Meek Mill is out of prison, and there’s a Tampa connection to his release

Meek Mill is a noted sports fanatic, but the Philadelphia rapper probably thanked a different kind of fanatic on Tuesday.

In November 2017, Mr. Mill, a 30-year-old Philadelphia-based rapper born Robert Rihmeek Williams, was sentenced to two to four years in state prison for violating his probation.

On April 24 — after several appeals and commentary from other rappers, politicos and fans alike — Mill was released from prison on bail when the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania overturned his controversial sentence for the probation violation stemming from a 2007 drug and weapons charge.

In a statement, Mill said that the past five months in jail have been a nightmare.

"The prayers, visits, calls, letters and rallies have helped me stay positive," he wrote. "I’d like to thank God, my family, my friends, my attorneys, my team at Roc Nation including JAY-Z, Desiree Perez, my good friend Michael Rubin, my fans, The Pennsylvania Supreme Court and all my public advocates for their love, support and encouragement during this difficult time."

Mill's "good friend" Michael Rubin is a co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers, and he's also the owner of sports merchandising company Fanatics, Inc. which runs its Fanatics Brands team (which comes up with product designs and plans their creation and distribution) out of a Tampa facility.

Rubin visited Mill in prison several times and immediately picked Mill up from prison and took him to attend the 76ers' series-clinching victory over the Miami Heat last night at Phill's Wells Fargo Center.

This article appears in Apr 19-26, 2018.