Meek Mill’s highly anticipated mixtape Dreamchasers 4 finally arrived, bringing out the best of Meek, as he weaves a cohesive album around his past and present.

DC4 is the fourth installment of the Dreamchasers series, and it lived up to the hype that came with it. Throughout many delays, fans awaited the arrival before the Philadelphia rapper dropped it on 10/28.

Raised in Philadelphia, Meek was embroiled in the gang lifestyle while growing up, before being signed by rapper T.I. Having experienced the loss of many people close to him, such as his dad and his aunt, Meek Mill was able to escape his toxic environment when he became famous. His past and present is a focal point of the album. During the song Shine he raps, “Wasn’t for this music I’ll probably be dead/ Instead I’m on top and I’m counting this bread.”

Meek Mill – Shine [Official Music Video]

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This emphasis on his past, as well as his success in overcoming his former struggles is a central theme on the mixtape. The cover art for the mixtape contains court documents from Meek’s past crimes, as well as a mugshot of a young Meek.

Continuing his aggressive style of rap, Meek was able to stick to his style, while also ensuring the mixtape wasn’t just more of the same. Songs such as Blue Notes and Two Wrongs provide a more thoughtful Meek, as he reflects on the troubles that come through the streets. Other tracks such as Litty and Froze provide songs for parties and have a more boastful Meek. Tony Story 3 meanwhile highlights Meek’s story telling abilities.

Meek has become notorious for his ability to bring it on the intro track, setting the tone for his mixtapes. Most famously, his intro Dreams and Nightmares established him. In DC4 he again sets the tone with On The Regular, continuing his impressive streak of strong intro songs.

The mixtape featured prominent artists such as Nikki Minaj, Young Thug, 21 Savage, Tory Lanez, as well as others. However, a noticeable feature is that of Lil Snupe, the young artist who was murdered in 2013. On the track Outro, the song opens up with a cryptic, unreleased freestyle from Snupe as he foreshadows his murder. Meek, who was mentoring Lil Snupe, pays homage to the dead artist and reminds the world of the talent that was taken too soon.

Heading into the release, many wondered whether his beefs with Drake and The Game would be a focal point of the album. However, Meek addressed neither of the two throughout the album, though Tory Lanez may have taken a shot at Drake on the track Litty. Lanez sang ”  I just counted up a Quentin Miller / A Q.M, that’s a quarter milli.” Quentin Miller was accused by Meek Mill to be Drake’s ghost writer, so this seems to be a shot at Drake. Other than that, Meek focused on ensuring that DC4 was not about the two artists.

Overall, the mixtape is filled with some very good songs, such as Blue Notes, Shine, On The Regular, and Outro. Though there are some songs that act as filler, the good outweighs the bad. The production of each song is excellent, and Meek raps with a chip on his shoulder, ultimately making an enjoyable project.

Rating: 7.5/10