While it was far from his biggest commercial hit, for many of us Game's "Dreams" was the track that forced even the doubters to admit the man was a legit emcee. So it's fascinating to hear the raw, unmixed original version of "Dreams" that's far darker than the final, polished version that found its way onto MTV.
Personally I find this fascinating for two reasons. First, comparing this version and the final version provides a lot of insight into Game (or his ghostwriter) as lyricist. Why change "Ray Charles' glasses" to "Stevie Wonder's glasses"? Did it simply flow better? Where did he get the idea to add in the Mya reference, probably the song's most popular line, and one that's completely missing here.
Second, I can't help but play the "What If?" game. What if this had come out instead? Would the entire future have been changed "Quantum Leap" style? Or would Jayceon's career have panned out the same? All fascinating questions, let's get into it in the comments section.
Original version's below the video for the album version. Enjoy: