Meek Mill Pardoned by Pennsylvania Governor: 'Life Reset'

Meek Mill

Meek Mill has officially been pardoned by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, permanently expunging 2008 gun and drug charges from his criminal record.

The rapper, who has been a champion of criminal justice reform throughout his career, shared the news on Instagram Thursday.

"Thankyall 🥲," Meek, 35, wrote. "I'm only gone do more for my community on god! ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ #newlevelsunlocked." He also thanked the politician on his Instagram Story for the "life reset."

RELATED: JAY-Z and Meek Mill Urge New York Lawmakers to Stop Rap Lyrics from Being Used in Court

Wolf's move made Meek — born Robert Williams — one of 369 Pennsylvanians pardoned by this week, topping the state record for the amount of pardons granted, the Associated Press reports.

"I have taken this process very seriously — reviewing and giving careful thought to each and every one of these 2,540 pardons and the lives they will impact," Wolf shared in a statement. "Every single one of the Pennsylvanians who made it through the process truly deserves their second chance, and it's been my honor to grant it."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Meek was initially convicted in 2008 and sentenced to one to two years in jail followed by 10 years of probation following a teenage arrest. In 2017, the musician was sentenced to a minimum of two years for violating probation over two unrelated arrests, an alleged failed drug test, and failure to comply with an order restricting travel. After serving five months at Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution at Graterford in Montgomery County, Meek was released in April 2018. As the AP notes, a Pennsylvania appeals court overturned the conviction in 2019 when new evidence undermined the arresting officer's credibility.

In the years since, Meek launched the REFORM Alliance alongside Michael Rubin, Shawn "JAY-Z" Carter, Robert Kraft and more. He has since assisted in the passing of 16 bills in 10 states, working toward "stable communities, stronger families and greater public safety for all," per REFORM, in an effort to "transform probation and parole by changing laws, systems and culture to create real pathways to work and wellbeing."

Brian Stukes/Getty

RELATED: Meek Mill, Kevin Hart, 76ers Co-Owner Michael Rubin to Donate $15M to Philadelphia Area Schools

Even this winter, the rapper worked to help incarcerated Philadelphia women reunite with their families just in time for the holidays.

Meek paid bail for 20 women — with five of them released from Riverside Correctional Facility on one day in late December. The criminal justice reform advocate also gave each of the women a gift card to purchase groceries or gifts, per a release.

"It was devastating for me to be away from my son during the holidays when I was incarcerated," Mill said. "So I understand what these women and their families are going through."

"No one should have to spend the holidays in jail simply because they can't afford bail," he continued. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to help these women be with their families and loved ones during this special time of year."

RELATED: Meek Mill Says He's 'Grateful' to Pay Bail for 20 Philadelphia Women to Be Home for Holidays

Reacting to the latest news of his pardon, Meek wrote on Twitter, "I just got pardoned … last week we donated 7m to our community…. I get so many good highlights it's like fake … they have no control over my narrative I'm stronger [than] them in life and on the net! They want you to be quiet so I talk moreeee lol."