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Because, once again, the energy on that record. “When he sent me ‘Willy Wonka,’ I was snappin’ on that. “He sent me ‘Dreams & Nightmares,’ ‘ Amen,’ and ‘ Willy Wonka’ - which was off one of the mixtapes, because he had done those records early,” Cosmic Kev says. According to Cosmic Kev, the intro wasn’t the song from this initial batch that Meek was the most enthusiastic about. I didn’t think they was gon’ catch it the way they caught it.”ĭJ Cosmic Kev, a legend at Philadelphia’s Power 99 FM and one of the most respected voices in the local hip-hop community, says “Dreams and Nightmares (Intro)” was one of three records Meek sent him well before his debut was released. “But you know, that’s why I made that song in that manner. “I didn’t think would respond to that song like that,” he admitted on Hot 97’s Juan Epstein podcast in 2013. Meek Mill said he’s long felt the record was special (“Me and my homies, we always thought that about the intro,” he told Complex in 2014, in response to Drake’s praise), but he’s acknowledged that he had no idea it would adopt this extended cultural afterlife. Therein lies the root of the song’s popularity: it’s become an anthem because it channels a relatable narrative into raw energy - something any listener can feel. ![]() But being written off or doubted is not exclusive to Philadelphia - that’s a narrative many can relate to or, at the very least, understand. They, like Meek, succeeded despite being written off. Hence why the Philadelphia Eagles have embraced it as their anthem during a rocky journey to Super Bowl Lll. It’s deeply rooted in Meek Mill’s North Philadelphia upbringing the grit and chip-on-your-shoulder ambition that characterize the city are evident throughout the song. ![]() Since then, Mill has been an advocate for criminal justice reform.Much of that impact comes from the feeling “Dreams and Nightmares (Intro)” evokes. He was incarcerated for months before a court ordered him released in 2018. Mill got the attention of criminal justice reform advocates after a judge in Pennsylvania sentenced him to 2-to-4 years in prison for violations of his probation conditions in a decade-old gun and drug possession case. He is a Grammy-nominated rapper known not just for his music, but for criminal justice reform after his own struggle for freedom from prison. Meek Mill was born and raised in Philadelphia. Meek Mill even performed the song prior to the Eagles-Dallas Cowboys game earlier this season. "Dreams and Nightmares" also became an anthem for the Philadelphia Eagles during the run to their Super Bowl LII title. 10 years later, the timeless hip-hop anthem is a go-to in clubs and arenas and topping the charts with over 650 million streams." Blige, and fueled by hip-hop classics such as 'Amen' and the album intro 'Dreams and Nightmares,' which certified Gold & Platinum respectively by the Recording Industry Association of America. ![]() The album stacked with features from Drake, Rick Ross, Mary J. ![]() 2 on the Billboard 200, selling 165,000 copies in its first week. "Released on October 30, 2012, Dreams and Nightmares debuted at No. Chinese Lantern Festival lights up Philly square
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