Smith made his recorded debut in 1994 as part of IQ Procedure through Suburban Base’s short-lived hip hop imprint Bluntly Speaking Vinyl. He debuted as Roots Manuva the same year on Blak Twang's "Queen’s Head” single, before releasing his own single, “Next Type of Motion” the following year. 1996 saw the release of his collaborations with Skitz (“Where My Mind Is At”/”Blessed Be the Manner”). The release of “Feva” followed in 1997; this was also the year that saw the first releases from Big Dada, a collaboration between Coldcut’s Ninja Tune label and hip hop journalist Will Ashon.
Releasing for Coldcut's renowned experimental/hip-hop label Ninja Tune in 1998, some of his music may be seen as a predecessor of grime. The following year he released his fearsome debut album, “Brand New Second Hand”. Manuva was rewarded for his breakthrough with a MOBO as Best Hip Hop Act that year. He has also relesed 2001's “Run Come Save Me”, followed the next year by “Dub Come Save Me” in, which features dub remixes of five songs from the previous album alongside new work. This was followed up with the release of “Awfully Deep” in 2005 and “Alternately Deep” in 2006.
The lyrics of his songs are usually known to take a distinctly British edge, with many critics highlighting his references of eating cheese on toast and drinking bitter as examples of this. His warm and easily recognizable voice can be heard on many songs he performed with other artists such as Chali 2na (of Jurassic 5 & Ozomatli), DJ Shadow, U.N.K.L.E., Nightmares on Wax, The Cinematic Orchestra, Beth Orton and Leftfield. He also made an appearance on the Gorillaz album, Demon Days, lending his distinctive vocals to the track, "All Alone".
A Man's Talk
Roots Manuva Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Man I take man talk for bro
Man I take man talk for love
But it's true them never know
Man I take man talk for you
Man I take man talk for bro
Man I take man talk for love
We on some good time, peace talk
Holding the fort
Recognize the original walk
We really can't grudge no man, and yes
We really can't judge no man, and yes
Divine is the light, divine is the vision
Bringing us to those ital decisions
Stand up and we shall be counted
From where we get to get the good thing mounted
Rebel youth with that brick in our hand
Fire blazing, ready to burn Baby-land (Babylon)
Bringing back a new fertility
Change the scene with the rebel virility yes
Man I take man talk for you
Man I take man talk for bro
Man I take man talk for love
But it's true them never know
Man I take man talk for you
Man I take man talk for bro
Man I take man talk for love
But it's true them never know
Kissing my teeth in the face of the non-belief
Maneuver deep with swollen feet now keep trotting
Do my best to get there, there's no regret here
Big things we set here
Sufferers, strugglers, in-betweenies
Jugglers, hustlers, listen me keenly
Define definition of 'self' and go through
Divine definition of self. It's on you
Full time and get hip to the spirit
Full time we do the dip to the spirit
Holy ghosting big toast we toasting
Making the most and blessedly approaching
Man I take man talk for you
Man I take man talk for bro
Man I take man talk for love
But it's true them never know
Man I take man talk for you
Man I take man talk for bro
Man I take man talk for love
But it's true them never know
Man are swept, don't pet, man a get it on
Man are set, bigger sets, threat will be born
If and no buts's nah go gwan klutzy
Big heart, brave heart, ever to be gutsy
Use initiative, yes you're the pioneer
Never stoosh, we're fly gone with Ryanair
Sleazy jet now, bargain bucket when
We offer you ten to get a little spends
Man I take man talk for you
Man I take man talk for bro
Man I take man talk for love
But it's true them never know
Man I take man talk for you
Man I take man talk for bro
Man I take man talk for love
But it's true them never know
Man I take man talk for you
Man I take man talk for bro
Man I take man talk for love
But it's true them never know
Man I take man talk for you
Man I take man talk for bro
Man I take man talk for love
But it's true them never know
Man I take man talk for you
Man I take man talk for bro
Man I take man talk for love
But it's true them never know
Man I take man talk for you
Man I take man talk for bro
Man I take man talk for love
But it's true them never know
In "A Man's Talk," Roots Manuva explores the complex power dynamics that exist between men. The repetition of the lines "Man I take man talk for you/ Man I take man talk for bro/ Man I take man talk for love/ But it's true them never know" throughout the song speaks to the idea that men often communicate with each other in codes, and that despite their assurances of trust and love, they may never truly understand each other.
