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.
Let’s Take It Back
Madlib Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When we was bumpin' slave, rick james and lady t
My man with the east coast taste from red alert
Pete rock, marley marl, put-tin in work
On the west we had Julio g on kday
Mixmaster michael mixin' more in his heyday
Rob 1 droppin' shit so niggas could break
All my real niggas all a nigga wanna do is get cake
But now oh shit, damn I'm goin' to another wake
Remember, 'bout the times in school
When we made a fool of ourselves to impress a girl, tryin' to be cool
Ohh, some niggas gettin' sprung on coke
I'm like oh, young niggas gettin' sprung off
Oh shit Some niggas never learnin' the ropes
Ropes
Keep this hustling up
I'm fucking you up
Talk all that
Fuck all that
Hardcore new v.R
Mathematic, here in cali, rally
Dirty, I can't help it
I been an addict
Believe me all massive an' all crew line up
They can't get we out
(Who that nigga over there man?)
Niggas lookin over here like shit is sweet
All day mad cause a nigga said his shit is weak
Askin for a true opinion, get mad when a nigga speak
I ain't got no time for that shit, I already figure the nigga's weak
You can't even trust your own best friend or your man and them
Cause them niggas only worry about the shit you handin' them
Shit, all a nigga wanna do is get cake
All a nigga wanna do is be fake
Look around, all snakes, for heaven sakes
Buried with fake, I carry it hate, made in every state
Rock, ohh, ohh, uhh
Dilla dawg
Madlib
Yeah
Ohh ohh dilla
Let's build on it
Vintage cadillac with the grill fronted
Totin' in the bm-dub
Tell them players I'm the gm
Believe me that is the wickedest sound
That player had in him then use..
Down with all massive and all crew line up
They can't get we out
When it come to championship yes we 'ave it
And when it come to dignitary
The lyrics to Madlib's song "Take It Back" are full of references to 1980s hip-hop culture and the struggle to stay true to oneself in the face of negativity and phoniness. The song opens with a line about keeping it poppin' like west coast hip-hop did back in 1983, name-dropping artists like Slave, Rick James, and Lady T. The next line references a friend with an east coast taste, who favors the work of DJs Red Alert, Pete Rock, and Marley Marl. These lines set up the themes of the song, which are remembrance of hip-hop's golden age, loyalty to one's roots, and disdain for fake people.
The lyrics go on to mention various DJs and artists who were important to the west coast hip-hop scene, like Julio G and Mixmaster Michael. The line "All my real niggas all a nigga wanna do is get cake / All them other niggas all a nigga wanna do is be fake" echoes this theme of real vs. fake people. The chorus reinforces the idea that the singer is not interested in pandering to the masses or trying to fit in with the crowd, but instead wants to stay true to himself and his roots.
The second verse is more confrontational, as the singer asserts that people can't handle the truth when they ask for his honest opinion. This idea of speaking one's mind even if it goes against the norm is reminiscent of punk and alternative rock, two genres that were popular at the time. The song ends on a positive note with a celebration of hip-hop as a unifying force, as the singer boasts about being part of a massive and a crew that cannot be defeated.
Overall, "Take It Back" is a celebration of hip-hop's history, culture, and spirit, and a call to authenticity in a world full of phonies.
Line by Line Meaning
Keeps it poppin' like west coast in '83
Continues to produce great music in the same way the West Coast produced great music in 1983
When we was bumpin' slave, rick james and lady t
Listening to Slave, Rick James, and Lady T back in the day
My man with the east coast taste from red alert
My friend has an East Coast taste in music due to listening to Red Alert
Pete rock, marley marl, put-tin in work
Pete Rock and Marley Marl making great music
On the west we had Julio g on kday
On the West Coast, Julio G was on KDAY radio station
Mixmaster michael mixin' more in his heyday
Mixmaster Michael was making more music during his heyday
Rob 1 droppin' shit so niggas could break
Rob 1 was dropping music that people could dance to
All my real niggas all a nigga wanna do is get cake
All my loyal friends want to make money
All them other niggas all a nigga wanna do is be fake
All the other friends I have only want to pretend to be someone they're not
But now oh shit, damn I'm goin' to another wake
Expressing shock and sadness at attending yet another funeral
Remember, 'bout the times in school
Remembering the times in school
When we made a fool of ourselves to impress a girl, tryin' to be cool
Recalling trying to impress girls in school and doing silly things to try and look cool
Ohh, some niggas gettin' sprung on coke
Some people are becoming addicted to cocaine
I'm like oh, young niggas gettin' sprung off
Surprised that young people are getting addicted to drugs
Oh shit Some niggas never learnin' the ropes
Some people never learn how to do things properly
Ropes
A simple phrase to end the stanza
Keep this hustling up
Encouraging others to keep working hard
I'm fucking you up
I'm outdoing you
Talk all that
You can say all you want
Fuck all that
It doesn't matter
Hardcore new v.R
Introducing new, hardcore music
Mathematic, here in cali, rally
Coming up with mathematical, great music in California and bringing people together for a good time
Dirty, I can't help it
Accepting personal flaws in one's music
I been an addict
Admitting to being addicted to music creation and production
Believe me all massive an' all crew line up
Believe that everyone and every group is welcome to listen and collaborate
They can't get we out
No one can push us out of the industry
(Who that nigga over there man?)
Asking who the person is, drawing attention to him
Niggas lookin over here like shit is sweet
People watching and assuming everything is okay
All day mad cause a nigga said his shit is weak
Feeling angry and bitter because someone said their work is not good
Askin for a true opinion, get mad when a nigga speak
Getting upset when someone gives their honest opinion
I ain't got no time for that shit, I already figure the nigga's weak
Not having any time for those petty arguments and knowing that the person is not strong
You can't even trust your own best friend or your man and them
You cannot even trust your closest friends
Cause them niggas only worry about the shit you handin' them
They only care about the things you give them and not you as a person
Look around, all snakes, for heaven sakes
Realizing that everyone around you is untrustworthy
Buried with fake, I carry it hate, made in every state
Feeling angry and resentful of those who are fake, and encountering them everywhere
Let's build on it
Let's work together and create something great
Vintage cadillac with the grill fronted
Driving a classic Cadillac with a unique front grill
Totin' in the bm-dub
Getting around in a BMW
Tell them players I'm the gm
Letting everyone know that you are in charge
Believe me that is the wickedest sound
Believing that your music is the best
That player had in him then use..
Referencing previous great and unique music
When it come to championship yes we 'ave it
We have what it takes to win the championship
And when it come to dignitary
And when it comes to respect and honor
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES DEWITT YANCEY, OTIS LEE JR. JACKSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Liam Bates
Love this beat. No one else could get away with madlib's rapping style either.
Diego1060
Madlib is one sick man...one of the greatest producers out there!!!
cmklights
I woke up with this song blasting in my head. Haven't heard it months. Thanks earwig!
Lanard M
This song can’t be this old already😭😱. Classic
iammzac
i was against weed, drinking, etc etc.. i still don't drink, i don't enjoy it.. but there's nothing better than kicking back, smoking a blunt and listening to quas, dilla and madlib..
schoolemk
beats can't get no more dope than this madlib classic
Virmantas123
UNIQUENESS in madlib beats, SOO GOOD
Rhymer- Man
this is just "one of those songs" that when you hear it, you like it, but at the same time, you don't... but you do...
Green Danger
Every dilla production is just heavently
Malik Wilson
Yeah I think thats what he wants his music to be. But I love madlib's work so inspirational .