Terrence LeVarr Thornton, better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an Ame… Read Full Bio ↴Terrence LeVarr Thornton, better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper, songwriter and record executive. He rose to prominence as one-half of the hip hop duo Clipse, which was mainly active from 1994 to 2010, alongside his older brother No Malice. As Clipse, the two released three studio albums and a number of mixtapes, and had hit singles including "Grindin'" and "When the Last Time" (both 2002).

In September 2010, Pusha T signed to Kanye West's GOOD Music imprint, under the aegis of Def Jam Recordings. Later that year, he was featured on West's single "Runaway," which peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2011, he released his first solo project, the mixtape Fear of God, which was followed up with his debut solo album, My Name Is My Name, released in 2013. In November 2015, West appointed Pusha T to take over his role as president of GOOD Music. Pusha T remained a flagship artist for the label until ending his tenure with the company in 2022.

Pusha T has since then released three solo albums: King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude (2015), Daytona (2018), and It's Almost Dry (2022), all receiving widespread critical acclaim; the latter was Pusha T's first number one debut on the Billboard 200.

What Dreams Are Made Of
Pusha T Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It's so hard for me to sit back here in this studio
Looking at a guy out here hollering my name
When last year I spent more money on spilled liquor
In bars form one side of this world to the other
Than you made
You talkin' to the Rolex wearing, diamond ring wearing
Kiss stealing, woo, wheeling dealing, limousine riding
Jet flying son of a gun

And I'm having a hard time holding these alligators down

To all hustlas with the same interest
Bow your heads as the Lord's mention
Prayer service held in the kitchen
I wish they never found Jimmy Henchmen
I'm what dreams are made of
Cocaine Ronald gave us
Then Nancy tried to save us
By that time we had Motorola pagers
Now we push button start motors
Yacht owners, you small ballin, that's pop warner
Menage a trois in the bath house
Blew money on 'em, bitches never bad mouth
You glass slipper bad whores, I just cash out
You open doors, I open jaws and pass out
Luxury is just my lifestyle
I'm Scott free with a million dollar bright smile

[Chorus]
You niggas gettin' money, I never hear about it
The bricks fell, I skip jail, live to tell about it
I'm what dreams are made of
I'm what dreams are made of
Sell that pussy to me, I'd rather buy it baby
Look at ya purse you need the help, you can't deny it baby
I'm what dreams are made of
I'm what dreams are made of

Yeah, Louboutins under sweats
A hundred just landed from responding to a text
Niggas talk money but I'm still unimpressed
When these thousand dollar sneakers got me feeling under dressed
Hip Hop bores me, hustlas applaud me
Too much school boy, not enough rude boy
Nothing match the feeling of pulling up in that new toy
And it ain't even half of my safe, tuck like Jew boy
Bentley with the rag-top yarmulke
It says kilometres all on my speedometer
Cocaine under my tongue like thermometer
I got the fever, I never took a breather
Need a way out like Nas needed an Ether
Like Mike Vick chased by Peta
More Pony hairs, more Zebras
More pythons, more lizards

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

In Pusha T's song What Dreams Are Made Of, he starts by acknowledging his own success and wealth with pride, referencing his expensive jewelry and extravagant lifestyle. He compares himself to a professional wrestler, boasting about his flamboyant persona and larger-than-life character. The song then shifts its focus to a more reflective and introspective tone, as Pusha T talks about his past and the drug trade that he used to be a part of. He references infamous drug lord Jimmy Henchmen and the legacy of cocaine in his community, before transitioning back to his own success and nonchalance towards money. At the end of the song, Pusha T touches upon his desire to continue living a life of luxury, as he raps about his expensive clothing and cars, with a reference to NFL player Michael Vick and controversial animal rights organization PETA.

The juxtaposition of the braggadocious persona and the more introspective, somber moments throughout the song speak to the complexity of Pusha T's personal history and his current lifestyle. The lyrics also touch upon the allure of the drug trade, the impact it had on the Black community, and the role it played in shaping Pusha T's own success. Ultimately, the song seems to suggest that the "dreams" that Pusha T is made of involve both wealth and a reckoning with his past, highlighting the multifaceted nature of his journey.

Line by Line Meaning

It's so hard for me to sit back here in this studio
Being in the studio and hearing people yelling my name is frustrating for me.

Looking at a guy out here hollering my name
I see someone outside calling my name and it's an annoyance.

