Since he was released from jail at the beginning of last December (he had his parole revoked in July after a judge deemed his behavior had been questionable), Meek Mill has led a charmed life. Nicki Minaj, the woman about whom he had tweeted for years, fell in love with him, and his string of high-profile collaborations and hit singles that began before his incarceration seems to be continuing ad infinitum. Now, Time has asked the Philadelphia battle veteran to write a letter to his son about Fathers Day, which is this weekend. In the heartfelt piece, Meek is anxious to give his son things he never had; while this certainly includes the material things a hip-hop superstar is afforded, Meek is talking more specifically about a positive male presence.

"I never had a strong male figure in my life," he writes. "I didn’t have that person to teach me things fathers teach their sons because my father was killed when I was young. It was just me, my mom, and my sister, so I had to be the man of the house." Meek recalls his mother working multiple jobs to make ends meet; he also laments his busy schedule and the challenges it presents now as he tries to bond with his child. But, he says, he's determined to have an impact. He ends with a positive message to all his peers: "To all my family and friends who are celebrating Father’s Day with their children, we salute you for being role models for all the young fathers in our community."

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