Madlib was born in Oxnard, California to musician parents Otis Jackson, Sr. and Dora Sinesca Jackson. He sampled his first song at 11 years old, sourced from his father's collection. His younger brother is the producer and rapper Michael "Oh No" Jackson. His uncle is the jazz trumpeter Jon Faddis. He was raised in Oxnard, where he began his music career.
During an interview on Chrome Children, Madlib stated that his most significant musical influences include Miles Davis, Sun Ra, and David Axelrod. Some of his hip-hop influences are Large Professor, Marley Marl, Paul C, DJ Pooh, and Dr. Dre.
Deep
Madlib Lyrics
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Baby times is hard so I'mma change my hustle to hard white now
And couple of my customers chose with they nose
But I suppose they wanna light up the pipe now
Sellin' straight dope out the ride
Speedin' past the police wouldn't advise
Got a hard pack of that Star Trek
To make a bitch beam up to the enterprise
Let a bitch sniff your pack, you got burnt
Still owe me $2300 for that twerk
Finna post up at your place so don't worry
Nigga don't snitch, don't tell
Rap niggas they recite that so well
Be the same mothafucka that done ratted out his homie
He ain't even got no money for his own bail
Let's go
(Deep inside the ghetto)
Where I be
Fuck with a nigga
Yellin' I be fucking with them fellas
If you buying or selling you then can find me
In the hood with hot goods, we got those
Nigga I just stole these rims, watch the potholes
All laws and street codes, y'all forgot those
Homie I done been on the block since a snot-nose
(Deep inside the ghetto)
Yeah, where I go
East Side, 17th Ave
Better keep a G-pass on ya G.I. to Chicago
Where the real niggas dead or locked up
Teenage pretty friends get knocked up
The young niggas out here tryna get guaped up
They ain't got no other choice, they washed up
Living on the edge of addiction, STD's, and enslavement
Black blood tend to flood the street pavement
White man set the price and we pay it
All a nigga want is whips and chains
Probably cause a nigga wasn't whipped and chained
To the bottom of a boat in the middle of the ocean
Stripped of my own motherfucking name
Stripped of my whole motherfucking culture
Sold by my own to the snakes and vultures
Reality is sad, but it's true
So what can a nigga do when your own people don't support you
Fuck ass cop tryna pull me over
Trunk full of dope but I'd rather get smoked than live, shit
(How brave of this pig ass nigga man)
I'ma take ya
To a place where a mothafucka gotta be a thug by nature
Where it's really all about that paper
Nigga try to jump, always think you're
(Deep inside the ghetto)
Uh, where I be
Fuck with a nigga
Yellin' I be fucking with them fellas
If you buying or selling you can find me
(Deep inside the ghetto)
Where I go
G.I. to Chicago
The lyrics to Madlib's song "Deep" tell a story of a drug dealer who is adapting to the tough times by switching from a less profitable to a more profitable drug, dealing hard white instead of something else. He's encountering trouble with his customers who are becoming increasingly addicted to stronger drugs, and he has to be careful not to get caught by the police. He boasts about his product, including a Star Trek reference, and even reveals that he has been owed money for a previous transaction. The lyrics then shift to a description of the ghetto where the rapper is located; it's a place where street codes and laws are observed, but the authorities and society at large seem indifferent to the plight of the residents. Young people are struggling to survive, and generational trauma is explored, as the lyrics lament the loss of culture and the legacy of slavery. The rapper acknowledges that he's stuck in a place where he has to be tough to survive, but there's little support from anyone.
This song offers a vivid depiction of the harsh realities of urban poverty, including the dangers of drug use, the lack of economic opportunities, and the oppressive forces of institutional racism. The lyrics explore the complex relationship between drug dealers, addicts, and law enforcement, as well as the struggles of young people trying to make their way in difficult circumstances. Madlib's production creates a hypnotic, immersive atmosphere that pulls the listener deeper into the song's world.
Line by Line Meaning
Alright now
Starting the song
Baby times is hard so I'mma change my hustle to hard white now
Due to the hardships faced by him, he has to switch to a more dangerous drug dealing business, which is distributing cocaine instead of marijuana.
And couple of my customers chose with they nose
Some of his customers started using cocaine instead of his previous offerings of marijuana.
But I suppose they wanna light up the pipe now
He assumes that the customers who switched to cocaine probably want to smoke it using a pipe.
Sellin' straight dope out the ride
He is selling cocaine in his car.
Speedin' past the police wouldn't advise
He is taking the risk of dealing drugs while driving that increases the chance of getting caught by the police.
Got a hard pack of that Star Trek
He has a high-quality brand of cocaine named Star Trek.
To make a bitch beam up to the enterprise
He intends to sell his product to willing women for sexual favors.
