Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has added an unexpected credit to his résumé: an appearance in a rap music video.
Shapiro makes a brief cameo in Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill’s new video for “Nightmares to Dreams,” appearing a little more than a minute into the video as the two embrace and talk.
The footage was recorded before Meek Mill performed at Philadelphia’s One Philly: Unity Concert for America on July 4, according to state officials.
The appearance reflects a relationship between Shapiro and Meek Mill, whose real name is Robert Rihmeek Williams, that has developed over nearly a decade and centered largely on criminal justice reform.
Meek Mill spent years on probation following a 2008 drug and gun case, with restrictions affecting his ability to travel and work even as his music career grew. He was sentenced to two to four years in prison in 2017 following probation violations, drawing widespread attention to Pennsylvania’s probation system.
Shapiro, then the state attorney general, became involved in the broader reform effort after Fanatics founder Michael Rubin encouraged him to examine Meek Mill’s case.
Meek Mill was released from prison on bail in 2018 and later helped establish the Reform Alliance, an organization advocating changes to probation and parole laws.
That effort eventually helped lead to Act 44, probation reform legislation signed by Shapiro in December 2023. The law provides pathways for some Pennsylvanians to end probation early and limits incarceration for certain technical probation violations.
The governor has acknowledged that he initially wasn’t a fan of Meek Mill’s music but gained a greater appreciation after the rapper explained the experiences behind his lyrics.
Source: Phila Inquirer