Meek Mill Gets Backlash After Giving $20 to Kids Selling Water

Meek Mill‘s recent act of generosity didn’t go over well with folks on social media over the weekend.

On Sunday (Dec. 6), Meek was driving through Atlanta and was approached by a group of kids at a red light, who were selling water on the street. The kids asked Meek to support their water selling business.

“Support? What we supporting, though?,” Meek Mill asked the kids. “What is we supporting?.” One of the young men replied, “The water hustle.” Another kid continued, “We out here selling water, tryna stay out of trouble, big bro.” There were between six and seven kids altogether.

In a second clip, which features the words “Atl RUNTZ,” the Philadelphia rapper says to the group of boys, “Y’all not gon’ split it?,” presumably referring to the money he had given them. The kids then try to reason with Meek, saying that the entire group isn’t going to split the money he gave them. “I just gave y’all money, man,” Meek Milly told them. Another voice in the car can be heard telling the boys, “Man, y’all gotta split that money, man. It’s $20.” Meek added, “That’s a dub,” referring to the $20.

Social media users weren’t huge fans of Meek Mill only giving the kids $20 to split, considering he’s a millionaire and rides in luxury cars such as the Rolls-Royce he was driving when the encounter transpired.

“Meek couldn’t even give a Virgil ….,” one person tweeted, referring to the Virgil Abloh controversy where he was called out for donating $50 to bail funds amid the protests against police brutality earlier this year.

“Meek Mill needs to work on this charitable giving thing, 20 dollars is not always 20 dollars,” another person said, including a video of the incident.

Meek responded to the backlash via Twitter saying that the kids were grateful for his donation.

“They appreciated it they just hustling kids …..,” he tweeted.

Afterwards, Meek Mill shared a year-old video of a kid from Atlanta showing off his money. “They be having more money than some of y’all … I can’t relate to the internet I just post this video a year old too…make sure y’all go help them kids out if y’all concerned!.” He later deleted the clip, which was reposted by The Shade Room.

Although many people thought Meek should have donated more, New Orleans-bred rapper and Love & Hip Hop star Tokyo Vanity defended the rhymer on Instagram while sharing her own experiences with the young boys who sell water on the streets of Atlanta.

“Y’all ever been to Atlanta?,” she began. “Them LIL niggas aggy as fuck and aggressive as fuck, hand prints all over yo car, water bottle greasy and nasty and hot. I give them money all the the and let them keep the water. They are very ungrateful. They think if you give 1 NIGGA some money you gotta give all them some money. All them sell water on 1 bock and think you gonna buy from all them at the same time the fuck 1 NIGGA gonna do with 7 bottles of water? He paid $20 for 1 bottle of water that came outta a $3 case of 24. Respectfully y’all got meek fucked up cause he aint even have to give them SHIT…. take this $20 and buy all y’all 5-6 more cases of water to sell that’s how you split it!”

Tokyo initially posted the message on her IG with a caption that said, “Y’all got @meekmill fucked up.” She later removed the post, but shared it on her IG Story as well.

In another social media post, Tokyo said, “Them boys be aggressive and ungrateful af you can give one of them $10 for a 17 cent bottle of water cause it $4 for the case of 24 they be buying. They will say ‘COME ON MANE I KNOW YOU GOT MORE MONEY THAN THAT!’ When you say ‘nah man go head’ he gonna say ‘FUCK YOU BITCH REAL WATER BOY SHIT BROKE ASS HOE WE HAVING REAL PAPER, REAL MOTION’ and pull out bout $500 sometimes more. Y’all sympathetic now until you bring yo duck ass out here and roll your window down and get yo purse snatched.”

Meek Mill has definitely made charitable moves in the past. Back in 2016, he donated 60,000 bottles of water to Flint, Mich. residents. In April, Meek and Jay-Z donated 100,000 masks to prisons amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Meek is the second rapper to trend on social media today (Dec. 7) over a donation conversation. Cardi B received backlash yesterday (Dec. 6) and this morning after asking fans if she should spend $88,000 on a new bag. After being told via social media that her question was tone deaf as many citizens are currently struggling due to the pandemic, she offered to match any donations being made to charities or foundations. However, she was called out for that also as some people are unable to donate because they don’t have the means to do so because of unemployment caused by COVID-19.

See more reactions to Meek Mill giving the group of kids selling water in Atlanta $20 below.