Championships (album)
2018 studio album by Meek Mill
Championships | |||
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Studio album by | |||
Released | November 30, 2018 | ||
Recorded | 2018 [1] | ||
Genre | |||
Length | 69 : 49 | ||
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Producer |
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Meek Mill chronology | |||
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Singles from Championships | |||
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. The lead single from the album, "Going Bad" featuring Drake was released on January 22, 2019. [2]
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
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]
Release and promotion
On November 14, 2018, Meek Mill appeared in a Vogue interview, playing a portion of his collaboration with rapper Cardi B and revealing the album would be released on November 30, 2018. [19] He later announced the album's title, release date and cover art on social media on November 16, 2018. The cover art, a close-up shot of Meek Mill's face, was called "minimalist". [20] The tracklist was revealed on November 29, 2018. [4]
Singles
On November 22, 2018, "Oodles o' Noodles Babies" and "Uptown Vibes" featuring Fabolous and Anuel AA were released as promotional singles. [21] Meek Mill performed "Oodles o' Noodles Babies" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon the same day. [22] The lead single from the album, "Going Bad" featuring Drake was released to urban contemporary radio on January 22, 2019. [2]
Other songs
The music video for the song, "Intro", was released on December 10, 2018. [23] The music video for "Trauma" was released on December 19, 2018. [24]
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 77/100 [25] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Clash | 8/10 [26] |
Consequence of Sound | B [27] |
Exclaim! | 9/10 [28] |
The Guardian |
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HipHopDX | 3.9/5 [30] |
NME |
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Pitchfork | 7.7/10 [32] |
Rolling Stone |
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Vice ( Expert Witness ) | B+ [34] |
XXL | 4/5 (XL) [35] |
Championships received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic , which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 77, based on 10 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [25] Writing for Billboard , Sowmya Krishnamurthy stated, "Meek raps with the same fervor he's always had, but there's a discernable focus on Championships . He's bridled his high-octane flow and is more clear-eyed. Incarceration has sparked a new purpose in him, as an activist and also as a man coming into his own." She also opined the reunion of Mill and Drake in "Going Bad" "is a high point" of the album, while " On Me ," "features Cardi B stealing the show in perhaps her most confident rapping to date." [36] Evan Rytlewski of Pitchfork gave the album a 7.7 out of 10 saying, "Despite being born of injustice, an air of victory hangs over Meek's first full-length since he was released from prison. It captures an intensity that the Philadelphia rapper is known for and best at." [32]
Writing for Clash , Aaron Bishop called the album Meek's best to date saying, "On Championships , his fourth studio album, Meek Mill raps with the same hunger, passion and drive that he came into the game with - which earned him veteran status at MMG as Rick Ross ’s right hand lieutenant - but now with a renewed sense of purpose and direction." [26] In a positive review for Exclaim! , Erin Lowers praised the album stating, "As much as Championships is filled with nonchalant club/street anthems, it's also about healing. Tempered by both celebration and struggle, Championships shows the duality of Mill's world--one that still reflects on the past, but has made leaps towards his future--and that's perhaps the greatest win of them all." [28]
Commercial performance
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]
Track listing
Credits adapted from Tidal and Spotify . [41]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Intro" |
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3:33 |
2. | "Trauma" |
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3:58 | |
3. | "Uptown Vibes" (featuring Fabolous and Anuel AA ) |
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Papamitrou | 3:10 |
4. | " On Me " (featuring Cardi B ) |
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3:45 |
5. | "What's Free" (featuring Rick Ross and Jay-Z ) |
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6:02 |
6. | "Respect the Game" |
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3:12 | |
7. | "Splash Warning" (featuring Future , Roddy Ricch , and Young Thug ) |
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ATL Jacob | 2:48 |
8. | "Championships" |
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4:21 |
9. | " Going Bad " (featuring Drake ) |
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3:00 | |
10. | "Almost Slipped" |
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4:06 |
11. | "Tic Tac Toe" (featuring Kodak Black ) | Tay Keith | 3:05 | |
12. | " 24/7 " (featuring Ella Mai ) |
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3:41 |
13. | "Oodles o' Noodles Babies" |
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3:01 |
14. | "Pay You Back" (featuring 21 Savage ) |
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3:55 |
15. | "100 Summers" |
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Hit-Boy | 2:43 |
16. | "Wit the Shits (W.T.S.)" (featuring Melii) |
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C-Sick | 2:50 |
17. | "Stuck in My Ways" |
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Cardo | 3:11 |
18. | " Dangerous " (featuring Jeremih and PnB Rock ) |
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3:53 | |
19. | "Cold Hearted II" |
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5:01 | |
Total length: | 69:15 |
Notes
- ^[a] signifies a co-producer
- ^[b] signifies an additional producer
- ^[c] signifies an uncredited co-producer
Sample credits
- "Intro" contains a sample of " In the Air Tonight ", written by Phil Collins and Hugh Padgham , and performed by Phil Collins. [42] [43]
- "Trauma" contains a sample of " Get Away ", written by Albert Johnson and Kejuan Muchita , and performed by Mobb Deep ; and a sample of "Taking Me Higher", written by Les Holroyd, and performed by Barclay James Harvest . [42] [43]
- "What's Free" contains a sample of "What's Beef?", written by Christopher Wallace , Nashiem Myrick, and Carlos Broady, and performed by The Notorious B.I.G. ; [42] [43] and a sample of "Close to You", written and performed by Richard Evans.
