Jay-Z, Will Smith, Rick Ross And Others Support Meek Mill At NYC Album Listening

The bosses came out for the young dons last night. Jay-Z and Will Smith hit Manhattan’s Electric Lady studio, as did a myriad of media members, to hear Meek Mill’s highly-anticipated debut LP, Dreams and Nightmares. Unfortunately, the two legends didn’t get to hear the album at the party (something tells us at Jay has already heard the LP, however; Roc Nation co-manages Meek) because the music started a little late as Meek arrived a little late. However, with his crew in tow and Hot 97's Angie Martinez hosting, the Philadelphia rap champ stood in front of the crowd and gave some insight into his opus.

“We finnin' to turn up,” he told the crowd. “Everybody’s been waiting on the album. so it's time to turn up, I think. The time is right. … I think it’s the perfect time now.

“I feel at this point, what’s going on in the rap game, you don’t have too many new guys that just coming with that hard street shit,” he added. “This is where it all started at. I decided to keep it on my album.”

[Watch video of Meek Mill at his album listening.]

Highlights on the album include its irrepressible intro “Dreams and Nightmares,” the gripping narrative “Tony Story (Pt. 2),” “Who You Around,” which features Mary J. Blige and tells of Meek’s grappling with friends’ betrayal and “Believe It” with Rick Ross. Rozay boisterously yells “I got that Justin Bieber, please believe it” on the party track.

“This is one of the songs that’s gonna go off in the club automatically,” Meek said.

Ross, who was in attendance—as were Wale and singer Estelle, the New York Giants’ Victor Cruz, the Philadelphia Eagles Deshaun Jackson and upstart MC Troy Ave—spoke on his signee’s ascension.

“I’m proud of my homie Meek Milli," Ross said. "Gotta salute everybody who came out. Everything that he accomplished the past two years, he earned himself…”

“With the help of Maybach Music and my WB family,of course,” Meek chimed in.

“I’m just proud of the homie,” Ross finished. —Shaheem Reid (@ShaheemReid)