The song also touches on themes of rebellion and resistance. Roots Manuva speaks of holding the fort and recognizing the original walk, suggesting a rejection of mainstream ideas and ideologies. He also alludes to the idea of taking action against oppressive systems, with lines like "Rebel youth with that brick in our hand/ Fire blazing, ready to burn Baby-land (Babylon)." Overall, "A Man's Talk" is a song about the complexities of male relationships and the various power dynamics that exist within them.
Line by Line Meaning
Man I take man talk for you
I listen to the words of my fellow man and take them seriously, especially when it concerns you.
Man I take man talk for bro
I value the opinion of my brother and take what he says to heart.
Man I take man talk for love
When it comes to matters of the heart, the words of others are important to me.
But it's true them never know
However, sometimes people don't fully understand the depth of what they say.
We on some good time, peace talk
We are engaging in positive conversation and promoting peace and understanding.
Holding the fort
We are standing strong and united.
Recognize the original walk
We acknowledge and respect the traditional ways of our ancestors.
We really can't grudge no man, and yes
We don't hold grudges against anyone and try to approach situations with a positive attitude.
We really can't judge no man, and yes
We try not to judge others, but instead seek to understand and empathize with them.
Divine is the light, divine is the vision
We believe in a higher power and strive to live our lives guided by its principles.
Bringing us to those ital decisions
These beliefs lead us to make conscious and healthy decisions.
Stand up and we shall be counted
We take action and stand up for what we believe in.
From where we get to get the good thing mounted
We work hard to achieve success and good fortune in life.
Rebel youth with that brick in our hand
We are young rebels, holding onto a symbol of strength and defiance against oppression.
Fire blazing, ready to burn Baby-land (Babylon)
We are ready and willing to fight against the system that oppresses us.
Bringing back a new fertility
We are working towards a positive and fruitful future.
Change the scene with the rebel virility yes
We are using our strength and passion to inspire change and create a better world.
Kissing my teeth in the face of the non-belief
We stand strong in the face of those who doubt or oppose us.
Maneuver deep with swollen feet now keep trotting
We may face obstacles, but we continue to push forward through determination and perseverance.
Do my best to get there, there's no regret here
We strive to do our best and are not afraid of failure, for we know we have given our all.
Big things we set here
We have set our sights on great accomplishments and will do what it takes to achieve them.
Sufferers, strugglers, in-betweenies
We are a diverse group, consisting of those who have faced difficulties or struggles in life.
Jugglers, hustlers, listen me keenly
We are hard workers and have developed a keen ear for important advice and wisdom.
Define definition of 'self' and go through
We are constantly working on understanding ourselves and our place in the world.
Divine definition of self. It's on you
Ultimately, it is up to us to find meaning and purpose in our lives through our own efforts.
Full time and get hip to the spirit
We are fully dedicated to our beliefs and strive to live our lives guided by our spiritual principles.
Full time we do the dip to the spirit
We are constantly and actively engaging with our spirituality.
Holy ghosting big toast we toasting
We celebrate our beliefs and successes with pride and joy.
Making the most and blessedly approaching
We make the best of our opportunities and approach each day with a positive attitude.
Man are swept, don't pet, man a get it on
We don't let outside opinions or circumstances dictate our actions and are determined to achieve our goals.
Man are set, bigger sets, threat will be born
We are confident and determined, and our strength and determination can be seen as a threat to those who oppose us.
If and no buts's nah go gwan klutzy
We don't make excuses and are always ready for action.
Big heart, brave heart, ever to be gutsy
We have courage and strength of heart, and are not afraid to be bold and daring.
Use initiative, yes you're the pioneer
We encourage others to take the initiative and be leaders in their own right.
Never stoosh, we're fly gone with Ryanair
We are always on the move, striving to reach new heights and accomplish greater things.
Sleazy jet now, bargain bucket when
We may not always have the means, but we make do with what we have and are resourceful.
We offer you ten to get a little spends
We are willing to help others and offer what we can to those in need.
Writer(s): Smith Rodney Hylton
Contributed by Asher C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.