“Dreamin of the Past” by Pusha T (ft. Kanye West)
“Pusher” T, as his moniker implies, is a rapper whose artistry relies heavily on a drug-dealer motif. And so it is in “Dreamin of the Past”. However, instead of just coming off as a kingpin and someone who is wealthy in general, Pusha also uses the opportunity to speak to certain issues he’s endured as a popular musician. For instance, he was allegedly censored in the past, perhaps due to the beef he had/has with Drake.
T also comes off as if he remains upset by the fact that Cardi B bested him at the 2018 Grammys, with her LP “Invasion of Privacy” being named Rap Album of the Year, which was a very controversial decision in and of itself.
Concerning Kanye’s contribution, whereas it may be relatively brief, he still manages to say a lot in the process. But for the most part, he too proceeds to most notably brag about his wealth. And also, as is common in his artistry these days, Ye seemingly expresses dedication to his family in the midst of the ongoing estrangement from his wife, Kim Kardashian.
Song’s Title
Meanwhile concerning the title, it has been put forth by some analysts that the primary topic of this song is supposed to be something like harping back to Pusha T’s days as a drug dealer – and that may be so. But the problem with that explanation is that in the first verse when he alludes to hustling, he is doing so very much in the present tense.
However, in the second verse yes, he does sorta imply that being engaged in that business practice is more of a thing from the past. And in terms of Kanye’s own personal history, he recounts that in his youth, he dreamed of having a home like the mansion featured on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. But now he has so much dough that he’s able to buy one that’s even more to his liking.
Facts about “Dreamin of the Past”
This song became public on 22 April 2022 as one of the tracks featured on “It’s Almost Dry”, which is Pusha T’s fourth studio album. The project was put out by Kanye’s own GOOD Music, which Pusha has been a part of since 2011 as an artist and later being promoted to an executive position. And Def Jam Records, which has also been associated with GOOD since the early 2010s, are likewise involved in the issuance of this LP.
The day prior to the official release of this track, Pusha T performed it, sans Kanye but backed by The Roots, on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Interesting to note is that besides Pusha and Kanye, the other credited writer of this song is Beatles’ great John Lennon, who passed away back in 1980. But why is this the case? This is because this track samples a song by another late artist, Donny Hathaway (1945-1979), called “Jealous Guy” (1972). And that particular piece is actually a cover of a song by John Lennon, with the original rendition of “Jealous Guy” coming out in 1971.
In addition to serving as a vocalist, the multi-talented Kanye West also produced “Dreamin of the Past”. And in reality the first teasing of this song dates back to Ye’s 2021 album “Donda“, upon which it was originally intended to be featured, apparently with Kanye as the lead. But Pusha, being enraptured by the instrumental, in his own words “begged” Yeezus for it. West was reportedly quite fond of it himself, so the compromise was that Pusha would use it alright, but Yeezy would feature, though in a sparse capacity.
