Dreams and Nightmares

pictured at the release party for his 2012 album Life Is Good|Prior to the album's release, Mill announced an appearance from fellow rapper Nas, who gave praise to his work. 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. 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. Jahlil Beats said of collaborating that their chemistry "was destined to happen", emphasizing how well his drums and Mill's flow blend together. 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." 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. 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 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, 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==

performing live in 2011|Rick Ross is featured on numerous tracks, including the single "Believe It". Dreams and Nightmares begins with the title track, which relies on piano stabs and strings. "Young & Gettin' It" contains elements of club and usage of Auto-Tune, ==Release and promotion==

At the start of October 2012, Mill shared the cover art for the album. The artwork uses Mill's gold Rolex watch for symbolizing dreams, alongside handcuffs for nightmares. Complex named the album cover the 18th best of 2012. At the 2012 BET Hip Hop Awards, Mill performed "Amen" and "Young & Gettin' It". During the months leading up to October, Mill played the album for Jay-Z and appreciated the feedback from someone of his status, getting along well with him personally. In mid-October 2012, Mill and Rick Ross previewed it at Electric Lady Studios in NYC for rappers such as Jay-Z, Will Smith, and Wale, as well as singers Estelle and The-Dream. Mill declared that he was staying true to his early days with "In God We Trust", delivering "that hard street shit" unlike much of mainstream rap. On October 19, 2012, Mill premiered "Maybach Curtains". The next week, he appeared on MTV's weekly show RapFix Live to promote Dreams and Nightmares, performing his scrapped second verse from the song. Hours before his appearance, the album leaked online and Mill responded by telling host Sway Calloway, "I ain't tripping. If people wanna buy your album, they're gonna buy your album whether it's gonna leak or not." Dreams and Nightmares was released on October 30, 2012, through Mill's labels Maybach and Warner Bros. The deluxe version was released simultaneously, featuring "Burn" and "Freak Show". A day after the album's release, Mill held a release party in Atlanta, arriving on time after being detained. On January 27, 2013, a music video for the title track was released, documenting Mill's career up to Dreams and Nightmares. Singles "Amen" was released for digital download and streaming as the lead single from Dreams and Nightmares on June 19, 2012, by Maybach and Warner Bros. A month earlier, the song had been included on Dreamchasers 2. "Amen" reached number 57 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and it was later certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for pushing 500,000 certified units in the United States in July 2015. "Burn" was released to download and streaming formats in the US as the second single on September 11, 2012, through Mill's labels. Like "Amen", the song was first released on the mixtape. An accompanying music video premiered on October 10, 2012, which features Mill and Big Sean accompanied by models and exploding cars inside a warehouse. The song topped the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. On September 19, 2012, "Young & Gettin' It" was released as the third single from Dreams and Nightmares and the first one not from the mixtape. The song's music video was debuted on September 28, showing Mill and Kirko Bangz partying on a yacht, before changing to Miami. "Young & Gettin' It" reached number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it was certified gold by the RIAA for shelving 500,000 certified units in July 2017. On February 19, 2013, "Believe It" was sent to US urban contemporary radio stations as the album's fourth and final single by Maybach and Warner Bros. An accompanying music video premiered on March 24, beginning with Mill and Rick Ross making a business transaction in the desert and then partying in Las Vegas. The song peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. Live performances In late June 2012, Mill announced his Dreamchasers Tour to promote Dreams and Nightmares, performing at 16 cities across the US. Mill subsequently shared its poster alongside footage of him engaging in activities like performing and driving fast vehicles, accompanied by a list of accolades and the opening caption "Dream chasing is an occupation". Tickets were made available on June 30, 2012, via Ticketmaster and Live Nation. The tour kicked off at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, Colorado on August 2, 2012, while it finished 25 days later at Irving Plaza in New York City (NYC). DJ sets by DJ Drama and Casey Veggies were included on the Dreamchasers Tour, as well as cameos from rappers like Yo Gotti, Bow Wow, Ace Hood, Waka Flocka Flame, and T.I. in South Philadelphia in 2019|Mill performed the concert "Meek Mill + Friends: Dreams and Nightmares Ten Year Anniversary" at Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center in November 2022 At the end of October 2022, Mill announced a 10th anniversary concert on Instagram, billed as "Meek Mill + Friends: Dreams and Nightmares Ten Year Anniversary". Mill also revealed a promotional poster and that it was set to take place at the Wells Fargo Center in his hometown of Philadelphia on November 26, coinciding with Thanksgiving in the US. Tickets for the event went on sale via the venue's website at 10 a.m. in early November 2022, although the rapper did not disclose any of the guests initially. The musical direction was handled by Gil Smith II. Prior to Mill appearing at the Wells Fargo Center, footage played from the early days of his career with the "nappy braids that locked", then his Flamers mixtapes, the release of Dreams and Nightmares, and finally the icon he had widely become. "Friends" in the concert's title was represented by the rappers that joined Mill, including Fabulous, Fivio Foreign, Jim Jones, and A Boogie wit da Hoodie. Mill performed a few tracks from his recently released mixtape Flamers 5, as well as popular album tracks such as "1942 Flows" (2017) and "Respect the Game" (2018). He ended rumours of tensions with Rick Ross by bringing him out to perform "I'm a Boss" (2011), while Mill accompanied the rapper as he performed his own tracks. Mill finished the event by performing "Dreams and Nightmares", telling the crowd he appreciated their support from his time at the bottom and he raps for Philadelphia. ==Critical reception==

