Customer Reviews

I Phantom

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is the newest album from Def Jukie Mr. Lif, who last year released the blistering "Emergency Rations" EP, probably the first hip hop record to comment directly on 9/11 and its aftermath for the country. Mr. Lif is on a roll here, with the new record "I, Phantom". The whole album is a concept record about our capitalist society and the average man's place within it. It begins with the troubled dreams of an everyman, (the tracks are written in his voice), and progresses through his day at work, ending with nothing less than nuclear annihilation. The music definitely fits in the pantheon of other Def Jux releases, particularly the El-P produced "Fantastic Damage" and "Cannibal Ox" albums. El-P provides music for about half of the tracks, along with Boston area indie rapper Edan and another rapper/producer named Insight. For my money the El-P produced songs best fit Mr. Lif's style and content, but the whole album is terrific. It's dark, brooding, political, and utterly brilliant. Mr. Lif's flow is better than ever, sort of a mix between Rakim and Sadat X. Don't sleep on this one. It's gonna end up on quite a few end of the year "10 best" lists.....

"Mr. Lif's Wackness shocks his old fans, June 23, 2003
Reviewer: deadlytruthz (see more about me) from United States
"Wow a new Mr. Lif disc!" came out of my mouth when I saw I phantom sitting on the shelf amoungst all the independant labels. Obviously I bought it and rushed to the car to play it on the way home, thats when the trouble started... not only was I not feeling one track on the whole disc... but it all sounded like terrible old school. I have heard better beats put together from local artist who dont have a dime to spend... what was mr. lif thinking? I shoke my head as I took it out of the player "Hard to Imagine that Jedi Mind Tricks had this cat on their Cd" . Where is the cd now? probably disapointing another old fan that bought it from me via- online."

This is what truly irritates me about most people who claim to be hip-hop fans. Instead of listening to the music for what it is, you surrendered to your preconceived notions of "what old/new school hip-hop ought to sound like". Despite whether you like it or not, this is not a good reason to say the album sucks.

In my opinion, the album is classic--one of the best I've ever heard. Every track is typical intelligent rhymes/live beats that we should expect from Mr. Lif. It also contains a great story line (from the beginning of man to inevitable nuclear armageddon) into which every song fits and discusses a particular facet of life. But, I would venture to guess that deadlytruthz did not even realize this as he promptly ejected the CD without even giving it a chance.

If you have more than a superficial love for hip-hop, then this CD is for you. The beats by El-P, Insight, Fakts One, and Edan are all excellent, and the rhymes are well-constructed, insightful, and thought-provoking, including features by (MC's) Insight, Aesop Rock, El-P, Jean Grae, and Akrobatik.

Clearly this is Boston's finest emcee since Guru and Ed O.G. Boston currently has one of the best and most slept on hip-hop scenes and Mr.Lif proves why. Lif can ride any beat, and he's smooth like butter! Lif, with his political lyrics reminds me of KRS and Chuck D combined into one emcee, and if you've ever had the opportunity to see him do a live show, then you know he can rock that as well. This lp follows a similar format to that of Prince Paul's "A Prince Among Thieves" in that it begins with the return of Lif (check the last ep, "Emergency Rations), asking a friend for a gun and from there the story begins. Stand out joints include "Live From The Plantation" (comparing working in american society in which the government steals half your pay in taxes to working on a slave plantation), "Status" connects nicely with "Success" and in turn this success causes him to neglect his family, in turn loosing them, afterwards he gets a new family and in turn neglects his son from his first marriage-"Daddy Dearest & Now." He finishes off with "Iron Helix, Fun Crusher and Post Mortem, three very solid and political joints that addresses the problems of society, majority caused by the governement and those brought on ourselves. When listening to this joint, one can't help but see the validity in the issues raised, namely that the american society is so concerned with the status quo, and that means money is the controlling factor in which many americans have sacrificed everything that is morally upright and important, including the destruction of this planet. With excellent production by El P, Edan, Fatks and guest appearances from El P, Akrobatik, Jean Grey & Edan, this is one of the most complete and important lp of the year!

