Independent emcee Mr. Lif is an emerging underground rapper who is making a name for himself by incorporating political awareness with his purist hip-hop formula of rapid-fire, innovative lyrics and hard-hitting beats. His latest LP, I Phantom on Definitive Jux records, has received critical acclaim and is his best-selling to date. Mr. Lif recently talked with The Voice about politics, college and hip-hop. Then he hung up.
“Headline: Bush steals the Presidency / He needs the backing of the meek what could the remedy be / The country’s headed for recession, reminiscent of the Great Depression / Planes hit the towers and the Pentagon / It’s easy to control the scared so they keep us in fear with their favorite Middle Eastern demon named Bin Laden this year / Bush disguises blood-lust as patriotism convincing the living to love Operation Let’s Get ‘Em.”—“Home of the Brave”
Voice—You performed at a protest of the State of the Union?
Mr. Lif—I performed on the steps of Capitol Hill to about 1,000 people to let the government know that there are still critical thinkers out there willing to sacrifice a part of their day to stand up for something they believe in. It was definitely positive that I got to do a 25 minutes set. It was an honor.
Voice—In your opinion, in which direction should America be moving?
Mr. Lif—I could throw a bunch of idealistic shit out there that would never happen, like major corporations not having their main focus on downsizing and cutting people out of jobs. Clearly we shouldn’t be going to war; it’s such a fucking primitive technique in this day and age. We want to kill a bunch of people who have nothing to do with the conflict. It’s all about finances and making sure someone’s pockets fatten up and a certain number of people have to be sacrificed for that. I got to the point where I got depressed and stopped watching the news and only taking it in intervals ‘cause it’s so disgraceful.
Voice-I think the most controversial line you’ve rapped is from “Home of the Brave”-“You can wave that piece of shit flag if you dare / but they killed us cause we’ve been killing them for years.” How strong is your anti-American sentiment toward the country in general as opposed to your feeling at the moment that you wrote that?
Mr. Lif—All the little fantasies that all the people in this country have had is like shitting on this flag by making people feel like they can achieve this wealth and security when they can’t. I mean we’re doing our best to just shit on what that flag is supposed stand for, soiled it with blood from the people from all these backgrounds who have gotten together here in America. It’s just so sordid that our country has chosen to achieve power over anything else. I just look at the flag and wonder what it stands for.
“I was 18 and just about to hit the college scene / On to Colgate considered it prestigious and pristine / What I mean I was told that in life there’s a goal and it’s gold / those without it die unhappy and cold … when I enrolled I went bold / Here’s my list of things I wanted to know: Myself … I came home as a dread who uses his pen as a blade.”—“New Man Theme”
Voice—I understand you went to Colgate but left to pursue a career as a rapper. Could you describe the circumstances?
Mr. Lif—I basically picked the wrong school. You know Colgate is up in the snow belt where you have to be wealthy to survive and have a car to go to the grocery store. The whole place was based on fraternities and it was eternally segregated society. All the black people lived in the “Harlem Renaissance Center.” It was the wrong place, but I met some people who created a forum where I could rhyme and some kids there helped me develop my style … I think in retrospect, I looked at college the way I was supposed to look at it. I mean you go there to find out what you’re going to do for the rest of your life and I found what I wanted to do, but it didn’t apply to that place so I figured I shouldn’t waste my time there. Just because I’m supposed to get a diploma which isn’t going do anything for me with whatever I spent two years of my life studying (pre-med) because I am a musician so why waste time. I left and came home much to the disappointment of my parents and became a rapper. I mean now I’m definitely doing something I love. I hope to continue to reach people.
“Hip hop has arisen / Mr. Lif is living/and not dead or in prison / giving you powerful thoughts to envision/open your mind up and listen / I’m on a mission.”—“Enters the Colossus”
Voice—Could you explain the idea behind the I Phantom album and your feelings toward its success?
Mr. Lif—The I Phantom album was a dedication to an analysis of everyday life because we write too many things off as mundane and overall, uninteresting. Oftentimes it’s the things we do everyday that say a lot about us and our moral basis and what our aspirations are. These are the best sales I’ve ever had but all I can think about is how to work harder. When I listen to it I think of how to shatter it and do something better next time. I’m glad there are things on there that people can relate to but I feel like it may be too dense.
Voice—How do you resolve the tension between wanting to reach a larger audience with your message and also stay independent?
Mr. Lif—It’s the creative control that’s very attractive about being independent. You don’t want to be in the major label struggle, because I think they’re struggling that they can’t sell as many records anymore. The corporate thing for major labels is just a machine. I don’t want to make a record and have them tell me my four favorite songs can’t be on the record because they’re not as marketable. I’ve had a couple major label opportunities other opportunities with all types of labels. Patience has proven to be the best policy because things seem to be evolving well around me so I’ll just hang in there and hopefully Def Jux will keep building their business.