Dreams and Nightmares was met with generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 69, based on 17 reviews. Edwin Ortiz from HipHopDX said the album proves that "Mill needs more time before he can rightfully call himself the lieutenant of the MMG army", concluding it is "a dream that could be forgotten by mid-day". The Source named Dreams and Nightmares as the 18th best album of 2012, while journalist Chris Morris picked it as the 10th best hip hop album for North Country Public Radio. The record was named the 15th best hip hop album of the year by Spin. For the 2014 issue of XXL that celebrated 40 years of hip hop, it was listed as one of the five best albums of 2012. ==Commercial performance==

Dreams and Nightmares debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, selling 165,000 units and becoming the highest debut of the week. It was held off the top spot by singer Taylor Swift's Red, while the opening sales were only 1,000 apart from Wale's 2011 album Ambition that reached the same position. HipHopDX had predicted that Dreams and Nightmares would reach the top three of the chart, estimating 175,000 to 200,000 first-week sales. It entered the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart at number one. By July 2015, it had amassed 414,000 units. In May 2016, Dreams and Nightmares was awarded a gold certification from the RIAA for reaching 500,000 certified units in the US. Despite not being released as a single, the title track was certified double platinum by the RIAA for amassing 2,000,000 certified units in the country three years later. The album experience lesser success in Canada, peaking at number six on the Canadian Albums Chart. In the United Kingdom, it reached number five on the UK R&B Albums Chart. ==Track listing==

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. • Williams • Byron Forest II • Jordan }} • Williams • Orlando Tucker • Kirk Randle • Vincent Robinson }} • Williams • Matthew Samuels }} • Williams • Roshun Walker • William Roberts II }} • Williams • Marco Rodriguez-Diaz • Mike Molina • Roberts II • Nasir Jones • John Stephens • Alexander Izquierdo }} • Infamous • The-Agency }} • Williams • Jeremy Felton • Aubrey Graham • Dwane Weir II • Lester Abrams • Michael McDonald }} • Key Wane • Jahlil Beats }} • Williams • Leigh Elliott }} • Williams • Daniel Johnson • Ashanti Floyd • David Morgan • Matthew Barrett • Roberts II • Olubowale Akintimehin • Tremaine Neverson }} • Kane Beatz • The Mad Violinist }} • Williams • Samuels }} • Williams • Tommy Brown • Travis Sayles • Mary Blige • Victoria McCants }} • TBHits • Sayles }} • Williams • Carl McCormick }} • Williams • Tucker • Robinson • Thomas Butler}} • Williams • Jordan • Matthew Furdge}} • Kenoe • Got Koke }} }} • Williams • Mervin Riviere • Bryan Johnson • Tauheed Epps • Samuel Saint-Jean • Jordan Houston • Paul Beauregard }} }} Notes • signifies a co-producer Sample credits • "Amen" contains an interpolation of "Minute by Minute", written by Lester Abrams and Michael McDonald, and performed by The Doobie Brothers • "Freak Show" contains a sample from "Slob on My Knob", written by Jordan Houston and Paul Beauregard, and performed by Tear Da Club Up Thugs ==Personnel==

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. • Jeremih – uncredited vocals • Finis "KY White" – mixing • Fabian Marasciullo – mixing • Chris Athens – mastering • Justin Smith – mastering == Charts ==

Weekly charts Year-end charts ==Certifications==