The-Dream Recalls Kanye West Falling Asleep While Working On "All Of The Lights"

BY Erika Marie 17.6K Views
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The Dream, Kanye West
Beyoncé was apparently in the studio as well because she and Dream were working on "4."

He's been cranking out hits for decades and The-Dream remains top tier when it comes to producing chart-toppers. The mega-producer has teamed up with several of our favorite artists to help craft unforgettable classics, and his latest much-talked-about collaboration comes from Beyoncé. The superstar singer has been taking over the charts with her "Break My Soul" single, and she's expected to be all the industry talks about once she drops her Renaissance album this Friday.

Dream recently celebrated working on "Break My Soul," but it's well known that this isn't the first time he's worked with Bey. They've made magic on "Single Ladies," "Flawless," "Run the World," "1+1," and more. Another artist he has repeat credits with is Kanye West, and during his appearance on Deep Hidden Meaning Radio with Nile Rodgers on Apple Music 1, The-Dream revisited when Ye fell asleep on him.

Jason Merritt/TERM / Staff / Getty Images

While working on "All of the Lights," West's star-studded hit from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Ye nodded off.

“'All of The Lights,' oh man, wow, 'All of the Lights.' I was doing 4 in New York for [Beyoncé]. We were working on 4 and Kanye happened to come by the studio," said Dream. "And Ye didn't know I was there and he is like, 'Oh, happy you're here. I got something I want you to listen to and see if you can put a hook on this thing.' I'm like, 'Okay, cool. Let me hear it.' And this track came on. I was like, 'Wow, that's crazy.' I knew instantly exactly what I wanted to do, instantly."

"So, we got the booth working, brought the engineer down, recorded. And after the first take, which ended up being the song that you hear now, he said, 'Nah, nah, nah, nah, try another one,'" Dream recalled. "Like, 'Okay. All right.' Got another one. 'Oh, try another one, Dream.' It's like, 'Okay.' I got to like number eight of the song I did. I look out, Kanye West is sleep. And I'm like, I'm looking through the glass like, 'Yo, is he asleep?' B's like, 'Yeah, he's kind of knocked out.' I'm like, 'What?'"

"She's like, 'Actually, Dream, the first hook, that was the one.' I was like, 'I knew it. I knew that was the one,' and so, that ended up being the one that Rihanna sings to this day. But that was so hilarious. I'm on idea number eight. He's been asleep since idea number three."

Revisit "All of the Lights" and check out The-Dream's interview with Nile Rogers below.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

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