PHILADELPHIA _ Meek Mill, the beloved Philly rapper turned criminal justice-reform advocate, showed up at the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas Saturday evening to see a DJ Mustard show and was surprised to be turned away at the door. If he didn't leave, a Cosmopolitan staffer told him, he'd be arrested for a misdemeanor.
"I'm not accusing you of doing anything," the staffer says, as shown by video footage of the incident.
The staffer then offers this by way of explanation: "This is way bigger than me."
Mill, born Robert Rihmeek Williams, and his lawyer, Joe Tacopina, are saying it's because Mill is black.
In a letter sent to the Cosmopolitan, Tacopina writes: " ... We have learned that the Cosmopolitan maintains a list of African American recording artists who should be denied access for no other reason than their culture and skin color."
The Cosmopolitan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mill was released on bail in April 2018, ending a five-month stint in prison during which high-profile supporters like Michael Rubin, the billionaire 76ers limited partner, called into question the credibility of the Philadelphia judge that put him away on a probation violation. Most recently, District Attorney Larry Krasner filed a brief saying that the judge, Genece A. Brinkley, is biased against Mill and should not oversee his appeal.
Mill, who's been on probation for 11 years, is currently fighting for probation reform.
This year, City Council declared March 15 to 17 "Meek Mill Weekend."
