A Dream
Jay-Z feat. Faith Evans & Notorious B.I.G Lyrics
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Last night I had a dream
Thoughts was racing through my head
It was all a dream
Felt so real to me
This is what was said
"Had a dream," I said, "'Bout who he said?"
"Dig what he said", "Proceed," he said
"Indeed," I said, so, breathe I did
"Don't repeat what I say," I said, he said nothing
He agreed with his head, he just nodded like this
What I believe to be a yes I repeated what was said
"It came to me like a whisper last evening," I said
"What's the deal playboy?" was the greeting he said
First thing I wanted to know, what's the reason he was dead
"Mo' Money, Mo' Problems, better believe it," he said
"Careful what you wish for you might receive it," he said
"I see," I said, "jealousy," I said
"Got the whole industry mad at me," I said
Then B.I. said, "Hov' remind yourself
Nobody built like you, you designed yourself"
"I agree," I said, "My one of a kind self"
Get stoned every day like Jesus did
"What he said," I said, has been said before
"Just keep doing your thing," he said, say no more
Was it all a dream
Was it all a dream, was it all a dream
Was it all a dream
Was it all a dream, was it all a dream
It was all a dream, I used to read Word Up! magazine
Salt'n'Pepa and Heavy D up in the limousine
Hanging pictures on my wall
Every Saturday, "Rap Attack," Mr. Magic, Marley Marl
I let my tape rock 'til my tape popped
Smokin' weed and bamboo, sippin' on private stock
Way back, when I had the red and black lumberjack
With the hat to match
Remember Rappin' Duke? "Duh-ha, duh-ha"
You never thought that hip-hop would take it this far
Now I'm in the limelight 'cause I rhyme tight
Time to get paid, blow up like the
Born sinner, the opposite of a winner
Remember when I used to eat sardines for dinner
Peace to Ron G, Brucey bB, Kid Capri
Funkmaster Flex, Lovebug Starsky
I'm blowin' up like you thought I would
Call the crib, same number same hood, it's all good
Uh, and if you don't know, now you know, nigga
Was it all a dream
Was it all a dream, was it all a dream
Was it all a dream (was it a dream)
Was it all a dream, was it all a dream
(It was all a dream)
(It was all)
(It was all, a dream)
(It was all a dream)
(It was all, a dream)
(It was all)
"I see," I said, "jealousy," I said
"Got the whole industry mad at me," I said
Then B.I. said, "Hov' remind yourself
Nobody built like you, you designed yourself"
"I agree," I said, "My one of a kind self"
Get stoned every day like Jesus did
"What he said," I said, has been said before
"Just keep doing your thing," he said, say no more
The song "A Dream" by Jay-Z featuring Faith Evans and Notorious B.I.G. is an introspective and reflective track that explores the idea of dreams and their significance. The lyrics are split into two distinct sections, the first of which is a conversation between Jay-Z and the late Notorious B.I.G. In this exchange, B.I.G. imparts some wisdom to the younger artist, telling him to stay true to himself and ignore the haters. He also warns Jay-Z about the downsides of fame and success. The second section of the song is a nostalgic look back at the early days of hip hop, when Jay-Z was first getting started as an artist. He reminisces about listening to his favorite radio shows and hanging posters of his favorite rappers on his wall. Throughout the song, Jay-Z touches on themes of self-doubt, perseverance, and the importance of staying true to oneself.
The lyrics to "A Dream" are particularly poignant given that both Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z are now considered legends in the hip hop world. At the time the song was released, however, Jay-Z was still striving to make a name for himself in the industry. The message of the song is clear: no matter how far you've come, it's important to remember your roots and humble beginnings.
Overall, the song is a masterclass in introspection and reflection, and showcases Jay-Z's incredible talent as a lyricist.
Line by Line Meaning
It was all a dream
I had a dream that felt so real to me
Last night I had a dream
I had a dream last night that I can't shake
Thoughts was racing through my head
I had so much on my mind in my dream
It was all a dream
My entire dream felt like reality
Felt so real to me
I believed every moment of my dream
"Had a dream," I said, "'Bout who he said?"
I talked to someone in my dream about Biggie Smalls
"'Bout B.I.G.," I said, "That's big he said"
In my dream, I was talking about the rapper B.I.G.
