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Why Meek Mill’s battle with The Cosmopolitan hotel is all about race

Life is all about picking your battles. Not every offense is worth taking arms and, conversely, you’re not always going to be in the mood to call the dogs off. With that being said, Meek Mill has every right to go the distance with his newest foe: The Cosmopolitan hotel of Las Vegas.

This past weekend, the Philadelphia rapper accused the Las Vegas Cosmopolitan of racial discrimination after being told he was not allowed in to enter the building.

As you can imagine — being a star of his caliber and an eager customer all the same — Meek was bewildered, and uploaded footage of the tense back and forth between the hotel and casino’s security who informed the artist he was not allowed inside the building.

Of course, if he attempted to enter, he would risk being arrested and violating his parole. In the video, you can hear Meek continue to ask why he wasn’t allowed to enter but was plainly told,

“We have the right to do that.”

In response, the Cosmopolitan Hotel has staunchly denied the accusations, maintaining that Meek was turned away because they were at capacity, not because he was Black and a rapper.

“Marquee Dayclub had reached capacity per Las Vegas Fire Marshall code. Earlier that day, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police had been called onsite to manage a larger than usual venue crowd,” the Cosmo told TMZ in a statement.

But the Dreams and Nightmares rapper wasn’t having it.

Meek has since called for a “cultural ban” of the Cosmo, urging black stars to combine forces to blackball the hotel. In response, he’s had the likes of Yo Gotti, 50 Cent, T.I. and more make statements speaking against the hotel.

Meek is reportedly also planning to file a lawsuit this week against Las Vegas’ Cosmopolitan Hotel on counts of directing him to leave the premises and threatening to arrest him.

https://twitter.com/MeekMill/status/1133237149887811584

Meek’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, tells TMZ he will seek “heavy monetary damages” from the hotel for “lying and humiliating Meek,” saying, “I’m going to take this place down because of what they did.”

Tacopina also attains that there’s a list of Black rappers who aren’t welcome in a group of Vegas hotels. While the Cosmo dismisses the assertion, Tacopina has revealed that Yo Gotti and BlocBoy JB have also claimed other Vegas hotels deny them entrance since they’re Black rappers.

In a statement provided to Complex, Yo Gotti said,

“Unfortunately, I’ve experienced similar discrimination at the Cosmopolitan and other Vegas hotels. It’s a disgrace that these establishments continue to judge us by the color of our skin and our professions instead of recognizing our artistry and dedication to our communities. I stand with Meek Mill and all my peers in the hip-hop community that have been disrespected by places like the Cosmopolitan.”

Now, on the surface, the dispute may appear below Meek. He’s a millionaire; he doesn’t live in Vegas; they’re not Black-owned nor is someplace worth spending your money at anyway — what’s the purpose?

https://twitter.com/MeekMill/status/1133250083418464256

And the answer to that is principal.

Over the past decade, Meek Mill has been fighting the justice system due to a wrongful conviction as a teenager and a crooked judge. He’s been humiliated, taken advantage of and not given a shot, despite his success, due to discriminatory practices.

If there ever was an individual to stick up for himself or time, it’s Meek Mill and it’s right now.

For other rappers, this isn’t the hill to die on. Their answer is as simple of going to a different hotel or spending their money elsewhere. Meek is not so lucky. He didn’t pick this restorative justice life, it chose him.

While the Cosmopolitan is sticking to their tune that they promote “zero tolerance for discrimination,” they should know that Meek isn’t just any rapper, but a rapper who ready to fight for how he deserves to be treated.