Am I Dreaming
Wale Lyrics


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What up Emf, what up Jay
I swear these rap motherfuckers
They all dreamin' they all gangsters
Everybody's a drug lord
Everybody's fucking Ron O'Neal or some shit, right
Most of y'all not as hard as you say you is
You soft as cotton swabs, so get up out my ear
I'd rather have wax build up
Than whack images of rap niggas
Talkin' 'bout shit that they don't even know about
All the keys of coke they got
All the whips they drove and the hoes they be going at
Blowing out substances, so much irrelevant
I ain't tryin' to preach, but at least try to relish this
You're hotdogging it, you're feeling yourself
The movie of your life, you gonna film with yourself
Co-wrote and co-produced by you and only you
Embellished and re-edited and this is nothing new
And I ain't tryin' to discipline
But this is something you all don't realize
Most rappers just sly
A sight for sore eyes, I'm the brightest upcoming
These other niggas dreamin' if they thinkin' that they thuggin'
I told you, like everybody's a thug
I seen this nigga, man
Yo, I seen you at the bus stop, dawg
You don't have a Maybach
You ain't got no Benz
You can have a bucket and do what you do, dawg
It ain't really all that, you know
It's cool if you think your flow the hottest 'round
But you're not Kanye, so go an put your collar down
And you ain't gotta frown, dawg
You can be a thug, but please keep your pants on
Cause all this saggin' is bad to see
They say the ones that try the hardest be the fags indeed
You're watching too much television
Dipset could tell you, listen
Your whole flow, I can spot it like leopard skin
You're not Juelz, Jim Jones, or Cam
hell, you're just fakincense
Jeezy dropped, everybody a snowman
Say you got pounds, I ain't seen you with an old Gat
What's so bad is that your flow is all fixated
Over street dreams, your dream, you can't illustrate it
You're not innovative, you're just an imitator
Take your Visine and caffeine and wake up
The ban man want to talk like
You know who I'm talking about too, but
The bad man want to talk about
He got money, he got jewelry
Man, I seen you, youngin'
You got motherfuckin' Pumas on, dawg
My name Wale, last name irrelevant
Drive an 89 Cam', I'm really tryin' to sell that shit
Used to sell crack, wasn't sellin' big weight
Did the low here and there to get my sneaker game straight
Sold weed, though, but no kilos of coke
Used to go in niggas' whips for C notes and roll
And I'm not a thug but I do got a temper
My right hand symbolizes what I must remember
And yes, I've shot pistols
My intentions were to never take another life
Unless mine dangled in the trenches
Sprinkle them with flow until they souls all drenched
And drown with my style, cause I'm brighter than they is
I hope to make them smile while enlighten all the kids
Hip-hop, that's my art, real life is what it is
I is real like that sentence of Jacob
Symbolize greatness, Spike Lee, wake up
And if you rap and you got, like, a problem with me
First of all, you can come see me
Second of all, you, you don't gotta tell us about all these items that you claim to have
You got your guns, sure, you know
And another thing, back on the other shit
The bad man told me he had his Glebe with dimes
The whole time, he in the mall buying shoes for the girls
She tryin' to look like Star Jones a little bit
Like, before the surgery or the lipo
But anyway, I'm jive, whatever
My nigga told me he fresh
He got dissed down at Third
The nigga got like an 85 Corolla or some shit
My point is, these rap niggas is jive
Dreamin', but it's alright




I ain't gonna knock your hustle
I'mma let that hook ride out, cause that was jive

Overall Meaning

In his song “Am I Dreaming,” Wale speaks about the rap game and how many rappers present an image that is not entirely true. He highlights that many rappers pretend to be drug dealers or gangsters and talk about things that they do not know about. He believes that many rappers are just imitators who lack originality and only try to copy what is popular. Wale suggests that these rappers should focus more on being true to themselves instead of trying so hard to fit in. He also implies that these rappers are just dreaming and that their portrayals of themselves may not be entirely true.


Wale emphasizes that he is not trying to be preachy, but his message is simple: be yourself. He talks about his own experiences in life, including selling drugs and having a tough upbringing. However, he also emphasizes that he has learned from his mistakes and has always tried to be genuine in his music. He believes that the most important thing is to be true to yourself and not try to be someone you are not.