"Dig what he said", "Proceed," he said
I asked someone in my dream to explain what B.I.G. said and he said to continue
"Indeed," I said, so, breathe I did
I agreed and took a breath in my dream
"Don't repeat what I say," I said, he said nothing
I warned the person not to share what I said. He didn't say anything back
"He agreed with his head, he just nodded like this
The person in my dream agreed with me by nodding his head
What I believe to be a yes I repeated what was said
I thought he said yes, so I repeated what I said earlier
"It came to me like a whisper last evening," I said
I explained that I had this dream recently
"What's the deal playboy?" was the greeting he said
The person in my dream asked me what's going on
First thing I wanted to know, what's the reason he was dead
In the dream, I asked about the reason behind Biggie's death
"Mo' Money, Mo' Problems, better believe it," he said
He explained that Biggie's death was a result of his success
"Careful what you wish for you might receive it," he said
The person in my dream warned me to be careful what I wish for
"I see," I said, "jealousy," I said
I realized that jealousy was why the industry was mad at me in my dream
"Got the whole industry mad at me," I said
I acknowledged that the music industry didn't like me in my dream
Then B.I. said, "Hov' remind yourself
Biggie reminded me to stay true to myself in my dream
"Nobody built like you, you designed yourself"
He told me that I am unique and created my own path
"I agree," I said, "My one of a kind self"
I agreed and recognized that I'm one of a kind
Get stoned every day like Jesus did
In the dream, I referenced getting high like Jesus did
"What he said," I said, has been said before
I acknowledged that Biggie's advice has been given before
"Just keep doing your thing," he said, say no more
He advised me to stay true to myself and keep pushing forward
It was all a dream
My dream felt like it was real
Was it all a dream, was it all a dream
I questioned whether my dream was all in my head
It was all a dream
My dream felt like it was reality
Was it all a dream, was it all a dream
I questioned if everything in my dream was just a creation of my imagination
It was all a dream, I used to read Word Up! magazine
In my dream, I remembered reading Word Up! magazine
Salt'n'Pepa and Heavy D up in the limousine
I reminisced about Salt'n'Pepa and Heavy D in a limo in my dream
Hanging pictures on my wall
I remembered hanging pictures on my wall in my dream
Every Saturday, "Rap Attack," Mr. Magic, Marley Marl
In my dream, I recalled listening to "Rap Attack," Mr. Magic, and Marley Marl on Saturdays
I let my tape rock 'til my tape popped
I remembered letting my music play until the cassette tape stopped in my dream
Smokin' weed and bamboo, sippin' on private stock
In my dream, I talked about smoking weed and bamboo while drinking private stock liquor
Way back, when I had the red and black lumberjack
In my dream, I remembered wearing a red and black plaid shirt
With the hat to match
I remembered having a hat that matched my shirt in the dream
Remember Rappin' Duke? "Duh-ha, duh-ha"
In my dream, I remembered the song "Rappin' Duke" that went "duh-ha, duh-ha"
You never thought that hip-hop would take it this far
I realized that hip-hop has come a long way in my dream
Now I'm in the limelight 'cause I rhyme tight
In my dream, I was famous for my rap skills
Time to get paid, blow up like the World Trade
In my dream, I was ready to get rich and famous like the World Trade Center
Born sinner, the opposite of a winner
In my dream, I felt like I was born to fail
Remember when I used to eat sardines for dinner
In my dream, I remembered being broke and eating cheap food for dinner
Peace to Ron G, Brucey bB, Kid Capri
In my dream, I mentioned some old-school DJs I used to listen to
Funkmaster Flex, Lovebug Starsky
I recalled some more old-school DJs in my dream
I'm blowin' up like you thought I would
I was becoming successful just like people predicted in my dream
Call the crib, same number same hood, it's all good
I was still connected to my roots in my dream
Uh, and if you don't know, now you know, nigga
In my dream, I let everyone know who I am and what I'm about
It was all a dream
My dream felt very realistic to me
Was it all a dream, was it all a dream
I questioned whether everything in my dream was imagined
Was it all a dream
My entire dream felt believable
Was it all a dream, was it all a dream
I couldn't tell if my dream was a fabrication or not
(It was all a dream)
The whole dream felt like a vivid memory
(It was all)
In my dream, everything felt very specific and detailed
(It was all, a dream)
I couldn't tell if what I experienced was real or just a dream
(It was all a dream)
Every part of my dream felt genuine and sincere
(It was all, a dream)
In the dream, I couldn't distinguish between what was real and what wasn't
(It was all)
Every detail of the dream felt like it had significance
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Christopher Wallace, James Mtume, Jean Claude Olivier, Sean Puffy Combs, Shawn Carter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind