After years of putting in work on the underground scene, Meek Mill has gone from going through real-life nightmares to living out his wildest dreams. That’s what a top-notch grind will do for you. A braided-down Meek Milly stepped on the scene with the hunger in his voice and hasn’t stopped building momentum, almost single handedly putting Philly back on the map after a lull in the production of certified stars from The City of Brotherly Love. T.I. saw the talent, but it was ultimately Rick Ross who won out on the prized recruit.

The Philly rapper hasn’t let the Bawse or his city down putting out a string of well-accepted projects including the gritty Flamerz mixtapes and the coveted Dreamchasers series. His debut album Dreams And Nightmares was no slouch either, putting the MMG artist in even more demand. Meek’s list of hits is pretty thick with his summer jam “Levels” serving as a recent example of the rap star’s ability to turn a song into a movement.

With his long-awaited Dreamchasers 3 project just days away, we compiled a list of the toughest tracks from Meek’s mixtape catalog. Obvious entries include undeniable hits like “Ima Boss” and “Rose Red” but we also unearthed some under-appreciated gems. Catch up. --Written by Dan Jackson, C. Vernon Coleman And Eric Diep

Previously: Top 20 Big Sean Mixtape Songs
Previously: 20 Essential 2 Chainz Mixtape Tracks


"In My Bag"
Mixtape: Flamers (2008)
Meek Mill remains true to his Philly ways in “In My Bag,” which skillfully displays his rhymes about staying fresh. Treading on topics like expensive cars and money, Meek goes full throttle with his flow, taking it back to the underground with his gritty sound.


"I’m Not A Rapper"
Mixtape: Flamers (2008)
As the title suggests, Meek isn’t a rapper, but a trapper, a D-boy, and someone who hustles every day. Here, the Philly spitter gives us a glimpse of life from around the way. On a lyrical tip, you already know Meek can bring the heat with his energetic delivery. Blast this on high volumes.


"Goons Gone Wild"
Mixtape: Flamers 2: Hottest In Tha City (2009)
Meek and Ar-Rab showcase their rap chemistry on “Goons Gone Wild.” One of the stronger cuts off Flamers 2, the pair is aided by a tough-as-nails backdrop. To the dismay of some, this joint doesn’t spin off of women indulging in bad behavior. Meek and Ar-Rab keep it 100 here.


"Ain’t I"
Mixtape: Flamers 2: Hottest In Tha City (2009)
Yung L.A.’s “Ain’t I” becomes the ideal track for mixtape rappers to jump on. Meek and Nitty remake the track with head-nodding rhymes that don’t slouch. Buried in their rapid-fire flows, there are a few gems, as Meek spits, “I come from the East Side, work shit like a relay/Bunch of Philly killas with me, they all look like Freeway.”


"Show You How To Do Dis"
Mixtape: Flamers 2.5: The Preview
Meek tells us like it is. On “Show You How To Do Dis,” the then Grand Hustle signee doesn’t hold back with rhymes that address how you survive on the streets. He says “DOA” is his motivation, so you better be prepared to go toe-to-toe. There’s no need to question Meek’s ability to write a hot verse.


"Wanna Be Startin Something"
Mixtape: Flamers 2.5: The Preview (2009)
“I’m like a little Biggie mixed with Tupac/I’m like a Nas mixed with a little Jay/I spit like a Mac laced with a K,” Meek raps on his remix to Michael Jackson’s classic song. He blacks out on the track, hitting listeners with some of his best lyrical content we’ve seen during his early days. Look at him now.


“Rose Red”
Mixtape: Flamerz 3: The Wait Is Over (2010)
Meek’s ace in the hole producer Jalil Beats sets the stage for one of his first radio hits with the chord-laced party starting instrumental. It provides the perfect score for Milly to spit that bottle popping, VVS copping talk. Bling.


