| "Otherside of America" | ||||
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| Single byMeek Mill | ||||
| Released | June 5, 2020 | |||
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| Length | 3:39 | |||
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| Meek Mill singles chronology | ||||
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"Otherside of America" is aprotest song[2][3][4] by American rapperMeek Mill. The song tackles racial inequality and racism in the United States. It was released on June 5, 2020, amid theBlack Lives Matter andGeorge Floyd protests againstpolice brutality in the United States, in the wake of themurder of George Floyd. In the intro, the song contains dialogue fromPresident Donald Trump's 2016 comments about black Americans in an effort to sway the black vote his way.
In the song, Meek Mill illustrates howsystemic racism has affected his life, through hisown encounters with law enforcement. In 2007, he was arrested in South Philadelphia on a gun and drug charge, and finally, in August 2019, he pled guilty to a misdemeanor while all other charges were absolved.[5] Known for his activism work, in 2019, he co-founded the REFORM Alliance, an organization dedicated to prison reform. He has also advocated for reform in theprobation and parole system of Pennsylvania.[6] Meek revealed thatNipsey Hussle andSaint Jhn were initially featured on the song.[7]
Backed by a "rumbling",[8] "thumping"[9] beat, the song, as noted byThe Source's Miss2Bees, "amplifies the voices ofongoing protests againstsystemic racism andpolice brutality". Meek also touches on his personal experiences with police brutality and his upbringing inPhiladelphia and references hisprison stint in 2017.[7]
"Otherside of America" opens with an audio dialogue ofPresident Donald Trump's 2016 comments about the black community, in which he suggested they should vote for him because,[10] "You're living in poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, 58 percent of your youth is unemployed – what the hell do you have to lose?". Meek then juxtaposes Trump's statements, beginning his verse with: "Reporting live from the other side of America",[9] telling the story of when he "was just a shorty / then I started spittin' godly, and they said 'record me'", going back through his various times in jail while rising to fame.[5]
The song concludes with audio of Meek talking toCNN'sMichael A. Smerconish, in an excerpt taken from a 2018 interview between the two. In verified commentary with lyrics annotation websiteGenius, Meek explained the inspiration for its inclusion in the song: "This interview took place the morningChampionships came out. It was early in the morning the day after my release party and I could just feel the love from everyone about the album dropping".[11] The song ends with Meek asking Smerconish, "You see murder, you even see seven people die a week, I think you would carry a gun yourself. Would you?", to which Smerconish replies, "Uh, yeah, I probably would".[5]
According to Meek, the cover art is an image taken at the 2020George Floyd protests in Philadelphia.[11]
Tyler Schmitt ofVariance magazine called the track "gripping".[10] BothRolling Stone's Daniel Kreps[12] and Cerys Kenneally ofThe Line of The Best Fit said Meek has "hard-hitting bars", with Kenneally noting the song for being "a timely track which tackles issues of racial inequality".[13]ABC News Radio called the track "passionate", as Meek "expresses his anguish and fear towards police" followingGeorge Floyd's murder.[14] Likiewise,Complex's Joe Price labeled it "passionate" and "fiery".[15] Dan DeLuca ofThe Philadelphia Inquirer also called it "passionate", and Meek'ssalvo, "hard-hitting".[5]Entertainment Weekly's Marcus Jones named it one of the five best songs of the week, asserting "If there is one black American artist capable of sharing intimate details on what the specter of the police state feels like, it's Meek Mill".[16] Nina Corcoran ofConsequence of Sound said the song should not be mistaken for "your usual protest song", emphasizing how Meek "spends his time talking about the effects of poverty, violence, and racism on black kids-turned-teenagers with nuance and vivid imagery".[2]Spin magazine said "Mill uses incisive lyrics to trace the perils of what African-Americans are going through and have gone through".[4] Sidney Madden ofNPR said although the song's theme is not new territory for Meek, "the bars hold even more weight in this moment".[17]
| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[18] | 100 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[19] | 64 |
| USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[20] | 27 |
| USRolling Stone 100[21] | 46 |
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