At the age of two he moved with his mother to Atlanta, Georgia where she raised him until her sudden death at the age of thirty-five. Afterwards, he was taken in by his grandfather, who was an avid music fan. It was through this relationship that he was introduced to many legendary artists that made up his grandfather's record collection. As soon as he heard the soulful sounds of Sam Cooke and Al Green, The-Dream was hooked. In the third grade he began his musical venture by enrolling in introductory trumpet classes at Grove Park Elementary School. He continued playing the trumpet through high school and later learned to play the drums and guitar.
In junior high and high school his musical influences extended toward such artists such as Timbaland , Missy Elliott, Aaliyah and Tupac Shakur. His talents continued to naturally develop and eventually lead The-Dream to begin singing, rapping and song writing.
In addition, he is an accomplished artist and has created many paintings and sculptures, some of which have been shown at various art galleries throughout Atlanta.
In 2001, The-Dream was introduced to Laney Stewart of Redzone Entertainment. Although their first meeting wasn't very successful, things fared better the second time around and Laney pulled him into his camp. The two immediately collaborated to write for the multi-platinum group B2K.
In early 2003, The-Dream was signed by Laney Stewart to a new publishing deal with Morningside Trail through a joint venture with peer music. Since then he has continued writing for other artists including the newest single "Me Against The Music" for Britney Spears. The-Dream recently worked on Jive artist Nivea's forthcoming sophomore effort (April 2005) including the hit single "Okay" featuring Lil' Jon and Youngbloodz.
In 2006, The-Dream was brought in by Tricky Stewart of Redzone to collaborate with various artists including Bayje (Atlantic), Dear Jane & J.Holiday (Capitol), and Brit & Alex (Interscope).
To kick off the New Year, The-Dream began 2007 with major success. With the help of Tricky Stewart, " umbrella" was created and taken to several different labels with artists ranging from Britney Spears at Jive to Mary J. Blige and Akon. Yet, it was the genius of Karen Kwak that got the record into the hands of Def Jam Record's CEO, LA Reid. Def Jam flew The-Dream and Tricky to LA to record with Rihanna, where they also wrote "Breakin' Dishes," a song off Rihanna's latest release, Good Girl Gone Bad.
Despite his current success, The-Dream never stops dreaming. Look out for The-Dream's future collaborations with hot artists such as Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Karina Pasian, Young Joc, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Jazzy Phae, Keke Palmer, Gia, Tricky Stewart, Don Vito, Wynter Gordon, Shontelle, and Lucy Walsh.
Black
The-Dream Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Real black right now
I feel real black right now
Real black right now
I feel real black right now
Real black right now
I never knew you like I should've known you
Can we get a curtain call
Let us pray your idea outlives you
'Cause everywhere there is a Chicago
The only way we're getting out of here is if hit the Lotto
My Mama left the incense burning on the dresser
A hard way to learn one lesson
She said never be impressed with
A man with no message
I feel real black right now
Real black right now
I'm feeling real black right now
Real black right now
And I'll never be Mr. Madiba
I'm gonna thank you the next time I see you
You got me feeling real black right now
Real black right now
The oppression of a young Malcolm
The shots rang out across the balcony
The day we lost a dream
Too young to sing Marvin Gaye's "Whats going on"
Since then ain't been a lot going on
Enough pain can a make a whole race bitter
They say the right amount of love can heal us
Reminiscing back when Hilfiger made us feel like niggas
And that's the kind of thing that sticks with you
I never felt this black
I'm feeling real black right now
Real black right now
I'm feeling real black right now
Real black right now
And I'll never be Mr. Mediba
I'm gonna thank you the next time I see you
You got me feeling real black right now
Real black right now
Somebody take us home
Take me home (Whoa)
Baby let's go home (Whoa)
Let's go home (Whoa)
You got me feeling real black right now
Real black right now
You got me feeling real black right now
Real black right now
You got me feeling real black right now
Real black right now
You got me feeling real black right now
Real black right now
Somebody take us home
You got me feeling real black right now
Real black right now
Y'all got me feeling real black right now
Real black right now
The-Dream's song "Black" speaks about the Black experience in America and the singer's feelings of connection to his racial identity. The repeated chorus of "I feel real black right now" highlights the strength of the singer's emotions and reinforces the deep sense of pride and belonging he experiences as a Black man. The lyrics touch on themes of his family history, the influence of music, and the impact of systemic oppression.