Throughout the song, Wale emphasizes that many rappers are fake and are just trying to fit in. He implies that these rappers are just dreamers, and their exaggerations of their lives may not be entirely true. Wale suggests that being true to oneself is more important than trying to portray an image that is not genuine.


Line by Line Meaning

What up Emf, what up Jay
Greetings to Emf and Jay-Z


I swear these rap motherfuckers
I strongly believe that these rap artists


They all dreamin' they all gangsters
They are all fantasizing about being gangsters


Everybody's a drug lord
Everyone portrays themselves as powerful drug dealers


Everybody's fucking Ron O'Neal or some shit, right
Everyone imagines themselves as the character Ron O'Neal, a famous actor associated with gangster roles


Most of y'all not as hard as you say you is
Most of you are not as tough as you claim to be


You soft as cotton swabs, so get up out my ear
You are as weak as soft cotton swabs, so stop bothering me


I'd rather have wax build up
I prefer to have wax accumulation in my ears


Than whack images of rap niggas
Instead of false and unimpressive portrayals of rap artists


Talkin' 'bout shit that they don't even know about
Discussing things they have no real knowledge or experience of


All the keys of coke they got
Claiming to possess large quantities of cocaine


All the whips they drove and the hoes they be going at
Boasting about the luxury cars they drive and the women they pursue


Blowing out substances, so much irrelevant
Exaggerating their use of drugs, which is ultimately irrelevant


I ain't tryin' to preach, but at least try to relish this
I don't want to lecture, but at least appreciate this advice


You're hotdogging it, you're feeling yourself
You are showing off excessively and being overly confident


The movie of your life, you gonna film with yourself
You are the sole creator and protagonist in the movie version of your life


Co-wrote and co-produced by you and only you
You collaborated with no one else in writing and producing your life's story


Embellished and re-edited and this is nothing new
You exaggerated and revised events in your life story, which is a common occurrence


And I ain't tryin' to discipline
I'm not attempting to impose discipline or authority


But this is something you all don't realize
However, this is something all of you fail to understand


Most rappers just sly
The majority of rappers are deceitful or cunning


A sight for sore eyes, I'm the brightest upcoming
I'm a refreshing presence, standing out among the rest


These other niggas dreamin' if they thinkin' that they thuggin'
Other individuals are delusional if they believe they are living the thug life


I told you, like everybody's a thug
I already mentioned this, it seems like everyone claims to be a thug


I seen this nigga, man
I witnessed this person, man


Yo, I seen you at the bus stop, dawg
Hey, I saw you at the bus stop, man


You don't have a Maybach
You don't own a Maybach (luxury car)


You ain't got no Benz
You don't have a Mercedes-Benz


You can have a bucket and do what you do, dawg
You can have a cheap car and still do your thing


It ain't really all that, you know
It's not as important or impressive as you think


It's cool if you think your flow the hottest 'round
It's fine if you believe your rap style is the best


But you're not Kanye, so go an put your collar down
However, you are not as influential as Kanye West, so be humble


And you ain't gotta frown, dawg
And you don't have to be upset, man


You can be a thug, but please keep your pants on
You can still portray yourself as tough, but please stop sagging your pants


Cause all this saggin' is bad to see
Because this sagging trend looks unappealing


They say the ones that try the hardest be the fags indeed
People claim that those who excessively try to prove their masculinity are often insecure about their sexuality


You're watching too much television
You are consuming excessive amounts of television programming


Dipset could tell you, listen
The hip-hop group Dipset could advise you, pay attention


Your whole flow, I can spot it like leopard skin
I can easily recognize and identify your entire style, just like the pattern of leopard skin


You're not Juelz, Jim Jones, or Cam
You are not as skilled or successful as Juelz Santana, Jim Jones, or Cam'ron


Hell, you're just fakincense
In fact, you're just a fake or imitation


Jeezy dropped, everybody a snowman
When Jeezy released music, everyone suddenly portrayed themselves as drug dealers (snowman is a term for cocaine)


Say you got pounds, I ain't seen you with an old Gat
You claim to have a large amount of drugs, but I have never seen you with a firearm


What's so bad is that your flow is all fixated
What's even worse is that your rap style is completely fixated on material possessions and drug references


Over street dreams, your dream, you can't illustrate it
You are excessively focused on fictional street life, but you are unable to express your own dreams


You're not innovative, you're just an imitator
You lack originality, you simply copy others


