Just Playing (Dreams)

Just Playing (Dreams)

The Notorious B.I.G.

Biggie Smalls runs through a list of his favorite R&B singers, detailing what sexual acts he’d like to engage in with them, including: Patti LaBelle; Regina Belle; Jasmine Guy; Mariah Carey; Mary J. Blige; Chanté Moore; Whitney Houston; Chaka Khan; Sade; Tina Turner; Toni Braxton; Patra; the duos Zhané and Terri & Monica; the trios SWV, TLC, and Jade; vocal group En Vogue; and—most controversially—then nine-year-old Raven-Symoné. He also shouts out the famous drag queen RuPaul, saying she is preferable to the women from Xscape.

The concept was later rehashed by Lil' Kim on 1996’s “Dreams,” mentioning male singers. Eminem’s 2009 “We Made You” has similar subject matter, focusing on the celebrity gossip punchbags of 2008. In August 2018, Nicki Minaj put her own spin on the idea with “Barbie Dreams,” where she sneak-dissed a variety of rappers.

Biggie originally used the first verse on Mary J. Blige’s December 1993 track, “What’s The 411? (Remix)”—the next recorded version appeared as “Dreams,” buried away on a 12-inch promo for “Juicy.” However, the song quickly became a club favorite and was eventually added to the 2004 remaster of Ready to Die.