Meek Mill returns to ‘The Tonight Show’ after being arrested hours after his last appearance

Rapper Meek Mill, who once made the news on a regular basis for his relationship with Nicki Minaj, took on the role of being a symbol of the unfair treatment of Black people in sentencing last year. The Philadelphia-based hip-hop artist was locked up with a sentence of several years after violating probation for a non-violent offense. A lot of people spoke up in his defense, including the owners of the Philadelphia 7ers and the New England Patriots, both high-profile white executives. Mill was released in April after the outcry, but his case is ongoing and still under review. Now it’s been announced that “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon will feature Mill, who was arrested right after appearing on the late night talk show in August 2017. According to Variety, Mill was arrested for reckless endangerment after police viewed an Instagram post of him riding his dirt bike through New York City streets. The incident led to a controversial and unusually harsh sentence for parole violation that saw him incarcerated. On Sept. 4, just a year later, he will return to the show for both an interview and a musical performance, where he will doubtless be accompanied by fellow Philadelphia natives The Roots, which is Fallon’s house band. Mill will have no shortage of subjects to discuss, from his dramatic release from prison— which saw him flown by helicopter directly to the Philadelphia 76ers playoff game, courtesy of team owner Michael Rubin, who will be joining him on the show — and the wave of support he received during his sentence, particularly from Jay Z, who penned editorials and was outspoken about Mill’s treatment. Earlier this year, Mill revealed he had cut a deal with Amazon and Jay Z’s Roc Nation for a documentary series examining his odyssey through the criminal justice system over the past decade and his long battle with Philadelphia judge Genece Brinkley, as well as the larger issue of high incarceration rates for people of color. Mill will also perform at the Made in America festival in Philadelphia over Labor Day weekend — his first hometown performance since he was released from prison in April.