Lil Mama gave this role everything she had, and we can tell.
Keydra Manns
The season premiere of Last Chance U hit Netflix yesterday. GQ magazine and show producer Condé Nast Entertainment held a prescreening event on Thursday, the eve of the premiere at The Tribeca Grill in downtown NYC to celebrate the release of the second season.
In case you missed the first season, Last Chance U is a dramatic and heartfelt docuseries featuring the football team of the Eastern Mississippi Community College, the Lions. The existence of the team was introduced to America after a GQ magazine writer wrote a feature about the team in 2014 after a record number of division 1 athletes had got their start with the team.
Many of the young men of the binge worthy doc have a checkered past and the show highlights the ups and downs they face while chasing their dreams. But the show offers many comic reliefs and teammate quarrels that move the show along.
Stars of the show Coach Davern Williams formally of the New York Giants and academic advisor Brittany Wagner showed up to the premiere with the teams running back Isaiah Wright.
Wright took his first plane ride to the Big Apple in order to attend the premier event. He told the audience it was a “struggle” making it to the team, but because of the show he has gained fans from around the world.
“I have people that text me from Spain, Brazil, and France,” said the running back. “They ask me how can I change from playing soccer to padded football and I tell them, I don’t know.”
The crowd rings out in laugher but quiets down just as he says, “All I can tell them is if you have a dream, chase it”.
On July 11th, the JAY Z room at the 40/40 club was crammed with bloggers, journalists and tastemakers eager to see the premiere of BET’s On Tour with Meek Mill.
The special follows the days leading up to rapper Meek Mill’s concert in his home town of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The twist of the series is that his story is recounted by his team, who he affectionately calls the Dreamchasers, comprised mostly of his family and friends. They chronicle the beginning of his career to where the rapper is now.
The series opens with Robert Williams aka Meek Mill, discussing his criminal history. He divulges his struggles with the law and says he has been on probation for 16-years of his life. But despite his legal trouble, he feels obligated to provide for his team because they all rely on him.
“I really thought my whole life would be in the streets, but Meek definitely helped me get away from it,” said aspiring rapper Omelly, first cousin to Meek Mill. “Now I don’t have to risk my life.”
As the special comes to a close, Meek Mill performs to a sold out crowd the intro to his album Dreams and Nightmares which debuted in 2012, but is a Meek Mill classic and fan favorite. As the guests begin to leave the sold out arena, the camera transitions to Meek sitting in a dark room.
“A lot of people aren’t going to understand me, and if you don’t understand me it’s okay,” said the Philly rapper. “Tupac had to die for people to understand him, but I’m not going to die before you understand me.” “I don’t care if it takes one year, two years or four, you will understand me one day.”