Fire Starter: Meek Mill

The 215 is alive! Meek Mill is the latest in a line of lyricists -- from Schooly D to Black Thought to Beanie Sigel -- to take Philly by storm. Meek's record "Rosé Red" (and the remix featuring T.I., Rick Ross and Vado) has the Illadelph streets on fire.

Last week, the upstart rocked local hip-hop radio station Power 99's [article id="1650688"]Powerhouse concert[/article]. He drew cheers from the capacity crowd that rivaled the screams for headliners Drake and Nicki Minaj.

"It was a feeling I never felt before," Meek told Mixtape Daily backstage after his set. "I did a couple things a cappella to let the world know what I'm doing. I got [DJ] Drama, he a Philly dude, he been holding it down. We did the Gangsta Grillz [mixtape], you got to be official to get a Gangsta Grillz. We been doing it. Twenty-thousand people out there, making them sing a mixtape word for word."

The Philadelphia rapper has been feeding his hometown mixtapes and music since 2007, when he released his first project, Flamerz 1.

He kept grinding, earning followers one by one until he hooked up with local legend Charlie Mack. The two joined forces, and Meek inked with Mack's 215 Aphillyated Records; later, Meek became part of T.I.'s Grand Hustle stable.

Off the strength of his local heater "Rosé Red," T.I. delivered a verse for the remix, and Meek then reached out to Harlem upstart Vado to get down. Rick Ross landed on the track when the Miami MC was visiting the City of Brotherly Love and asked his Twitter followers who he should connect with; Meek Mill was the overwhelming response.

The Jahlil Beats-produced "Rosé Red" is featured on Meek and Drama's Flamerz 3: The Wait Is Over mixtape.

"If you didn't see [the show] or if you haven't already heard, Meek Milly is Philly," Drama told us. "Twenty-thousand fans screaming each and every word off of a mixtape. We talking about groundwork, a movement. He got the city on his back. It's only a matter of time until the world pays attention."

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.