- "Respect the Game" contains a sample of "A Garden of Peace", written and performed by Lonnie Liston Smith . [42] [43]
- "Championships" contains a sample of "I Found the Girl", written and performed by Toney Fountaine. [43]
- "24/7" contains samples of " Me, Myself and I ", written by Beyoncé Knowles , Scott Storch , and Robert Waller, and performed by Beyoncé. [42] [43] [44]
- "Oodles o' Noodles Babies" contains a sample of "Love Changes", written by Skip Scarborough , and performed by Mother's Finest . [42] [43] [45]
- "Stuck In My Ways" contains a sample from "Welcome To Creepshow", written and performed by John Harrison. [43]
- "Cold Hearted II" contains a sample from "I Was Never There", written by Abel Tesfaye , Mike Lévy and Adam Feeney , and performed by The Weeknd; [42] [43] and an interpolation of "We Don't Give a Fuck", written by Earl Simmons , Jason Phillips , David Styles and Irving Lorenzo, Jr. , and performed by DMX featuring Jadakiss and Styles P.
Personnel
Credits adapted from Tidal. [41]
Instrumentation
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Technical
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Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
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Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units /sales |
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Canada ( Music Canada ) [71] | Platinum | 80,000 ‡ |
Denmark ( IFPI Danmark ) [72] | Gold | 10,000 ‡ |
United Kingdom ( BPI ) [73] | Silver | 60,000 ‡ |
United States ( RIAA ) [74] | Platinum | 1,000,000 ‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ↑ Parizot, Matthew (May 15, 2018). "Meek Mill Is Back In The Studio" . HotNewHipHop . Archived from the original on November 21, 2021 . Retrieved November 17, 2018 .
- 1 2 3 "Urban/UAC Future Releases" . All Access . Archived from the original on January 18, 2019 . Retrieved January 18, 2019 .
- ↑ Centeno, Tony M. (November 16, 2018). "Meek Mill Shares Title and Cover Art for New Album" . XXL . Archived from the original on July 30, 2022 . Retrieved November 18, 2018 .
- 1 2 Navjosh (November 29, 2018). "Meek Mill Reveals 'Championships' Tracklist Feat. Jay-Z, Drake & More" . HipHop-N-More . Archived from the original on January 20, 2022 . Retrieved November 29, 2018 .
- 1 2 Caulfield, Keith (December 10, 2018). "Meek Mill's 'Championships' Album Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart" . Billboard . Archived from the original on February 4, 2021 . Retrieved December 10, 2018 .
- ↑ Berry, Peter A. (July 26, 2017). "Stream Meek Mill's 'Wins & Losses' Album for Free on Tidal" . XXL . Archived from the original on July 29, 2022 . Retrieved December 31, 2018 .
- ↑ "Rapper Meek Mill Received At Graterford Correctional Facility" . November 6, 2017 . Retrieved August 2, 2018 .
- ↑ "Rapper Meek Mill sentenced to up to four years in jail" . The Guardian . November 7, 2017. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021 . Retrieved August 2, 2018 .
- ↑ "Meek Mill to be released from prison after sports world uproar" . ESPN . April 24, 2018 . Retrieved April 24, 2018 .
- 1 2 "D.A. Moves to Get Him Outta Jail NOW... Judge Shuts It Down!!!" . TMZ . April 16, 2018 . Retrieved April 24, 2018 .
- ↑ "Arresting Officer Dubbed Corrupt... by Philly D.A.'s Office" . TMZ . March 7, 2018 . Retrieved April 24, 2018 .
- ↑ Begley, Ian. "Out of prison, Meek Mill sees 76ers clinch" . ESPN . Retrieved 2018-04-30 .
- ↑ "Meek Mill speaks out following release from prison" . NBC News . Retrieved May 3, 2018 .