The Boston-based Mr. Lif has always been an ambitious MC. Most rappers who tried their hand at a concept album would get laughed out of the studio. However, with memorable production and top notch rhymes, Lif is probably the only cat around who actually has the skills and the cred to pull it off.

Fourteen tracks deep and weighing in at just under fifty minutes, "I, Phantom" doesn't wear out it's welcome. The length is perfect to tell the story that needs to be told. Unlike many other hip hops CD's that are about 20 minutes too long, there isn't a single song on the disc that sounds like dead weight.

The album starts with Lif buying a gun and ends with the apocalypse. Lif himself gives you the lowdown on the story in the liner notes, so I won't bother to reprint it here. The music's what's important anyway.

The first single, "New Man Theme," produced by Fakts One, is a total pimp stroll... like the opening scene of "Saturday Night Fever" (with Travolta prowling the streets) updated for the year 2002. Lif tells us "I'm black, strong, intelligent, man, you ain't steerin' me wrong" and we can't doubt him. Insight does double duty producing and rhyming on "Status," which is an accessable, visual and amusing tune that reminds me somewhat of The Coup's immortal "Sneakin' In." "Live From The Plantation" is pure working man vitriol. Anybody who's put in time at a 9 to 5 can feel what he's trying to say. El-P produces six tracks that should put to rest the idea that the dense, layered, apocalyptic beats he put down in "Fantastic Damage" and "The Cold Vein" are all he can do. However, it's Insight who's beats made the biggest impression on me. "Iron Helix," "Earthcrusher" and "Status" are three of the best tunes on the disc.

I've been trying to find something I dislike about this album, but after a few listens, it's still sounds tight. The lyrics are smart... the ideas are cynical yet humanistic... and the beats are solid from front to back. If you pick up one hip hop CD this year, "I, Phantom" should be it.

What sets Mr. Lif most apart from other underground MC's is not his unique, slightly nasal voice or his old-school-influenced style of flows. It is, instead, his acute social consciousness and outspokenness on a range of issues from modern society. Mr. Lif is mainly concerned with the existential problem of expressing an individual voice in today's urban environment, and I find his use of talented hip-hop as a method of showing these concerns to be a very appropriate one. Mr. Lif has been one of my favorite MC's since he first hit the scene, and I am a big Def Jux fan, but nothing could prepare me for this masterpiece. For any fan of underground hip-hop or free speech, this album is a must.

Mr. Lif has presented us with a concept album that truly defines the times we live in today. The idea of portraying the rise and fall of man in American society is a suject that the mainstream shys away from. The production compliments the substance of his rhymes perfectly. Not to be a hip-hop snob, but our first reviewer claims that one of the producers on this album, Edan, is an indie rapper from Boston. Well, Edan is an emcee from the D.C. area, Maryland to be exact. Pick up Edan's first album, Primative Plus, and you'll hear an amazing track with Mr. Lif. Wake up Sleepyheads.

another gem from the difinitvejux camp.mr.lif delivers on his first full length release.a dense conceptual album,about the struggles,and trials of the everyday man/woman.lif's lyrics and
nasal delivery are on point.the music unlike on most concept records also is excellent.with production by fatks one,insight,edan,and mr. "fantastic damage" himself el-p.they provide mr.lif with the perfect soundscape for his deft storytelling abilities.so i suggest everyone get "lif"ted and be elevated to another level of hip hop music!!!

favorite cut:"NEW MAN THEME"

Obviously heavily influenced by the works of Public Enemy and Boogie Down Productions; Mr. Lif can be referred to as a protest rapper. The cover of the album sums up the lyrical content nicely. The images are symbols of media, government, food, religion, law, sex, violence, and drugs. We are kept so busy with all these aspects of life, that we are left scrambling to make a standard living, therefore, the government, the people with the real power, are making all the decisions about our lives; and not necessarily in our best interest. Lif also addresses cold, soulless corporations that pay you slave wages, crappy benefits, then subsequently cuts you out of the company after years of dedication. It's about trying desperately to achieve your dreams in a rapidly decaying society. And through that desperation, people are forced to do things against their will, or simply because they know no other way. Lif wraps up all this rage, anger and concern into a beautifully crafted politically conscious masterpiece.