“I’m Clean” Featuring Young Dro
Mixtape: Flamerz 3: The Wait Is Over (2010)
Meek Mill is very clothes minded. The rap star reaches out to his one-time Atlanta connect tapping Grand Hustle’s Young Dro to talk top notch threads over another hard-hitting track from Jahlil. Everything designer.


“Swag Surfin”
Mixtape: Flamerz 3: The Wait Is Over (2010)
Meek goes jacking for beats. The MMG rapper catches the wave and goes in on F.L.Y.’s popular “Swag Surfin’” instrumental. Cowabugna.


“Indian Bounce”
Mixtape: Mr. Philadelphia (2010)
In house track monster Jahlil Beats provides a quick hitting soundscape that definitely has the nod factor. Meek knocks the track out the park with his signature aggressive but restrained flow pattern. No trampoline.


“Raw”
Mixtape: Mr. Philadelphia (2010)
Meek Mill tackles the track with no preheating required with lines like “Rocks in the bezel of husky, face blue-y/Since a little nigga use to talk that shit like Stuey.” We’re talking California rolls.


“House Party” Featuring Young Chris
Mixtape: Dreamchasers (2010)
No get together is safe if this track comes on. Tone Beats provides Meek and Young Chris with plenty of ammunition to get the party cracking. The roof is on fire.


“Ima Boss”
Mixtape: Dreamchasers (2010)
When Meek Mill and Jahlil Beats connect, it’s usually murder she wrote. The duo concocts another gem with the boisterous single, “Ima Boss.” Shot caller.


"Tony Story"
Mixtape: Dreamchasers (2010)
Meek Mill is perhaps best known for his bark and his breathless delivery, but underneath all the bravado there's a real story-teller there, a writer capable of creating characters and scenes filled with telling details and revealing moments. On "Tony Story" he tells a tale of betrayal and guilt that could work as an Edgar Allen Poe story, especially when the song's main character carries the casket of his slain friend. "Yes, he had the nerve to carry the casket/Strapped up before he went he had to carry his ratchet," raps Meek, bringing the listener into the mind of a killer.


"Derrick Rose"
Mixtape: Dreamchasers (2010)
With his soft-spoken demeanor and his humble off-court persona, Derrick Rose isn't exactly the first NBA player one would associate with an explosive rapper like Meek Mill, but that's part of the charm of this Dreamchasers stand-out. It's just fun to yell his name. You should try it.


"Amen" Featuring Drake
Mixtape: Dreamchasers 2 (2012)
"Amen" is the ubiquitous Drake-assisted hit that helped make Meek Mill's major label debut, Dreams And Nightmares, a reality, and even if you think the song has been played to death by this point, it's hard to deny the track's visceral joy. He's shouting church, he's peeing Rosé and he's taking care of the kids—now that's an overachiever.


"Burn" Featuring Big Sean
Mixtape: Dreamchasers 2 (2012)
The horn blaring in the background of "Burn" suggests that the song is an emergency—like, look for the exits and grab your valuables—but Meek sounds totally in control here, switching off verses with a game Big Sean.


"A1 Everything" Featuring Kendrick Lamar
Mixtape: Dreamchasers 2 (2012)
Before Kendrick and Meek were engaged in a war of words, they were collaborators, bringing an assured swagger to "A1 Everything." Let's hope these two can set their King Of New York differences aside and get back in the booth together soon.


"Lean Wit It"
Mixtape: Dreamchasers 2 (2012)
Working with a simple but still epic Cardiak beat made out of spooky keys, military snares and chimes, Meek places himself in a lineage of big men here, comparing himself to Cam'ron, Waka Flocka and Dwight Howard—and that's just in the first verse. Luckily, he backs it up with some of his most intense lines.


"Flexing"
Mixtape: Dreamchasers 2 (2012)
When those John Carpenter pianos kick in, you know it's time to duck. When Meek drops in on this song he sounds as wild and unhinged as ever, delivering lines about his watches and returning to one of his favorite themes: How awesome it is to be Meek Mill. "Like fuck yo corner, I buy the block," he says at one point. He can have the whole neighborhood.

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