Since his earliest years in production Madlib has been exploring new paths … Read Full Bio ↴Since his earliest years in production Madlib has been exploring new paths in music, seemingly unconscious of what his fans and critic's opinions. When Quasimoto debuted, many wanted him to go back to the more traditional hip-hop sound of Lootpack. With the start of Yesterdays New Quintet, they wanted him to go back to Quasimoto, and so on. And yet all of these new developments have proved to make Madlib a better and more interesting producer all around.

DJ Rels is yet another moniker for the prolific and imaginative Madlib (aka Otis Jackson, Jr.), although the notes off his 2004 debut album, Theme for a Broken Soul, do credit work to a "J. Relmond." Madlib created DJ Rels after having gone to London's Co-op Club and hearing the broken beat scene there (in fact, he is often compared to West Londoners Seiji and Bugz in the Attic). His first 12" single, "Diggin in Brownswood," came out in 2003 and was widely praised, including by his own Stones Throw label, which now acknowledges DJ Rels to be an alter ego of Madlib.

DJ Rels' Theme for a Broken Soul is perhaps the greatest leap from expectations. The album was inspired by, and in homage to, the West London scene responsible for the short lived “broken beat” scene. Depending on who you talk to DJ Rels & Theme for a Broken Soul is either Madlib's greatest work, his worst, or a pretty damn good experiment from a producer who refuses to do the same thing over and over again.

Like Quasimoto before him, DJ Rels was originally touted as an all new, unknown producer. But as Prefix Magazine pointed out in a review of the album: "Hearing Stones Throw go to so much trouble to pretend that DJ Rels is a real person is a lot like the Republicans who still say that Saddam and Osama were scheduled to play golf together on September 12, 2001." Yeah, well, we've never been good at international conspiracies.

Madlib is based in Los Angeles, California.

SUNRISE
DJ Rels Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Tonight
Be no darkness tonight
Hold tight
Let your love light shine bright

Listen to my heart
And lay your body next mine
Let me fill your soul with all my tears

You're a woman, I'm a man
This is more than just a game
I can make you feel so right
Be my lady of the night

You're a woman, I'm a man
You're my fortune, I'm your fame
These are things we can't disguise
Be my lady of the night

Lay back
Back in my tenderness
And take
Take all of my sweet caress

You've got all of me
It can't go wrong if you agree
Soon two hearts will beat in ecstasy

You're a woman, I'm a man
This is more than just a game
I can make you feel so right
Be my lady of the night

You're a woman, I'm a man
You're my fortune, I'm your fame
These are things we can't disguise
Be my lady

You're a woman, I'm a man
This is more than just a game
I can make you feel so right
Be my lady of the night

You're a woman, I'm a man
You're my fortune, I'm your fame

These are things we can't disguise
Be my lady of the night

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of DJ Rels's song "Sunrise" depict a sensual encounter between a man and a woman, with the singer inviting the woman to embrace his love and passion. The opening lines suggest that there will be no darkness and ask the woman to hold tight as they let their love light shine bright. The singer then implores the woman to listen to his heart and lay her body next to his, so he can fill her soul with all his tears. The lyrics continue to describe the man's desire to make the woman feel right and the woman being his fortune and fame. The refrains are repeated throughout the song to emphasize the man's desire for the woman to become his "lady of the night."

The lyrics of "Sunrise" can be interpreted in multiple ways. Some may see it as a love song, while others may see it as a more sexual encounter. The opening lines imply that the singer wants to forget their worries and let the light of their love shine through. The line "listen to my heart" suggests that the singer is offering an emotional connection to the woman, while "lay your body next to mine" illustrates the physical connection. However, the line "These are things we can't disguise" hints at the taboo nature of their relationship, which may suggest a more transient or illicit connection.

Line by Line Meaning

Tonight
This specific evening

Be no darkness tonight
There will be no absence of light tonight

Hold tight
Hold on firmly

Let your love light shine bright
Allow your affection to radiate luminously

Listen to my heart
Pay attention to my emotions

And lay your body next mine
Come place your physical form beside me

Let me fill your soul with all my tears
Allow me to satisfy your spirit with all of my emotions

You're a woman, I'm a man
You are a female, I am a male

This is more than just a game
Our connection is more meaningful than a mere activity

I can make you feel so right
I have the ability to bring you fulfillment

Be my lady of the night
Be my companion during the nocturnal hours