And you a Captain Kirk, trading ass for work
He accuses someone of offering sex in exchange for a job.
Let a bitch sniff your pack, you got burnt
He blames someone for allowing a woman to use cocaine without paying for it.
Still owe me $2300 for that twerk
He is still owed $2300 for another service.
Finna post up at your place so don't worry
He is planning to wait for the payment of the aforementioned service at someone's house.
Nigga don't snitch, don't tell
He is warning someone not to betray him to the police.
Rap niggas they recite that so well
He is criticizing rappers for frequently promoting the theme of not snitching.
Be the same mothafucka that done ratted out his homie
The same rappers who promote not snitching may turn out to be the ones who betray their friends later.
He ain't even got no money for his own bail
The person who snitched on his friend is now himself in jail and has no money to pay his own bail.
Let's go
Proceeding with the song
(Deep inside the ghetto)
Referring to the unpleasant state of the neighborhood.
Where I be
He reveals his location in the ghetto.
Fuck with a nigga
He challenges anyone to mess with him.
Yellin' I be fucking with them fellas
He admits to having homosexual encounters.
If you buying or selling you then can find me
If you want to buy or sell drugs, he informs you that you can find him in the ghetto.
In the hood with hot goods, we got those
He is offering hot goods in the ghetto.
Nigga I just stole these rims, watch the potholes
He brags about stealing car rims and warns that the car's movement will be bumpy.
All laws and street codes, y'all forgot those
In the ghetto, the people have overlooked all the laws and street codes they had once known.
Homie I done been on the block since a snot-nose
He has been living in the ghetto since he was a child.
(Deep inside the ghetto)
Continuing to describe the state of the neighborhood.
Yeah, where I go
Where he has to be.
East Side, 17th Ave
Giving his exact location in the neighborhood.
Better keep a G-pass on ya G.I. to Chicago
Advices anyone entering the ghetto to have permission from influential people in the neighborhood.
Where the real niggas dead or locked up
He is describing a place that has resulted in the death or imprisonment of many people he thinks to be genuine.
Teenage pretty friends get knocked up
Young teenage girls in the area are getting pregnant unpredictably.
The young niggas out here tryna get guaped up
The young people living in the ghetto are struggling to earn money.
They ain't got no other choice, they washed up
These young people of the ghetto do not have any option other than earning money through illegal means as they are running out of options.
Living on the edge of addiction, STD’s, and enslavement
People in the ghetto are struggling with various issues like addiction, sexually transmitted diseases, and modern-day slavery.
Black blood tend to flood the street pavement
People of color are barely surviving and are often getting killed.
White man set the price and we pay it
The white people are controlling the price of goods, which is later paid by the people living in the ghetto.
All a nigga want is whips and chains
The only thing the people here want is materialistic things like cars and jewelry.
Probably cause a nigga wasn't whipped and chained
People of color were initially brought to the country as slaves, so the reason for their immense desire for materialistic things is because they haven't gone through slavery.
To the bottom of a boat in the middle of the ocean
The slavers who brought the people of color to America used to transport slaves back in the day, some of whom did not survive and sunk to the bottom of the ocean.
Stripped of my own motherfucking name
People of color whose names were taken away from them during their enslavement.
Stripped of my whole motherfucking culture
People of color whose culture was destroyed during their enslavement.
Sold by my own to the snakes and vultures
People of color were betrayed by their own and were sold to white people who would treat them as slaves.
Reality is sad, but it's true
A sad but truthful depiction of the current state of the ghetto.
So what can a nigga do when your own people don't support you
Feeling hopeless, as even their own people are unable to support and defend them in these troubled times.
Fuck ass cop tryna pull me over
He is being chased by an unkind cop.
Trunk full of dope but I'd rather get smoked than live, shit
He prefers to die rather than getting caught by the cop with a trunk full of cocaine.
(How brave of this pig ass nigga man)
Sarcastic remark on how brave the cop thinks he is.
I'ma take ya
Moving on to the next scene of the song.
To a place where a mothafucka gotta be a thug by nature
Describing a place where violence and aggression run rampant and one has to be one by nature.
Where it's really all about that paper
In this neighborhood, everything revolves around money.
Nigga try to jump, always think you're
Sending a message to anyone who thinks he is weak.
(Deep inside the ghetto)
Continuing to describe the ghetto life.
Uh, where I be
Stating his position once again.
If you buying or selling you can find me
Advertising his drug-selling business once more.
(Deep inside the ghetto)
Continuing with the song's repeating theme.
Where I go
Reinforcing his position in the ghetto.
G.I. to Chicago
Referring to the drug dealing trade that stretches from Gary, Indiana to Chicago.
Lyrics © TUNECORE INC, TuneCore Inc.
Written by: Fredrick Tipton, Otis Jackson Jr., Otis Jackson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind