Since the dawn of humanity, people everywhere have shared a base level grasp on gravity. Sometimes things went up, they always came back down, and that was enough. It wasn't until Newton published Prinicipa in 1687 that we began to understand why. Newton took an accepted occurrence of an apple falling, applied science, and began to understand the greater implications of it: The law of universal gravitation.
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In this scenario I am Sir Issac Newton, the apple is 14 Meek Mill albums, and the greater implication is how much Meek likes to rap about watches. Much like Newton studied the mechanics of attraction between two objects, I listened to 222 Meek Mill songs in a row and recorded every watch reference he makes. They will bury me at Westminster Abbey.
From 2008's Flamers to this year's Meekend Music, I recorded every line from "Crowns on my wrist" to "Presidential, bitch." Throughout his 14 projects Meek references watches 156 times. Ninety-three times he mentions them by name brand directly. One hundred and fifty-six watch references over 222 songs means an average of .7 watch references per song. I don't have the data for any other artist, but I suspect he is on the higher end of the average watch reference spectrum. For those who doubted that Meek liked watches—that was a dumb thing to doubt. For those who always believed Meek liked watches, great job, you did it.Where did his obsession begin? Has Meek always been fascinated by big Franck faces, or was this hobby picked up later in life? It's obviously the first one, but still, let's explore album by album to clock exactly how his relationship with watches has evolved.
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Flamers (2008) | WATCH-METER: [1]
Brand Breakdown: Rolex, 1; Breitling, 1
Best Bar: "I be high to the sky / I glide like a Rolex"
Flamers 2: Hottest in tha City (2009) | WATCH-METER: [7]
Great artists are defined by periods of work. From 1901 to 1904 Picasso created cold mono-chromatic blue paintings, and from 2009 to 2010 Meek rapped about Audemars Piguet. To the unfamiliar, Piguet might sound like sexual watersports, but true horology heads will be familiar with the timeless Swiss watch brand. During his Audemars period Meek was signed to T.I.'s label, Grand Hustle. The Trouble Man has had his fair share of Audemars bars over the years, so it's possible we have him to thank for the uptick in Meek's watch lyrics. Thank you, Trouble Man.Watch References: 13
Brand Breakdown: Audemars Piguet, 7; Breitling, 1; Rolex, 1
Best Bar: "Alley-oop a little bitch / Omelly slam her for the score / Yeah, it's my time / And I'ma shine / Like I'm a fucking Audemars"
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Flamers 2.5: The Preview (2009) | WATCH-METER: [6]
Brand Breakdown: Audemars Piguet, 2; Breitling, 1; Cartier, 1; Rolex, 2
Best Bar: "Wrist looking like the same arena where the Flyers be—ICEY"
Flamers 3: The Wait is Over (2010) | WATCH-METER: [6]
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Watch References: 14
Brand Breakdown: Audemars Piguet, 5; Rolex, 2
Best Bar: "Hate is my motivator / Wrist's on refrigerator"
Brand Breakdown: Audemars Piguet, 5; Breitling, 4; Rolex, 6
Best Bar: "I asked my little bitch, she seen a brick and she said, 'No' / I told that little bitch look at my wrist, and she said, 'Oh'"
After a brief break with DJ Ill Will and Rockstar, Meek got back with Drama for his most critically acclaimed series to date. As if there was any doubt (there wasn't), on Dreamchasers the watches are back too. In lesser numbers, but they're still here.
Brand Breakdown: Audemars Piguet, 5; Rolex, 2
Best Bar: "Hate is my motivator / Wrist's on refrigerator"
Mr. Philadelphia (2010) | WATCH-METER: [10]
Mr. Philadelphia should have been called Mr. Watch. It would have been an empirically worse title that sounds like a Blues Clues character, but it also would've represented the content of the mixtape much better. Meek does not shout out Philadelphia nearly as much as he shouts out what's on his wrist and how much it cost.The two song sequence of "Banned From TV" and "Where Dey Do Dat" boasts a combined nine watch references. Both "Legggo" and "Dope Boy" feature watch references in their refrains. "Ain't Gonna Sleep" has the most straight to the point watch lyric of all time. No metaphors, no rhymes, Meek just says three brands in a row, "Breitling, Rollie, Audemars." This is either the laziest or most efficient flex of all time.Watch References: 31
Brand Breakdown: Audemars Piguet, 5; Breitling, 4; Rolex, 6
Best Bar: "I asked my little bitch, she seen a brick and she said, 'No' / I told that little bitch look at my wrist, and she said, 'Oh'"
Dreamchasers (2011) | WATCH-METER: [6]
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Dreamchasers marks the beginning of Meek's Rolex Period. For the next five years every one of Meek's projects will give Rolex the majority share of references. Meek will reference Rolex by name 34 times in his songs and not receive a dime for it. Someone should have worked out a deal for Meek because this is some of the craziest unpaid product placement I have ever heard of.Watch References: 11
Brand Breakdown: Audemars Piguet, 2; Franck Muller, 1; Rolex, 3Best Bar: "Gotta go to court tomorrow / DA on my dick / so I'ma wear my Audemars / just to make her sick"
Dreamchasers 2 is the most downloaded mixtape in the history of DatPiff. With 2.9 million listens, 4.6 million downloads, and a fat 20 watch references this project is cemented in the mixtape hall of fame. Here Meek solidifies his commitment to Rolex by refusing to mention any other brand. From track one through 16 it's Rollie, Rollie, Rolex. These things don't come cheap. Throughout the tape the various price comparisons he lists off are: "40 racks," "60 racks," "a Camaro," and "a whole brick."Watch References: 20
Brand Breakdown: Rolex, 10
Best Bar: "Right back like I never left / Rollie on my wrist cost a Camaro, yeah the double S"
Meek's long-awaited debut album came in 2012 to the tune of 165k sold. Long time fans were satiated with the best album intro in history, stunning production from Jahlil Beats and The Beat Bully, as well as features from Nas and Rick Ross. (Long) time fans were crestfallen with the glaring lack of watch references, however.
Brand Breakdown: Audemars Piguet, 2; Franck Muller, 1; Rolex, 3Best Bar: "Gotta go to court tomorrow / DA on my dick / so I'ma wear my Audemars / just to make her sick"
Dreamchasers 2 (2012) | WATCH-METER: [8]
Brand Breakdown: Rolex, 10
Best Bar: "Right back like I never left / Rollie on my wrist cost a Camaro, yeah the double S"
Dreams and Nightmares (2012) | WATCH-METER: [4]
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On all levels except lyrical, this is a Meek Mill project. He appears on every song, but somehow it feels like he is barely punching the clock. Saved by a memorable intro and strong commercial performance, this project has a gigantic watch-shaped hole that needs filling. With watches.Watch References : 5
Brand Breakdown: Audemars Piguet, 1; Rolex, 3
Best Bar: "There was something bout that Rollie when it first touched my wrist / Had me feeling like that dope boy when he first touched that brick"
Mixtape Meek is the best Meek. After sensing his failure with his previous release, Meek sought to correct it immediately. He wastes no time with the first line of the tape, "100 grand large on the watch, blessed." That's a lot of money to spend on a watch, but it's true: We are blessed.Those who have been listening since Flamers 2.5 will notice some familiar lines. Some will call it recycling, but I believe it's homage to his earlier work. The hook for "Dope Dealer" is the second time Meek has compared a yellow watch to Homer Simpson, and the hook for "Rich Porter" is the second time Meek has said his watch was flooded like New Orleans. This is not an oversight; Meek just like cartoons and FEMA disasters. These are normal hobbies. I see no problem with it.Watch References: 15
Brand Breakdown: Audemars Piguet, 2; Rolex, 7
Best Bar: "So I'mma ball harder than the muhfuckin' Carters / Beyoncé n Shawn / Arm bluer than their daughter"
Brand Breakdown: Audemars Piguet, 1; Rolex, 3
Best Bar: "There was something bout that Rollie when it first touched my wrist / Had me feeling like that dope boy when he first touched that brick"
Dreamchasers 3 (2013) | WATCH-METER: [7]
Brand Breakdown: Audemars Piguet, 2; Rolex, 7
Best Bar: "So I'mma ball harder than the muhfuckin' Carters / Beyoncé n Shawn / Arm bluer than their daughter"
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Dreams Worth More Than Money (2015) | WATCH-METER: [7]
Brand Breakdown: Audemars Piguet, 2; Rolex, 8
Best Bar: "Came from the hood now we jump out of states / Peep all these diamonds, they jump out the face"
4/4 (2016) | WATCH-METER: [3]
Brand Breakdown: Audemars Piguet, 1; Rolex, 2
Best Bar: "Audemars, I got a Range on me / Shit, a hundred thousand aint a thing to me / What's your range, homie? / This another level / Flood the Rollie, get another bezel"
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4/4 Part 2 (2016) | WATCH-METER: [2]
Brand Breakdown: Audemars Piguet, 1; Rolex, 1
Best Bar: "You wanna see a dead body? / Come roll with Ricky / My wrist and neck cost a Bugatti"
DC4 (2016) | WATCH-METER: [6]
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Watch References: 10
Brand Breakdown: Audemars Piguet, 1; Patek Philippe, 2; Rolex, 6
Best Bar: "Take out a nine and I sell it for thirty / Then straight to the jeweler / I'm bustin a Rollie / to light up the city like Meechie '03"
Brand Breakdown: Patek Philippe, 1Best Bar: "Like that dirty dirty, how I lean niggas / And my wrist so subzero like freeze nigga!'"Asher Dakota is Noisey's data science correspondent. Follow him on Twitter.
Brand Breakdown: Audemars Piguet, 1; Patek Philippe, 2; Rolex, 6
Best Bar: "Take out a nine and I sell it for thirty / Then straight to the jeweler / I'm bustin a Rollie / to light up the city like Meechie '03"
Meekend Music (2017) | WATCH-METER: [2]
A timepiece tragedy. A chrono-catastrophe. This is bullshit. Meekend Music has the fewest watch references of any Meek project to date. Two. What's the point?This is a cry for help. This is Meek's 14th project, and it's the first time he has not used the word "Rolex" in a song. The man has been rapping for nine years—NINE YEARS—and every single album/mixtape/EP has mentioned Rolex except for this one. What is wrong? Is Meek developing as an artist to the point where he no longer needs the stability of the lyrical tropes that carried him but are ultimately a stale, meaningless regurgitation of what has been said a million times before? No. That's impossible.This is the calm before the storm. The tide before the wave. The music with not a lot of watch references before the music with a lot of watch references. I foresee a future where DC4.5 drops and the first track is just Meek saying the word, "Rolex" really slowly. Second track he flips it and says "Rolex" like a hundred times. Third track? Doesn't exist because that is the perfect album already.Watch References: 2
Brand Breakdown: Patek Philippe, 1Best Bar: "Like that dirty dirty, how I lean niggas / And my wrist so subzero like freeze nigga!'"Asher Dakota is Noisey's data science correspondent. Follow him on Twitter.