Championships (album)
Championships is the fourth studio album by American rapper Meek Mill. It was released on November 30, 2018, by Atlantic Records and Maybach Music Group.[3] The album features guest appearances from Fabolous, Anuel AA, Cardi B, Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Future, Roddy Ricch, Young Thug, Drake, Kodak Black, Ella Mai, 21 Savage, Melii, Jeremih, and PnB Rock.[4] Meanwhile, production was handled by Bangladesh, Cardo, Cubeatz, C-Sick, Don Cannon, Hit-Boy, Hitmaka, Prince Chrishan, Tay Keith, and Wheezy, among others. It was supported by the singles "Dangerous" (featuring Jeremih and PnB Rock) "Going Bad" (featuring Drake), and "24/7" (featuring Ella Mai).[2]
Championships
November 30, 2018
2018[1]
69:49
- Rick Ross (exec.)
- Meek Mill (also exec.)
- Andrew Meoray
- ATL Jacob
- Austin Powerz
- Bangladesh
- Beat Menace
- Benny Wond3r
- Butter Beats (Dolla Bill Kidz)
- Cardo
- Cubeatz
- C-Sick
- Dario
- Takbar 215
- Jahlil Beats
- Don Cannon
- EY
- Louie V Gutta
- Hit-Boy
- Hitmaka
- Kendxll
- Larrance Dopson
- Maaly Raw
- OZ
- Papamitrou
- Prince Chrishan
- Pro Logic
- Tay Keith
- Tarik Azzouz
- The Trillionaires
- Westen Weiss
- Wheezy
Championships received positive reviews from critics and debuted atop the US Billboard 200, selling 229,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.[5]
Background[edit]
On July 21, 2017, Meek Mill released his third studio album, Wins & Losses.[6] On November 6, Meek Mill was sentenced to two to four years in state prison for violating parole and served five months at the State Correctional Institution – Chester in Chester, Pennsylvania.[7][8] On April 24, 2018, Mill was released pending the outcome of the appeal to the Pennsylvania supreme court.[9] The Philadelphia district attorney had petitioned Judge Brinkley for his release, citing credibility issues with the arresting officer in his initial 2008's conviction.[10][11] Brinkley had declined and instead scheduled the case for a hearing.[10] Hours after his release from prison, Michael G. Rubin, a minority owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and long-time supporter of Mill, flew Mill in by helicopter to a 76ers basketball game to perform a ceremonial bell-ringing on the court before the start of the game.[12] Garnering support from other public figures such as Jay-Z and Kevin Hart, Mill stated that he would like to use his situation to "shine a light" on the criminal justice system.[13][14]
On July 6, 2018, Mill released his first new music since his release from prison with a release of his fifth extended play, titled Legends of the Summer.[15] On September 28, Mill announced that he would be releasing an album "real soon, like in a matter of weeks."[16] On November 8, during a conversation regarding criminal justice reform at Georgetown University, Mill announced that the album would be released in November.[17] The album was reported to include songs about Mill's "experiences and issues with social justice" following his release from prison earlier in 2018.[18]
Commercial performance[edit]
Championships debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart with 229,000 album-equivalent units, of which 42,000 came from pure album sales in its first week. It became his second number-one album, and logged the fourth-largest streaming week of 2018 for an album.[5] In its second week, the album fell to number two on the chart, moving another 129,000 equivalent units that week.[37] In its third week, the album remained at number two on the chart, moving another 83,000 album-equivalent units that week.[38] In its fourth week, the album dropped to number six on the chart, moving another 54,000 units that week.[39] On June 5, 2019, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over a million units in the United States.[40]