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.
The Show
Madlib Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's daylight, sunrise time
Time to free yo'self, free your soul, free your mind
Ladies, free that ass, yeah
Coast to coast it's the most, we don't brag and boast
We just leave 'em comatose
It's your boy Talib Kweli
It's cuckoo, my rep in this game is bigger than Bruce Bruce
Who you? Your name smaller than five grains of couscous
It's the highest caliber, your caliber is deuce deuce
Shoot, y'all niggas can't hang like a loose noose
I get on stage, niggas in my ear like a Bluetooth
And that's the triple truth Ruth, they lips is loose like
The Señor Love Daddy in the bulletproof booth, kuff
My rhymes is full of truth, and the business full of lies
Try to look a Masai kid in his eyes for the flies
And tell him how he fucked up our environment daily
The only thing we know about Africa is from Nas in Belly
But go off like a Hutu or Tutsi, from Rwanda or Burundi
Over drums like Babatunde Olatunji
Saying nigga just to keep our teeth white, like Paul Mooney
Fighting spiritual wars, like the Shi'ite or the Sunni
Yo, our music went from tap dance to the lapdance
Try to get me to sell out and that's a fat chance
You see black faces in my rap pages
Larry Davis, Angela Davis or Ossie Davis
Yeah, welcome to the show, it's Talib Kweli, so amazing
Live from California it's the Madlib Invasion, let's go!
This exercise in freedom is called The Liberation
I keep it fly by a process of elimination
When it come to paying the kid, sometimes it's hesitation
'Til I make 'em check it in like they got reservations
But there ain't no reservations about copping this
Even though it's free for the people there ain't no stopping this
Popping fresh, caking up, I'm breaking up the, monotonous flow
That can't write or plant life like a botanist grow
A new crop and just roll, it up, blow it out whoa
Excuse the cockiness though, I'm just showing out, no
You can't go without this, now what'chu know about that?
Now what'chu know about now what'chu know about
The lyrics to Madlib/Talib Kweli's song The Show exudes freedom and liberation, with its opening lines mentioning the break of dawn as a time to free oneself, both physically and mentally. The song also addresses the issue of lies in the music industry and society’s lack of knowledge about Africa's true state, despite it being the place of their origins. Talib Kweli’s verse touches on the hypocrisy of trying to whiten teeth by saying the n-word, while not truly understanding or caring about the struggles of their homeland. He also highlights his music selection, featuring black faces like Larry Davis, Angela Davis, and Ossie Davis, as a way to showcase relevance and importance. Kweli concludes his verse with a nod to the evolution of black music in society, “our music went from tap dance to the lapdance” and how he refuses to sell out and conform to monotonous flows.
The second verse, Madlib references the song's name "The Liberation" with the lyrics, "This exercise in freedom is called The Liberation." He asserts his confidence and talent in the rap game, dismissing other rappers and their small stature in the industry. However, despite it being free for the people, he claims there is no stopping the popularity of his music. He also asserts that he is different from those who cannot write, unlike him, and cannot make living things grow, unlike a botanist.
The overall themes of freedom, liberation, and individuality are coherent throughout the song. The two rappers assert their distinctiveness in the music industry and try to spread awareness about social issues with their platform.
Line by Line Meaning
Five something in the morning going on six
It's early in the morning, almost six o'clock.
It's daylight, sunrise time
The sun is rising and it's now light out.
Time to free yo'self, free your soul, free your mind
It's time to let go of your worries and be free.
Ladies, free that ass, yeah
Women should feel free to move however they want to.
Coast to coast it's the most, we don't brag and boast
We're the best across the country, but we don't need to brag about it.
We just leave 'em comatose
Our music is so good that it leaves people stunned and speechless.
It's your boy Talib Kweli
This is Talib Kweli's song.
Yeah, flow is tight though I got a couple screws loose
My rapping is good, even though I might be a little crazy.