- ↑ "Meek Mill to Be Released From Prison" . Pitchfork . April 24, 2018. Archived from the original on December 5, 2021 . Retrieved May 3, 2018 .
- ↑ McDermott, Maeve (July 6, 2018). "Future, Meek Mill return with surprise new albums" . USA Today . Archived from the original on July 6, 2018 . Retrieved July 6, 2018 .
- ↑ Schiller, Rebecca (September 28, 2018). "Meek Mill Talks Activism, Says New Album Is Coming 'In a Matter of Weeks': Watch" . Billboard . Archived from the original on December 7, 2021 . Retrieved December 31, 2018 .
- ↑ Saponara, Michael (November 8, 2018). "Meek Mill Says His New Album Will Drop This Month" . Billboard . Archived from the original on July 30, 2022 . Retrieved December 31, 2018 .
- ↑ Lukarcanin, Emina (November 16, 2018). "Meek Mill Reveals Upcoming Album Name and Artwork On Instagram: See the Post" . Billboard . Archived from the original on July 30, 2022 . Retrieved November 18, 2018 .
- ↑ Read, Bridget (November 14, 2018). "Meek Mill Announces Album Release Date, Talks Partnering With Jay-Z, and Wants to Free 1 Million People From Our Criminal Justice System" . Vogue . Archived from the original on November 8, 2020 . Retrieved November 18, 2018 .
- ↑ Findlay, Mitch (November 16, 2018). "Meek Mill Shares Cover Art For New Album 'Championships' " . HotNewHipHop . Archived from the original on December 10, 2021 . Retrieved November 18, 2018 .
- ↑ Akaash (November 22, 2018). "New Music: Meek Mill – 'Oodles O'Noodles Babies' + 'Uptown Vibes' (Feat. Fabolous & Anuel AA)" . HipHop-N-More . Archived from the original on January 29, 2022 . Retrieved November 22, 2018 .
- ↑ Zidel, Alex (November 22, 2018). "Meek Mill Performs "Oodles O' Noodles Babies" On "The Tonight Show" " . HotNewHipHop . Archived from the original on December 7, 2021 . Retrieved November 23, 2018 .
- ↑ Darville, Jordan (December 10, 2018). "Meek Mill's "Intro" video gets the adrenaline pumping" . The Fader . Archived from the original on April 18, 2021 . Retrieved December 15, 2018 .
- ↑ Legaspi, Althea (December 19, 2018). "Meek Mill Goes Through the Stages of 'Trauma' in Powerful New Video" . Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on November 24, 2021 . Retrieved December 22, 2018 .
- 1 2 "Championships by Meek Mill Reviews and Tracks" . Metacritic . Archived from the original on December 12, 2018 . Retrieved December 4, 2018 .
- 1 2 Bishop, Aaron (December 5, 2018). "Meek Mill - Championships" . Clash . Archived from the original on August 9, 2021 . Retrieved December 6, 2018 .
- ↑ Karas Lamb (December 6, 2018). "Meek Mill Earns His Victory Lap on Championships" . Consequence of Sound . Retrieved December 11, 2018 .
- 1 2 Lowers, Erin (December 6, 2018). "Meek Mill - Championships" . Exclaim! . Archived from the original on July 5, 2022 . Retrieved December 7, 2018 .
- ↑ Kalia, Ammar (December 7, 2018). "Meek Mill: Championships review – cinematic tracks from emancipated rapper" . The Guardian . Archived from the original on February 26, 2022 . Retrieved December 16, 2018 .
- ↑ DXStaff (December 4, 2018). "Review: Meek Mill's "Championships" Dominates Its Moment If Not Much Else" . HipHopDX . Retrieved December 6, 2018 .
- ↑ Balram, Dhruva (November 30, 2018). "Meek Mill – 'Championships' review" . NME . Archived from the original on August 9, 2021 . Retrieved December 2, 2018 .
- 1 2 Rytlewski, Evan (December 4, 2018). "Meek Mill - Championships" . Pitchfork . Archived from the original on October 6, 2021 . Retrieved December 4, 2018 .
- ↑ Weingarten, Christopher R. (December 3, 2018). "Review: Meek Mill's 'Championships' Places Him Up There With the Greats" . Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on November 28, 2021 . Retrieved December 6, 2018 .
- ↑ Christgau, Robert (January 11, 2019). "Lupe Fiasco, Meek Mill, Lil Wayne, and Vince Staples" . Vice . Retrieved April 23, 2019 .
- ↑ "Meek Mill Is People's Champ On Steller 'Championships' album" . XXL . December 4, 2018. Archived from the original on April 12, 2022 . Retrieved December 4, 2018 .
- ↑ Krishnamurthy, Sowmya (December 1, 2018). "Meek Mill Wins Big With 'Championships' " . Billboard . Archived from the original on May 19, 2022 . Retrieved December 1, 2018 .
- ↑ Jahmal, Karlton (December 17, 2018). "XXXTentacion's "Skins" Earns #1 Spot On Billboard 200" . HotNewHipHop . Archived from the original on November 21, 2021 . Retrieved January 1, 2019 .
- ↑ Caulfield, Keith (December 23, 2018). "Kodak Black Scores First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 With 'Dying to Live' " . Billboard . Archived from the original on February 2, 2021 . Retrieved May 12, 2019 .
- ↑ Caulfield, Keith (December 30, 2018). "21 Savage's 'I Am > I Was' Album Debuts at No. 1" . Billboard . Archived from the original on January 24, 2021 . Retrieved May 12, 2019 .
- ↑ "Gold & Platinum" . Recording Industry Association of America .
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- "Championships / Meek Mill" . Tidal . Retrieved December 14, 2018 .
- "Championships" . Spotify . November 30, 2018 . Retrieved December 4, 2018 .
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Akaash (November 30, 2018). "Here Are The Production Credits For Meek Mill's New Album 'Championships' " . HipHop-N-More . Archived from the original on July 25, 2021 . Retrieved December 1, 2018 .
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Ahmed, Insanul (November 30, 2018). "Meek Mill Samples Phil Collins, Beyoncé, The Weeknd & More On 'Championships' " . Genius . Retrieved December 4, 2018 .
- ↑ Haffenden, Dayna (November 27, 2018). "Meek Mill's 'Championships' Album Features Cardi B, Kodak Black, a Beyonce Sample and More" . XXL . Retrieved December 1, 2018 .
- ↑ Rindner, Grant (November 24, 2018). "Meek Mill Looks Back At His Tough Upbringing On "Oodles O' Noodles Babies" " . Genius . Retrieved November 25, 2018 .
- ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Meek Mill – Championships" . Hung Medien. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Meek Mill – Championships" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Meek Mill – Championships" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- ↑ "Meek Mill Chart History (Canadian Albums)" . Billboard . Retrieved December 11, 2018.
- ↑ "Danishcharts.dk – Meek Mill – Championships" . Hung Medien. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Meek Mill – Championships" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- ↑ "Lescharts.com – Meek Mill – Championships" . Hung Medien. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
- ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Meek Mill" . Hung Medien. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- ↑ "Mūzikas patēriņa topa 49.nedēļa" (in Latvian). LAIPA . December 9, 2018 . Retrieved November 28, 2019 .
- ↑ "Charts.nz – Meek Mill – Championships" . Hung Medien. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
- ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Meek Mill – Championships" . Hung Medien. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Meek Mill – Championships" . Hung Medien. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Meek Mill – Championships" . Hung Medien. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
- ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100" . Official Charts Company . Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- ↑ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40" . Official Charts Company . Retrieved January 30, 2020.
- ↑ "Meek Mill Chart History ( Billboard 200)" . Billboard . Retrieved December 28, 2018.
- ↑ "Meek Mill Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)" . Billboard . Retrieved January 30, 2020.
- ↑ "Top 100 Urban Albums 2019" . ARIA Charts . Archived from the original on January 11, 2020 . Retrieved January 20, 2020 .
- ↑ "Top Canadian Albums – Year-End 2019" . Billboard . Archived from the original on June 2, 2022 . Retrieved December 6, 2019 .
- ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2019" . Billboard . Archived from the original on May 31, 2022 . Retrieved December 6, 2019 .
- ↑ "Top Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2019" . Billboard . Archived from the original on December 5, 2019 . Retrieved January 30, 2020 .
- ↑ "Top 200 Albums of 2019" . Rolling Stone . Retrieved January 30, 2020 .
- ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2020" . Billboard . Archived from the original on June 18, 2022 . Retrieved December 5, 2020 .
- ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2020" . Billboard . Archived from the original on July 16, 2022 . Retrieved December 10, 2020 .
- ↑ "Decade-End Charts: Billboard 200" . Billboard . Archived from the original on July 9, 2022 . Retrieved November 15, 2019 .
- ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Meek Mill – Championships" . Music Canada . Retrieved January 30, 2020 .
- ↑ "Danish album certifications – Meek Mill – Championships" . IFPI Danmark . Retrieved August 15, 2023 .
- ↑ "British album certifications – Meek Mill – Championships" . British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved May 22, 2022 .
- ↑ "American album certifications – Meek Mill – Championships" . Recording Industry Association of America .