When last year I spent more money on spilled liquor
I spent more on wasted drinks than the money you made last year.

In bars form one side of this world to the other
I went to bars all across the world.

Than you made
You didn't make as much money as I spent on spilled liquor.

You talkin' to the Rolex wearing, diamond ring wearing
I have a lot of expensive jewelry and a Rolex watch.

Kiss stealing, woo, wheeling dealing, limousine riding
I've been involved with a lot of extravagance and luxury.

Jet flying son of a gun
I've traveled a lot by private jets.

And I'm having a hard time holding these alligators down
I struggle to control the unpredictable events in my luxurious lifestyle.

To all hustlas with the same interest
This is a message to all the hustlers out there with similar goals.

Bow your heads as the Lord's mention
Let's bow our heads and pray to the Lord.

Prayer service held in the kitchen
We hold our prayer services in the kitchen.

I wish they never found Jimmy Henchmen
I regret that Jimmy Henchmen was found.

I'm what dreams are made of
I embody the luxurious and extravagant dreams that many aspire to.

Cocaine Ronald gave us
Ronald Reagan's cocaine policies helped to create our wealth.

Then Nancy tried to save us
First Lady Nancy Reagan's anti-drug efforts didn't affect us.

By that time we had Motorola pagers
We had already moved on to better technology like Motorola pagers.

Now we push button start motors
We now have cars with push button start engines.

Yacht owners, you small ballin, that's pop warner
If you only own a yacht, then you're not really making significant wealth.

Menage a trois in the bath house
I have had sexual experiences with two other individuals in a bath house.

Blew money on 'em, bitches never bad mouth
I spent a lot of money on those girls and they never talked badly about me.

You glass slipper bad whores, I just cash out
I pay for sex with beautiful women, but I never pursue them for long term relationships.

You open doors, I open jaws and pass out
While you're being a gentleman, I prefer to impress with expensive gifts and sexual performance.

Luxury is just my lifestyle
Living luxuriously is just how I live my life.

I'm Scott free with a million dollar bright smile
I'm able to live lavishly without consequences because of my wealth.

You niggas gettin' money, I never hear about it
You may be making money, but I don't hear about it because it's not significant.

The bricks fell, I skip jail, live to tell about it
Even though I've been involved in drug dealing, I've never been caught and lived to talk about it.

Sell that pussy to me, I'd rather buy it baby
I would rather pay for sex than pursue a real relationship.

Look at ya purse you need the help, you can't deny it baby
You clearly need financial assistance, don't deny it.

I'm what dreams are made of
I'm the image of luxurious lifestyles that people dream of achieving.

Yeah, Louboutins under sweats
I wear luxury brands like Louboutins even when dressed casually.

A hundred just landed from responding to a text
I just earned a hundred thousand dollars by simply responding to a text message.

Niggas talk money but I'm still unimpressed
People may talk about their money, but I'm still not impressed by it.

When these thousand dollar sneakers got me feeling under dressed
Even though I spent a lot of money on sneakers, I still feel underdressed in certain situations.

Hip Hop bores me, hustlas applaud me
I find hip-hop music boring, but other hustlers appreciate me.

Too much school boy, not enough rude boy
I'm more interested in being a tough guy than being educated.

Nothing match the feeling of pulling up in that new toy
There's no better feeling than arriving in a new luxury car.

And it ain't even half of my safe, tuck like Jew boy
Even though I have a lot of money in my safe, it's not even half of what I really have.

Bentley with the rag-top yarmulke
My Bentley has a convertible roof, just like a traditional Jewish yarmulke.

It says kilometres all on my speedometer
My speedometer is in kilometers, not miles.

Cocaine under my tongue like thermometer
I have cocaine under my tongue, just like a thermometer.

I got the fever, I never took a breather
I'm addicted to the excitement of dangerous and illegal activities.

Need a way out like Nas needed an Ether
I need an escape plan, just like rapper Nas needed a way out of a beef with another artist.

Like Mike Vick chased by Peta
I feel like I'm being hunted down, similar to how NFL player Michael Vick was targeted by the animal rights group PETA.

More Pony hairs, more Zebras
I own more expensive and exotic items, such as pony hair and zebra materials.

More pythons, more lizards
I own more expensive and exotic items, such as python and lizard materials.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALARIC HOLMES, ISAIAH HINTON, TERRENCE THORNTON, VERNON WILLIAMS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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