The Joe Budden Podcast Argues If Meek Mill's "Nightmares To Dreams" Is "Weird"

BY Gabriel Bras Nevares
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Joe Budden Podcast Meek Mill Nightmares To Dreams Weird
Nov 17, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Musical artist Meek Mill looks on during the second quarter of a game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the LA Clippers at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
"The Joe Budden Podcast" had split takes on Meek Mill's new song "Nightmares To Dreams," which reimagined his iconic "Dreams And Nightmares."

Meek Mill garnered a lot of praise from fans for dropping his new track "Nightmares To Dreams," which reimagines his iconic song "Dreams And Nightmares." But while the fanbase seems pretty agreeable when it comes to this praise, The Joe Budden Podcast held less conciliatory thoughts on this big new single.

Some hosts really liked it, while others found it disappointing, underwhelming, or odd in other ways. However, as caught by CY Chels on Twitter, they all agreed the Philly MC gave a great performance on the cut.

Marc Lamont Hill and Ice thought "Nightmares To Dreams" was fire, but Parks asked if it's weird or not to remix your biggest song. Budden agreed with him, with Parks saying it's "not bad" but asking who else has redone their biggest song. Hill said there's more precedent for this and that this feels more like a cover or an update, which Ice, Mona, and Ish agreed with.

But Joe wasn't having it. Mona said it was odd to remix such a culturally significant classic, although she said Meek did a good job with the reimagining. Ice spoke on Mill's independent journey and maybe wanting to garner more interest via this remix, comparing it to album sequels.

Parks said there could be another type of beat for the reimagining, and that the new song feels a bit diluted by not living up to the original. Joe Budden emphasized his Meek Mill fandom but argued the new song is nowhere near as intense or skillful as the original, and that it came too soon. However, he did praise the beat switch. Budden also wondered how this will play in a live setting, especially in comparison to the original.

Meek Mil & Joe Budden

Joe Budden has criticized Meek Mill before, such as his Too Good To Be True collab album with Rick Ross. But this conversation shows he's still a massive fan, just one with higher expectations as a result.

The JBP has also talked about Meek's relationship with Jay-Z as of late, as recently as this February. Although this goes into some common criticisms of "Nightmares To Dreams," it's just one part of overall positive fan reception.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.

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