It's cuckoo, my rep in this game is bigger than Bruce Bruce
I'm well-known in the rap game, even more than someone like Bruce Bruce.
Who you? Your name smaller than five grains of couscous
You're not important, your name is insignificant.
It's the highest caliber, your caliber is deuce deuce
My music is top-notch, yours is not very good.
Shoot, y'all niggas can't hang like a loose noose
You can't keep up with me, it's like trying to hang onto a loose noose.
I get on stage, niggas in my ear like a Bluetooth
When I perform, people try to talk to me through an earpiece, like a Bluetooth device.
And that's the triple truth Ruth, they lips is loose like
That's the honest truth, people talk too much.
The Señor Love Daddy in the bulletproof booth, kuff
Like the radio personality Señor Love Daddy, people talk too much and need to be quiet.
My rhymes is full of truth, and the business full of lies
My lyrics are truthful, but the music industry is full of deceit.
Try to look a Masai kid in his eyes for the flies
It's difficult to confront the harsh realities of poverty, like seeing a child with flies around their eyes.
And tell him how he fucked up our environment daily
It's hard to explain to someone in poverty how their actions have contributed to environmental degradation.
The only thing we know about Africa is from Nas or Belly
Most people's knowledge of Africa comes from entertainment media, like the movie Belly or rapper Nas.
But go off like a Hutu or Tutsi, from Rwanda or Burundi
We should learn more about the ethnic conflicts in places like Rwanda and Burundi, and not just rely on stereotypes.
Over drums like Babatunde Olatunji
We should appreciate African music and culture, like that of Babatunde Olatunji.
Saying nigga just to keep our teeth white, like Paul Mooney
Using the n-word is harmful and shouldn't be used casually, like comedian Paul Mooney warned.
Fighting spiritual wars, like the Shi'ite or the Sunni
We are fighting internal battles and conflicts, like the divisions between the Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim groups.
Yo, our music went from tap dance to the lapdance
The style and tone of our music has shifted from innocent tap dancing to more sexual and explicit themes, like lapdancing.
Try to get me to sell out and that's a fat chance
There's no way I'll compromise my values by selling out my music.
You see black faces in my rap pages
My music represents black culture and the black experience.
Larry Davis, Angela Davis or Ossie Davis
I reference important black figures in my music, like Larry Davis, Angela Davis, and Ossie Davis.
Yeah, welcome to the show, it's Talib Kweli, so amazing
This is Talib Kweli's music show, and it's going to be great.
Live from California it's the Madlib Invasion, let's go!
Madlib is joining Talib Kweli's show from California, and it's going to be exciting.
This exercise in freedom is called The Liberation
This music represents a new kind of freedom, which we call The Liberation.
I keep it fly by a process of elimination
I stay fresh and ahead of the game by cutting out anything that's not useful or relevant.
When it come to paying the kid, sometimes it's hesitation
People are sometimes reluctant to pay me for my work.
Til I make 'em check it in like they got reservations
Eventually people realize they need to pay me, like they would if they made a reservation.
But there ain't no reservations about copping this
People have no hesitation in buying my music.
Even though it's free for the people there ain't no stopping this
Even though my music is free, it's still very popular and unstoppable.
Popping fresh, caking up, I'm breaking up the, monotonous flow
I'm introducing new and fresh ideas into the boring, predictable flow of mainstream music.
That can't write or plant life like a botanist grow
Mainstream artists lack creativity and originality, like a botanist who can't grow plants.
A new crop and just roll, it up, blow it out whoa
I'm introducing a new and fresh style, and people are excited about it.
Excuse the cockiness though, I'm just showing out, no
I'm confident in my abilities, but I don't want to come across as arrogant.
You can't go without this, now what'chu know about that?
My music is essential and you can't ignore it, what do you know about that?
Now what'chu know about now what'chu know about
What else do you know about this music?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Otis Jackson Jr, Talib Greene
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind