Meek Mill is a rapper from Philadelphia. He’s put out five albums. His most recent, Championships, debuted at #1 on the charts, and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rap Album.

Back in 2007, He was arrested on a gun charge at the age of 19, and over the last eleven years, he was sent to prison four times for parole violations. But in July 2019, based on evidence of alleged police corruption, the Pennsylvania Superior Court threw out his conviction, and the parole violation that had led to his most recent time in prison, a five-month sentence.

It was soon after Meek Mill was released that this song, “Trauma,” was created. He took inspiration from his experiences in prison, and his early life in Philadelphia.

In this episode, Meek Mill and Don Cannon, who produced the track, break down how the whole thing came together.

Learn more about the Reform Alliance here.

You can buy or stream “Trauma” here.

Right now, Radiotopia is holding its annual fundraiser. You can help support Song Exploder and the network that makes it possible. Make your mark. Go to Radiotopia.fm to donate today.

For a transcript of this episode, click here.

Illustration by Carlos Lerma.

footnotes
Meek Mill – “Getaway Freestyle”
Barclay James Harvest – “Taking Me Higher”
1500 or Nothin’ (band)

Natasha Khan makes music under the name Bat for Lashes. She’s released five albums, including Lost Girls, which came out in September 2019. In this episode, she breaks down the making of the lead single from that album, called “Kids in the Dark.” But just before she started writing it, she wasn’t sure if she would make another album at all.

You can buy or stream “Kids in the Dark” here.

Right now, Radiotopia is holding its annual fundraiser. You can help support Song Exploder and the network that makes it possible. Make your mark. Go to Radiotopia.fm to donate today.

For a transcript of this episode, click here.

Illustration by Carlos Lerma.

footnotes
Com Truise – “Propagation”
Castle Rock
Charles Scott IV (producer)
Prophet synthesizer

Melina Duterte, who goes by the name Jay Som, is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. She’s released three albums as Jay Som, and has produced, engineered, and mixed each one. Her third album, Anak Ko, came out in August 2019. In this episode, Melina breaks down a song from it called “Tenderness.”

You can buy or stream “Tenderness” here. Watch the official music video below.

For a transcript of this episode, click here.

Illustration by Carlos Lerma.

footnotes
Linn LM-1 drum machine
Wurlitzer electric piano
Taylor Vick – Boy Scouts