In the verse "I never knew you like I should've known you/But my father spoke of you through that liquor," The-Dream acknowledges the disconnect he feels from his past and heritage due to generational trauma and struggles with alcoholism in his family. He also references Chicago and the idea of the "Lotto" as a way out of impoverished communities, emphasizing the systemic barriers that limit opportunities for Black people in America.
The song also speaks to the impact of icons and historical figures, with references to Nelson Mandela ("Mr. Madiba") and Malcolm X. The reference to Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination in the line "The shots rang out across the balcony" speaks to the singer's grief and anger at the violence and loss of potential that has plagued the Black community.
Overall, "Black" is a powerful and emotional exploration of the Black experience in America, touching on themes of identity, struggle, and pride.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel real black right now
The singer is currently feeling very connected to his black identity and culture.
I never knew you like I should've known you
But my father spoke of you trough that liquor
The singer didn't know a person well, but his father told him about them while drinking.
Can we get a curtain call
Let us pray your idea outlives you
The singer hopes a person's idea or legacy will not die when they pass away.
'Cause everywhere there is a Chicago
The only way we're getting out of here is if hit the Lotto
There are struggles in many places, and the only way to overcome them is by winning the lottery.
My Mama left the incense burning on the dresser
A hard way to learn one lesson
She said never be impressed with
A man with no message
The singer's mother left incense burning as a lesson to not be impressed by someone without something important to say.
And I'll never be Mr. Madiba
I'm gonna thank you the next time I see you
The singer will never be as impactful as Nelson Mandela, but he will thank him when he sees him.
The oppression of a young Malcolm
The shots rang out across the balcony
The day we lost a dream
Too young to sing Marvin Gaye's "Whats going on"
The death of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. were tragic moments in history, and the singer was too young to fully understand them.
Since then ain't been a lot going on
Enough pain can a make a whole race bitter
They say the right amount of love can heal us
Reminiscing back when Hilfiger made us feel like niggas
There has been little positive progress since the deaths of Malcolm X and MLK Jr., and too much pain can lead a race to bitterness. However, love has the power to heal. The singer remembers when clothing brand Tommy Hilfiger made clothing that felt like it was made for African Americans.
And that's the kind of thing that sticks with you
I never felt this black
The way Tommy Hilfiger made the singer feel connected to his black identity is something that has stayed with him, and he has never felt so connected to his black identity before.
Somebody take us home
Take me home (Whoa)
Baby let's go home (Whoa)
Let's go home (Whoa)
The singer is ready to go home.
Y'all got me feeling real black right now
Real black right now
The singer feels very connected to his black identity and culture.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Terius Youngdelll Nash, Christopher A Stewart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@XPhazeTV
Incredibly powerful song. Deserves MANY more views than it has.
@corleoneverlaine952
+X-Phaze agree with u
@coolboy2665
I agree.
@843DIRTYSC
+X-Phaze yaaasssssss..................
@luispuati9641
i arre completly
@TheWilliamsFam18
What's sad is, a lot of you watching this video and still not understanding what he means by feeling black. What's worse is that this song doesn't get the recognition it deserves. Racism of any type will never die. It's what countries and governments feed off of. If everyone got along there would be no use of guns or military. Racism will never end. It's simply how this planet works, and that's truly devastating.
@lalaniforeverflawless7245
Exactly I Love This Song So Much, But On The Other Hand It's Very Sad.
@Darkdemonoflite
You are not old enough to know what the 1600 -1950s were like. but you know how it feels to be black ion America becuase racism never disappeared. because of the things happening now. we get the taste of what our ancestors had. and all the stories we learned are becoming present tense.
@jdtbetoolit2955
Antwonique Williams I totally agree because as a young black man I feel the same way and I'm 14 years old and the song made me cry and ask how many in my generation has heard of this powerful and optimistic song that I feel our people should take heed to the message in this song
@dsdahncen2418
I respect that thought