Rappers have often grappled with recognizing "the realest shit they've ever wrote." It's not always easy to be vulnerable in such a public forum, but throughout history, artists have made masterworks out of their most painful experiences. For Meek Mill, such brutal honesty has cemented him as a voice of our times, one who has turned his tragedy into triumph time and time again. Today, his acclaimed Dreams And Nightmares album celebrates its seventh birthday, and while the title track has become something of a definitive moment for the Dreamchaser, you'd be remiss to forget about "Traumatized."
"Lord knows, I got alotta homies in the dirt, n***s sprayin' metal tryna take you off the earth," raps Meek, as the sorrowful Boi-1da produced built hits. "Really over nothin', tell me what it's worth, tryna take you out the game just to put you on a shirt." Given everything Meek would go on to experience as recently as last year, it's difficult to listen to "Traumatized" without feeling the gravity behind his struggle. A track that hasn't lost any power over time, be sure to give Meek some love on Dreams And Nightmares' big day.
Quotable Lyrics
Lord knows, I got alotta homies in the dirt
N***s sprayin' metal tryna take you off the earth
Really over nothin', tell me what it's worth
Tryna take you out the game just to put you on a shirt
I rose from the jungle like Derrick
Death to anybody that oppose my spirit
My future looking brighter than this rose I'm staring at
We be runnin' trains on the hoes y'all cherish