how you want to be respected?”
“I’m from Philly, I should actually should support Meek Mill, [but] this is fucking disgusting bullshit,” he continued in his angry rant. “This is Satanic bullshit … Black and white checkerboard — what is that? It’s Masonic flooring. Duh!”
Meek Mill's 'Expensive Pain' Lands At No. 3 On Billboard 200 Despite Akademiks' 'Flop' Claim
He ended his rant by going full conspiracy theorist, claiming Meek Mill’s album cover is linked to the COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates that are in place across the country.
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“Wake up! It’s all related! The vaccine, this crap … They’re all the same spider controlling you. Stop complying, take your freaking mask off, read about germ theory … Clean the freaking water, stop dumping shit in the air, get organic food, grow your own food!”
Man has meltdown over @MeekMill album cover on Hollywood bus pic.twitter.com/RNIVQDBSEf
— ????Yay.Mitch???? (@ohsoyay) October 11, 2021
Meanwhile, other fans took to social media to express their distaste over seeing Meek Mill’s raunchy artwork plastered all over public buses. The conversation has fans contemplating the depiction of Black women in Hip Hop culture and how Meek is misusing his platform.
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“Imma just say it, I fuckin hate how black women are hyper-sexualized in the media,” one fan tweeted. “That Meek Mill bus is absolutely dreadful, do y’all see White, Asian, Hispanic or any other race put out art images of their women naked on city busses? No didn’t fuckin think so.”
Another mentioned Meek in their tweet saying, “This album cover not cool bro, and then I seen a video with this album cover on a bus in some cities. Like bro ain’t no way this what you promoting in our neighborhoods.”
Imma just say it , I fuckin hate how black women are hyper-sexualized in the media. That Meek Mill bus is absolutely dreadful, do y’all see White, Asian, Hispanic or any other race put out art images of their women naked on city busses? No didn’t fuckin think so
— alynsavid ? (@nyla__tf) October 11, 2021
This album cover not cool bro, and then I seen a video with this album cover on a bus in some cities. Like bro ain’t no way this what you promoting in our neighborhoods
— donte (@HollywoodQMB) October 11, 2021
Despite the controversy, Meek Mill is celebrating a big win with his latest album. Expensive Paindebuted at No 3 on the Billboard 200 after selling an estimated 93,000 equivalent album units in its first week. The achievement gave Meek his fifth consecutive Top 3 debut after 2018’s Championships debuted at No. 1.
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Check out more reactions to Meek Mill’s Expensive Pain album cover below.
Unpopular opinion: that Meek Mill tour bus need to be canceled. I was caught in traffic behind that joint in Philly and was offended at the portal or my black sisters. Unbelievable. Ok you can have your feed back
— unclejoe_ (@_UNTDLD) October 12, 2021
#meekmill don’t even put women darker than a brown paper bag in his videos but he chose to plaster their naked bodies on his tour bus. Very distasteful
— Lavivi (@iTSLaViVi) October 12, 2021
I’m so tired of black men disrespecting black women. @MeekMill your tour bus is degrading and disgusting!!! Women are not toys for your own fucking amusement. It be your own people ?
— GeauxBabyy⚜️ (@BlasianRapunzel) October 13, 2021
Lil nasx can tongue kiss 2men on national tv but y’all mad @MeekMill for a cartoon album cover wrapped tour bus ??♂️??♂️ the world we live in boa
— Avondale Reno (@AvondaleReno) October 13, 2021
Y’all didn’t have a problem w/ Meek Mill’s album cover until y’all saw it on his tour bus? pic.twitter.com/n51olLULnd
— pretty xtra Hornydaily (@Je_ffree) October 12, 2021
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