Going to school so close to New York, I am surrounded by New York enthusiasts and I often feel like the odd man out. See, to me, when I hear "the city" my brain automatically thinks of Philadelphia, but many people here at Rutgers like to disagree with me.

Don't get me wrong, New York is incredible, but Philly has my heart. Granted I am a little biased, having grown up only five short minutes from Philly and being raised a Philly sports fan. Being the reigning Super Bowl champions, I didn't think the city of Philadelphia could be any more satisfied, that was until Tuesday, April 24, when Meek Mill was released from prison. To many people, this may not seem like big news, but to the people of Philadelphia and all of Meek Mill's fan base, this news is motivation to flood the streets of Philly, just like when the Eagles won the Super Bowl.

During the Eagles parade, all you heard was, of course, fans screaming, the Eagles fight song blasting, and Meek Mill’s signature song, “Dream and Nightmares.” Since November, the entire five months Meek Mill was incarcerated, the hashtag “FreeMeekMill” started trending and “Dreams and Nightmares” developed into Philly’s anthem. For those of you that don’t know Philly, the people there have a lot of passion. They have a passion for Philly sports, cheesesteaks, and most importantly, Meek Mill.

“Dreams and Nightmares” was the staple to the Eagles winning the Superbowl, as it was the song the team ran out to the day of the Super Bowl and the song continues to be motivation for other Philly sports teams, like the 76ers who are currently third in the Eastern Conference. The song, however, is more than just motivation for the sports teams. “Dreams and Nightmares” is about being stuck at the bottom, but then eventually rising to the top. It’s the perfect song for Philly because our sports teams have started from the bottom and now have made it to the top, the Eagles just being one example.

Having been raised in Philadelphia, Meek Mill has always been an influence on the people of Philadelphia. His music has always been blasted throughout the streets of Philly and it surely is not stopping anytime soon. Not that Meek Mill’s incarceration has made him more popular, it has just managed to bind an entire city together by having one goal and that was to see Meek Mill walk as a free man. So, Philly, I just have one question for you now: Ain’t this what you’ve been waitin’ for?