Rapper Meek Mill talks about newfound passion, life after prison

Hip-hop star Meek Mill appeared on "The Tonight Show" Tuesday to discuss life after prison and his newfound passion for criminal justice reform.

Mill, who was released from prison in April, performed his new song “Dangerous,” alongside Jeremih and PnB Rock, but he also spoke out against discrimination and the high incarceration rates for people of color in the U.S.

“We go straight to jail,” the Philadelphia native said Tuesday. “People like myself, we actually get the bad end of the stick. I'm not saying that we shouldn't be punished for criminal activity, or you should not go to jail if you commit a crime, but probation was designed for one to help better themselves.

“I was falsely accused of a bunch of things and I was put on probation for 10 years. I'm 31 years old now and I'm still on probation,” he added.

It was the rapper’s first time on "The Tonight Show" since he appeared as a musical guest in August 2017. He was arrested just a few hours after the taping for a parole violation that led to a controversial five-month prison sentence. Mill, real name Robert Williams, was placed on probation as an 18-year-old after being convicted of illegal possession of a firearm.

“I come from a neighborhood where you know young black males lose their life on a daily basis. Families lose their lives or are broken up because of the system,” he said. “I've been going to jail for [even] a traffic ticket. I left this show, popped a wheelie and I was in jail since.”

Mill, signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation record label, spoke alongside business man and Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin. Rubin flew the rapper to an NBA playoff game via helicopter in June, just moments after his release from prison.

The two have joined forces to advocate for criminal justice reform and combat discriminatory practices in the country’s legal system. They said their main goal is to reduce the number of Americans incarcerated due to unfair prison sentences.

“We have about 6.7 million people in the criminal justice system today, in the U.S. That’s five times the rate of the rest of the world,” Mill noted. “I'm fortunate to have everyone helping me, but how do we help others?

“We've got to change the country and help these other millions of people that are stuck in the system unfairly."

Mill said his fight for social justice has inspired his music, including songs like "Stay Woke" and "Milidelphia" from his new EP, "Legends of the Summer." He described his new sound as "edgy" in a recent interview with ABC News.

"It's still edgy Meek Mill, energy, social forecasting where I come from, the bottom of Philadelphia, the trenches, but it's still mixed with how I'm speaking on politics of the justice system and the odds against young black and Hispanic Americans," Mill told ABC News last month.