Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images
Atlanta’s Lil Baby has experienced a meteoric rise to fame, and on “Dreams 2 Reality,” he offers candid thoughts on some of the negative aspects of his ascent. The track is produced by Al Geno and features little-known MC NoCap.
On the song’s opening verse, Lil Baby expresses some frustration with all the baggage of fame. He says:
Would have never started rappin' if I knew this shit had came with this
If I had never made a hit, would they be on my dick?
I just been sittin' back and pushin' pounds, just gettin' fit
And I got a 60 on my right wrist, I’m movin' fast like lightnin'
Later, he sounds disappointed and surprised about people in his life who aren’t happy for him improving his circumstances, rapping:
Turned my dreams into reality, I thought that you’d be glad for me
I can’t believe that you mad at me, damn, dawg, I’m proud of you
My life was garbage, too, but I did what I ‘posed to do
And I went and bought the latest coupe, told my young nigga stay in school
But he ain’t listen, now he got a .45 in the kitchen with a biscuit ready to flip it
In an interview with The FADER, Lil Baby talked about the importance of saving money and not living a reckless lifestyle the way some of his peers do.
“I just save my money, man. I don’t even try to enjoy it like these other rappers; they having fun and they lit, but they gon' be broke later on,” he said. “I be savin', I be chillin’. It feels good to know I got it, but it feel better to know I'ma keep it too.”
Lil Baby has voiced his distaste for fame on several previous tracks, including “Money Forever” off Too Hard where he raps:
I do this shit for the gang
I didn’t get in this for fame
Nigga ain’t takin' my chain
I'ma stand firm with my name
In 2017, Lil Baby appeared on Genius' series Verified to break down his song “My Dawg.”
Read the full lyrics to “Dreams 2 Reality” and the rest of Lil Baby’s discography on Genius now.