This album does deserve 5 stars for the lyrics alone, but the production is also phenomenal. El-P's production on this album is complicated as usual, but very old-school. I would venture to say that this is his most accessible album, production-wise. Other appearances are made by NASA, Vast Aire, Fakts One, DJ Abilities, Edan, Insight, Akrobatik, Aesop Rock, and Jean Grae are also made. "Glimpse at the Struggle" is about a man that gets shot while robbing a store, because he's got to eat, and survive another week. "Return of the B-Boy", an epic masterpiece with cuts by DJ Abilities, speaks out on the regurgitation of hip-hop, and a re-introduces the new school in underground rap. "Live From The Plantation" is probably my favorite track. If you work at a job you don't like (who doesn't?), you will definitely relate to this song. The interlude in "Handouts" relates to the next two songs brilliantly, "Status" and "Success". They're about a very ambitious recording artist (Lif) with no cash to score a quality beat from Insight. This results in poorly mixed beats. The beats are hardly poor, considering the deep meaning behind the production, making the album stronger. "Daddy Dearest", an interlude, is about Jon, a child that desperately wants his Dad to be a part of his life. But he is too wrapped up with his new son, daughter and wife, which leads into "The Now" quite nicely. "Friends and Neighbors" deals with depression, murder, and suicide, as linked incidents of snapping under pressure at the work place.

I was drawn to purchase this album because of an interview with Lif that I read. He was very intelligent and well-spoken. He has a lot to say, and a lot of different ways to say it. He has created a masterpiece on par with his idols from Public Enemy. I hope to see more of this style in the underground rap circuit. Mr. Lif continues to show that there are always innovative ways to approach and revive hip-hop in a sad time of it's commercial existence.

Those words, The defining point of I-Phantom in my opinion. An angry scream from a dark proletariat/oppressed intelligentia.I-Phantom a tight package of storytelling with dark twists, alternative beats and and the flexibility and simplicity of Mr Lif. Mr Lif, its like his vocabulary was created by the english language founder so that he could put it together so intricately and yet so downright easily. He raps like he breathes. He brings the downward spiral of humanity in a 45 minute 14 song long album like you blink. This is the first album of Mr lif's i have bought because i was told it was the best. Evidently it must be, although i do not think the beats by EL-p are what i would call immaculate.His best work in my opinion was Cold Vein but he still manages to pull of some good beats, like Status, Friends and Neighbours and return of the B-BOy, which define HIP HOP. Insight drops an alright beat which was deliberatly made for the storyline (which i leave you to find out about) but he manages to pick up the production on Iron Helix which without a doubt is one of the best rap songs ever made. Phat beat and thoughtful IMMACULATE lyrics. It is about a "native" who basks in mother natures beauty and flawed processes through life (played by Insight) and a corporate executive of some sort ( played by Lif)converts insight to a replica of himself. I believe it is called Iron Helix because of the society we are living in where the helpless naive public are being brainwashed into believing anything and are willing to die for materialistic desires by a bullet and grenade. We are being breeded into false shadows of our former self, robots in fact hence Iron Helix. Ill? i think so. And there is so much more ill music in this album. It is another almost flawless masterpiece from Def Jux that once again gains no recognition or respect from the even further brainwashed rap nation.

Fave songs
Return of The B-Boy
Live From the Plantation
Status
Iron Helix
EarthCrusher

Best song Earthcrusher.
Let me say this before the end of this review; Buy this album to ignite your mind and dissect your soul before we all fall before the earthcrushers.
In the words of the great Lif " Delivirin oblivion on a ready hit, but look out here comes another, EARTHCRUSHER"

The definition of this album my people.

PEACE

...Lif however drops a fresh album, the lyrics are true (even though you might not agree with them), the beats are original (they take some time to get used to, but that's true for all good music) and the whole recording sounds crisp like my breakfast cereal. It's just dope.