Career
Early life
In high school, Raheem began MCing at talent shows. After his classmates gave him the moniker "the dream", he began to record music under the name, recording his first track in 1986 on Arvis Records. [1] On August 3, 1986, Raheem became Atlanta's first rap artist to garner regular radio rotation in the Atlanta market when his music was put in rotation by Mitch Faulkner, Program Director of Kiss 104 FM. [2] [3]
1990-2003: Freaknik and increased label involvement
By the early 1990s, Raheem's music became a symbol of the burgeoning Atlanta hip-hop scene, later receiving national airplay for single "The Most Beautiful Girl", while soundtracking Atlanta's annual Freaknik festival. [3]
2004-Present: Health problems
In 2004, less than a week after brokering a deal for local group Dem Franchize Boyz with Universal Records, Raheem suffered a double brain aneurysm, which left him hospitalized for 90 days and caused him to temporarily lose both his memory and motor skills. [1] [4]
Legacy
Throughout his career, Raheem mentored many new rappers and singers, including singer-songwriter / producer The-Dream, who reportedly asked him for permission to use his moniker. [3]
Raheem's record "If You Ain't Got No Money" was sampled on 2007 Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "Glamorous" by Fergie and Ludacris. [5]
In 2016, Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed awarded Raheem the Proclamation for Raheem the Dream Day, as well as the Phoenix Award (the highest honor from the Mayor’s Office) for "his outstanding contributions and groundbreaking work that helped to lay the foundation of Atlanta hip-hop music." [2]
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