Dreams and Nightmares is the debut studio album by American rapper Meek Mill, released on October 30, 2012, by Maybach Music Group and Warner Bros. Records. Mill intended for it to be authentic and more cohesive than his mixtapes, having a stronger connection through both vocals and beats. The album features guest appearances from Kirko Bangz, Rick Ross, Nas, John Legend, Drake, Wale, and Mary J. Blige, among others. Production was primarily handled by Jahlil Beats and Boi-1da, alongside the likes of Tone the Beat Bully and Key Wane. The recording took place from January to September 2012, including sessions in a studio bus on the Club Paradise Tour. Sessions were also held in Los Angeles and Miami, and multiple recordings were included on Mill's ninth mixtape, Dreamchasers 2 (2012). The dreams represent Mill making money as a performer, while the nightmares are based on coming up from his neighborhood.
"Amen" was released as the lead single in June 2012, followed by "Burn" and "Young & Gettin' It" later that year, before "Believe It" in early 2013. Music videos were produced for all of the releases, while the lead single and "Young & Gettin' It" both charted on the US Billboard Hot 100. Mill embarked on the Dreamchasers Tour for further promotion in August 2012, performing at 16 cities in the United States. Dreams and Nightmares received generally positive reviews from music critics, who mostly commended Mill's development into mainstream rap. Some praised his rapping, while a few critics highlighted the dreams theme. The album was named to 2012 year-end lists by multiple publications, including Rap Radar and The Source.
Dreams and Nightmares debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 165,000 copies in the first week in the US. It has since been certified gold in the country by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album reached numbers six and five on the Canadian Albums and UK R&B Albums charts, respectively. In November 2022, Mill held a 10th anniversary concert at the Wells Fargo Center, beginning with footage throughout his career and featuring appearances from the likes of Fabulous, Fivio Foreign, and Rick Ross.
Background and recording
In late January 2012, Mill announced his debut album to Hot 97 host Angie Martinez, with a release planned for the summer of 2012. The following month, Mill revealed the album's title to be Dreams and Nightmares in a vlog. Mill released his ninth mixtape Dreamchasers 2 on May 7, 2012, in the lead-up to Dreams and Nightmares. That same month, Mill declared backstage to MTV News to expect from the album "quality music and you're gonna get the real me", explaining it would not "be all over the place" like his mixtapes. He elaborated that he was going to establish a connection, trying to "perfect my craft a little more", assuring his flows blend better with the beats and these have more clarity. Mill was hopeful to include guest appearances from fellow rappers French Montana and Rick Ross, yet still insisted some features would be a surprise. In a May 2012 interview for The Juice, he added that the rappers featured would depend on how the unfinished tracks felt: "If I have a song that sounds like it fits Nicki Minaj the best or it fits T.I. the best, that's the people I would sort of lean towards getting on them songs. But it depends on how the songs fit the person."
Dreams and Nightmares features production on numerous tracks from record producer Jahlil Beats, who was first introduced to Mill via Myspace. He had previously contributed to Mill's Flamers 2: Hottest In Tha City (2009) and Dreamchasers 2, becoming a frequent collaborator of the rapper. Jahlil Beats said of collaborating that their chemistry "was destined to happen", emphasizing how well his drums and Mill's flow blend together. Jamaician-Canadian record producer Boi-1da produced the tracks "Traumatized" and "Tony Story Pt. 2", while production was also contributed by the likes of Tone the Beat Bully, Young Shun, Infamous, The-Agency, and Key Wane. In early August 2012, Hip-Hop Wired reported that the album's release date was postponed from August 28 to late October 2012. That same month, Mill implored to Wild 94.9 that he desired to stay true to hip hop and have a "classic album" comparable to the likes of Nas' Illmatic (1994), Jay-Z's Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life (1998), and 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003). Nas voiced his approval of Mill, "I got my eyes on him. He's the next one to take this shit over."
In early October 2012, Mill shared the track list for Dreams and Nightmares, which showed the two bonus tracks. Around the same time, Mill revealed that major musical acts like Nas, Rick Ross, John Legend, and Mary J. Blige were set to be featured. He also announced an appearance from fellow rapper and Maybach signee Wale, who described Mill as being in a "special moment" when wanting to make history. At the end of October 2012, Mill was detained by the Philadelphia Police Department on his way to the album's listening party. The department could not disclose the reasoning, though he was angry at having to share handcuffs with the Rolex watch on his wrist for the cover art. Mill explained the conception of Dreams and Nightmares, detailing that the dreams represent "being on tour and television, gettin' paid for doing what I love to do", while "the nightmares was just makin' it to this point, the hard work and bein' in the streets". He elaborated that there was darker incidents during his younger years in Philadelphia, alluding to acts he considered bad and unspecified violence.
In January 2012, the recording process for the album began. This continued as Mill embarked on the Dreamchasers Tour and promoted Dreamchasers 2, releasing some of the recordings on the mixtape. As him and fellow rapper Nipsey Hussle listened to beats from American-Jamaican musician Sean Kingston in the studio, Mill came up with song lyrics. American record producer Spiff brought in a batch of 80 beats, while Jahlil Beats noted Mill's high level of energy that culminates in "some crossover records" and "a few fast records". In May 2012, Mill stated that he was recording between two and three songs a day in a studio he had recently installed on his bus for Canadian musician Drake's Club Paradise Tour. The rapper said that although none of the tracks had been made final for Dreams and Nightmares, his collaboration "Maybach Curtains" with Nas had a possibility of appearing. Footage of the rappers in a Los Angeles studio that same month showed him playing two tracks from the album that Nas appreciated, including "Maybach Curtains". In July 2012, the track was leaked to the internet. A month prior, Mill was joined in his recording bus by major rap acts like Wale, French Montana, and J. Cole. Rick Ross gave studio advice to Mill of making the tracks feel perfect and part of a cohesive record; he responded by freestyling and telling fellow rapper the Game it was "that feeling". In early September 2012, Mill relocated to a Miami studio for the final recording sessions, including the title track "Dreams and Nightmares".
Music and lyrics Dreams and Nightmares is a hip hop album, incorporating elements of orchestral and pop music. The album frequently utilizes piano, which The A.V. Clubs Evan Rytlewski called "a softer template" than Mill's mixtapes. Jordan Sargent of Pitchfork described Dreams and Nightmares as "distinct in both voice and sound", observing it is "tense and dramatic" through the variations of piano and Mill's rapping. Some reviews considered the music to be formulaic; PopMatters Matthew Fiander said Mill aims for commercial success over creativity and is accompanied by "the machinations of Maybach [like] overdone beats". David Jeffries from AllMusic depicted the album as disorganized with less care than a mixtape, yet thought that "sliced off into little bits, this is the glittery gangster feeling" to be expected for Maybach. Multiple publications noted Mill's loud delivery, with Fiander and the staff of XXL believing that he yells throughout.
Mill summarized Dreams and Nightmares: "The dream part is me living as an artist making money touring across the world, and nightmares touches on everything that it took for me to make it from the streets." The album features Mill reflecting on his earlier struggles in life, showing how he became credible and juxtaposing these with his current situation. He tells his story of reaching triumph from the struggles, including crime, drug dealing, and growing up in a rough urban area. Mill expresses a desire for money and disregard for the associated fame, albeit acknowledging his wealth is tainted by how it was earnt. He also boasts of his lifestyle, while maintaining his dedication and grit. The rapper ventures between dreams and nightmares, which are represented by his successes and inner demons, respectively.
Songs
Dreams and Nightmares begins with the title track, which relies on piano stabs and strings. The track has a beat switch in the middle to transition from the dreams to the nightmares portion; Mill changes from celebrating victory to rapping angrily about issues in his past. "In God We Trust" features a maximalist beat, over which Mill raps forcefully about killing a man. "Young & Gettin' It" contains elements of club and usage of Auto-Tune, with lyrics about the strength to sell drugs from Mill and a hook from fellow rapper Kirko Bangz. Soul elements, hallow chimes, and filtered moans back Mill hypothesizing a conversation warning his father's murderer he will kill him on "Traumatized", expressing loss and regret. "Believe It" begins with Rick Ross referencing Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber, before Mill touches on struggle and triumph. Rick Ross appears on the next track "Maybach Curtains", alongside Nas' guest verse and crooning from Legend. The track features pop and R&B elements, and Mill recalls drug dealing. "Amen" maintains these elements and has a gospel beat, alongside Mill and Drake discussing sexual exploitation and excessive wealth.
On "Young Kings", Mill recalls the pressure of drug dealing, as well as lamenting his father's death and expressing "fuck fame" to focus on his money. "Lay Up" is a pop slow jam that sees him reference admiration of his status, featuring Wale showing off to women and an appearance from Rick Ross. "Tony Story Pt. 2" serves as a sequel to the track from Mill's 2011 mixtape Dreamchasers and utilizes windshield wipers as percussion, with the rapper telling the story of gunplay leading into the tragedy of death. "Who You're Around" features Mill meditating on damaged personal friendships, joined by Blige on the chorus. On "Polo & Shell Tops", Mill raps about resorting to selling crack cocaine to earn money and get revenge on others. "Rich & Famous" is a pop track, which includes Mill speaking of material wealth and spending time with a woman. On "Real Niggas Come First", Mill reminisces on drug dealing. "Burn" is an up-tempo number, which sees Mill and fellow rapper Big Sean perform back and forth. "Freak Show" is a club number set in a similar tempo, featuring rapper 2 Chainz and DJ Sam Sneaker, with a refrain referencing fellatio.
Release and promotion