Politics & Hip-Hop

Things are going well for Mr. Lif. In 2002 alone, he released a five-song EP and a full-length LP on the most up-and-coming indie label in hip-hop, Definitive Jux. The label currently holds the throne of underground hip-hop supremacy, and continues to raise the standards of quality and innovation within independent rap music. It seems that Mr. Lif will be in good hands for years to come.
Lif’s first full-length album, I Phantom, is “a story from beginning to end, and it’s told from several different perspectives. So it’s a return to an era where you had to really listen to an album to understand it,” explains the Boston native, who recently relocated to Oakland. The concept behind I Phantom is a story about any common Joe who works 40 hours weeks and is just trying to keep his head above water. The tale follows Lif through the trials and tribulations of this common Joe’s life. “The album is really about how we deal with the pressures of American society’s decay on a day-to-day basis, those who are trying to persevere and those who collapse under the pressure.”
Fortunately, with I Phantom, Lif avoided the pitfalls that so many other concept albums suffer from, where the concept is put ahead of the quality of the music. I Phantom not only tells a story, but more importantly, it is full of enjoyable music; even though it might take a few spins to fully comprehend, it’s well worth the wait. Even though the music is dope, one of the main reasons Mr. Lif stands out from the rap pack is because of his strong political stances. In one review of I Phantom, Lif was referred to as “Noam Chomsky with a beat,” a flattering comment, but one that the politically-driven MC does not completely agree with.
“That’s an honor but I’m nowhere near [Chomsky’s] realm. He has way more passion. But obviously it’s an honor to be mentioned in the same sentence with such a critical mind,” admits Lif, who may not be as educated or see himself as impassioned as Noam Chomsky, but holds a great deal of dedication to his music. Whether or not he’s comfortable with the comparison, Lif’s decidedly Chomsky-esque political leanings can be heard on almost any one of his songs.
“On one hand, I’m glad people are gravitating toward the fact that I’m trying to say something. But on the other hand, I’m like, goddamn, how did hip-hop music or human beings get to a state where we’re so passive, where there’s only a couple of records that actually deal with politics?” asks Lif, whose most political song to date is “Home of the Brave,” from his Emergency Rations EP. In the song, Lif breaks down the terrorist attacks of September 11th and what provoked them, compared to what the public was fed.
“[ 9/11] just lead me to want to learn more, like why is this war really going on?” says Lif, who admits that it was television that actually helped give him motivation to find out more about United States’ involvement in the Middle East. “The whole thing with the song ‘Home Of the Brave’ is that it was just me sitting down watching the news with my girlfriend during the whole Anthrax propaganda, looking at the people who were delivering the information, and just being so cynical of them. To me it almost looked like they were smirking or wanted to laugh, it just seemed like a crock of shit.”
Despite his strong views on politics, Lif doesn’t let the bleak situation turn him into a pessimistic being. A look at his current taste in music can confirm that.
“Ludicrous is definitely holding it down when it comes to party jams. When his shit comes on the radio and I’m bugging out, it’s fun to check,” says this open-minded Def Jukie, who has an eclectic taste for contemporary hip-hop. Off the top of his head he lists Jean Grae, Edan, Public Enemy and Mr. Scarface as current heavy rotation in his stereo. But the rapper that Lif seems most impressed by is none other than Queens Bridge’s finest, Nas.
“I think Nas presented some mind-blowing cadences that MCs are going to catch up with in a couple years. I don’t think a lot of people notice how he flipped his whole style on Stillmatic. Everyone knows the beats aren’t necessarily top notch or what they could have been, but you listen to a song like ‘What Goes Around’ and you hear how unorthodox his cadences are, and the words that he makes rhyme — he’s sick with it,” exclaims Lif. Nas is unquestionably one of the most popular MCs in today’s rap game, but for the most part his lyrics never approach any issues outside of his own neighborhood. Mr. Lif on the other hand, kicks lyrics that deal with global problems and unfortunately, Lif remains somewhat of an unknown artist. With all the problems going on in the world today, it’s hard to be optimistic. But with good music, good label mates and a damn fine record label, it’s hard for Mr. Lif to be cynical.
“No matter how packed we are, or how bumpy the ride is, we’re all friends and we are all still laughing, so right now in my life everything’s all good.”

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