The music video for Meek Mill’s introspective track “Expensive Pain” has arrived, and it’s complete with footage of Meek during his years as an aspiring star. The song is the title track from Mill’s fifth studio album, which dropped Friday.
In one of two throwback recordings of the lyricist, Meek is seen talking about his long-term goal to acquire wealth and afford his mom a new life outside of his native Philadelphia. “I don’t wanna be dead, I don’t want to be in jail, I want $100 f—ing million,” he said. “It’s easy to pull the trigger, but it ain’t easy to pull your mom out the ‘hood. That’s a real man’s job.”
He continued, “That ain’t for suckers right there. We’re tryna be young kings. All that other sh– is played out.”
Later in the music video, Meek appears in another previously recorded tape. In it, he says, “I was broke for 13 years. When you see me, I had nappy braids. My stomach was hurting. It really was hurting. I really starved some nights, man.”
In the tune, Mill raps about the newfound emotional and interpersonal challenges he faces as a star. “And this expensive pain,” he says in the chorus. “When you ridin’ through the trenches, bulletproof all on the Range/ This expensive pain/ Lovin’ on the b—h you claim knowin’ some rich n—as hittin’/ It’ll never be the same, this expensive pain/ This expensive pain/ Went through some shit about this money, I seen some n—as change, expensive pain.”
Since the 2012 release of his gold-certified debut album Dreams and Nightmares, Mill has dropped 56 Billboard Hot 100 hits. He earned his first Grammy nomination in 2019, when his fourth studio LP, Champions, was up for best rap album.
Meek Mill is a devoted philanthropist and advocate for criminal justice, founding the REFORM Alliance in January 2019 with Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Philadelphia 76ers partner Michael Rubin, music icon and entrepreneur Jay-Z, Brooklyn Nets partner Clara Wu Tsai and more. Meek and Rubin also started a $2 million scholarship fund to provide financial relief for underserved kids in their Philadelphia hometown.