Take your Visine and caffeine and wake up
Use eye drops and consume caffeine to become alert or aware


The ban man want to talk like
A certain person wants to speak in a certain way


You know who I'm talking about too, but
You know exactly who I'm referring to as well, but


The bad man want to talk about
This individual wants to discuss


He got money, he got jewelry
He claims to possess wealth and expensive jewelry


Man, I seen you, youngin'
Man, I saw you, young man


You got motherfuckin' Pumas on, dawg
You are wearing Puma sneakers, man


My name Wale, last name irrelevant
My name is Wale, and my last name is unimportant


Drive an 89 Cam', I'm really tryin' to sell that shit
I drive an 1989 Camry, and I'm genuinely trying to sell it


Used to sell crack, wasn't sellin' big weight
I used to sell crack cocaine, but I wasn't involved in significant drug trafficking


Did the low here and there to get my sneaker game straight
I occasionally engaged in small drug deals to fund my purchase of expensive sneakers


Sold weed, though, but no kilos of coke
I did sell marijuana, but I didn't handle large amounts of cocaine


Used to go in niggas' whips for C notes and roll
I used to break into people's cars to steal money and then drive away


And I'm not a thug but I do got a temper
I don't consider myself a thug, but I do have a tendency to get angry


My right hand symbolizes what I must remember
My right hand serves as a reminder of something important to me


And yes, I've shot pistols
And yes, I have fired guns


My intentions were to never take another life
However, I never had the intention of causing harm to another person


Unless mine dangled in the trenches
Except if my own life was at risk


Sprinkle them with flow until they souls all drenched
I bless them with my lyrical skill until their spirits are fully immersed


And drown with my style, cause I'm brighter than they is
They are overwhelmed by my artistic style because I am more intelligent than they are


I hope to make them smile while enlighten all the kids
I aim to bring joy to them while enlightening young children


Hip-hop, that's my art, real life is what it is
Hip-hop is my form of artistic expression, while real life is simply what it is


I is real like that sentence of Jacob
I am authentic, just like the statement made by Jacob (a biblical figure)


Symbolize greatness, Spike Lee, wake up
I represent greatness, just like Spike Lee (an acclaimed filmmaker), so pay attention


And if you rap and you got, like, a problem with me
And if you are a rapper and you have an issue with me


First of all, you can come see me
Firstly, you can confront me in person


Second of all, you, you don't gotta tell us about all these items that you claim to have
Secondly, you don't have to constantly boast about the possessions you claim to own


You got your guns, sure, you know
You possess firearms, that's fine, you know


And another thing, back on the other shit
Furthermore, returning to the previous topic


The bad man told me he had his Glebe with dimes
The person I mentioned earlier claimed to have a luxurious lifestyle with attractive women


The whole time, he in the mall buying shoes for the girls
However, all this time he was actually shopping for shoes for the women he pursues


She tryin' to look like Star Jones a little bit
One of the women is attempting to resemble Star Jones, a celebrity known for her appearance


Like, before the surgery or the lipo
Specifically, they want to resemble Star Jones before her cosmetic surgery or liposuction


But anyway, I'm jive, whatever
But anyway, I'm just messing around, whatever


My nigga told me he fresh
My friend told me he is fashionable


He got dissed down at Third
However, he was insulted or disrespected at a certain location


The nigga got like an 85 Corolla or some shit
This person has a relatively old Toyota Corolla from 1985 or something similar


My point is, these rap niggas is jive
My point is that these rap artists are fake or phony


Dreamin', but it's alright
They are fantasizing, but it's okay


I ain't gonna knock your hustle
I'm not going to criticize your ambition or drive


I'mma let that hook ride out, cause that was jive
I'm going to let the chorus play until the end, because I find it fake or phony




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Comments from YouTube:

YN Fay

only real Wale fans remember this shit

robert capell

Paint A Picture was one of his best mixtapes for sure

lee parquet

Respect from the uk. Wale is massively underrated

kmankendall

his flow has changed. i like THIS age of wale better, his new stuff isnt AS good. either way... He still the best

Armani Kingin

One of wale's realest songs

CypriotVibez

This is THE Tune To Skate Too Dawrg

Stan Dupp

"real life is what it is-real" that was cold af

Marlxy G

He finally made it.Keep it going W A L E

Mark W.

Funny how he perfectly describes his MMG partners

Igetsitin89

Lmao

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