Mr. Lif
| Mr. Lif | |
|---|---|
 Mr. Lif live at Pitchfork Music Festival, July 30, 2007 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jeffrey Haynes |
| Born | December 11, 1977 |
| Origin | Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Genres | Alternative hip hop, political hip hop |
| Occupations | Rapper, producer |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels | Definitive Jux Ozone Records Thought Wizard Productions Bloodbot Tactical Enterprises |
| Associated acts | The Perceptionists, Anomie Belle, Thievery Corporation |
| Website | Official Website Definitive Jux - Bio |
Mr. Lif (born Jeffrey Haynes, December 11, 1977) is an American hip hop artist from Boston, Massachusetts. Often noted for his political lyrics, he has released two studio albums on El-P's Definitive Jux label and one on Bloodbot Tactical Enterprises. Mr. Lif is also a member of the hip hop group The Perceptionists with long-time friends and collaborators Akrobatik and DJ Fakts One.
Mr. Lif grew up in the neighborhood of Brighton in Boston, Massachusetts. After attending the Dedham, MA private school Noble and Greenough School, he went on to attend Colgate University for two years, and he eventually dropped out. He became a performer in 1994. Mr. Lif's family ancestry is Bajan.
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[edit] History
Influenced by legendary MCs like Chuck D, KRS One, Rakim & Guru, Mr. Lif began releasing singles in the late '90s, when party rap and gangsta rap were the dominant styles for hip hop music, but Mr. Lif's lyrical agenda was a political and socially conscious one. Mr. Lif released his first single, Elektro, in 1998, attracting the attention of labels Grand Royal and Definitive Jux. Working closely with producer and Definitive Jux label head El-P, Lif released a series of critically acclaimed singles and EPs, starting with Enters the Colossus in 2000. In 2000 and 2001 he won the Kahlua Boston Music Awards for Outstanding Rap/Hip Hop Act.[1] Touring kept him busy for the next year, but he still found time to release the Cro-Magnon single and a live CD. His track "Pull Out Your Cut" was featured in the soundtrack to the ESPN Video Game ESPN NFL 2K5.
In 2002 Mr. Lif released a pair of concept releases. The Emergency Rations EP bookended collaborations with Edan and Akrobatik in an MC abduction scenario, while the I Phantom full-length formed a saga that led him from birth to apocalypse. He revisited his Akrobatik collaboration in 2005, when the pair joined producer DJ Fakts One to form The Perceptionists, who released Black Dialogue, also on Definitive Jux. One year later, he returned with Mo' Mega, his follow-up to I Phantom, featuring eight productions from El-P and features from Murs, Aesop Rock, and Blueprint.[2] Mr. Lif has also collaborated with Otis Grove, Thievery Corporation and Anomie Belle.[3]
I Heard It Today, was released in 2009 on Bloodbot Tactical. Mr Lif embraced I Heard It Today using the album as a tool to address various political issues effecting people all over the world. I Heard It Today is the third full-length studio album by Mr. Lif. The album was released on April 21, 2009 on Mr. Lif's own label Bloodbot Tactical Enterprises. Mr. Lif has stated that the album is "dedicated to capturing the pulse of this tumultuous era we're living through."
[edit] The Perceptionists
The Perceptionists are a rap group comprised of rappers Akrobatik (born Jared Bridgeman) and Mr. Lif (Jeffrey Haynes) and DJ Fakts One (Jason Goler), based in Boston, MA. Friends since their early days, the trio first started working together on Fakts One's college radio show in the late '90s, formally adopting the name the Perceptionists in 2000. A 2004 mixtape called The Razor was the trio's underground bow, before the official debut Black Dialogue was released in early 2005. All three members have had exemplary solo careers thus far, and are still making music: some of their more acclaimed releases include Lif's I, Phantom and Emergency Rations (both on Definitive Jux); Akrobatik's stellar 2003 full-length debut Balance (on Coup D'Etat); and Fakts, currently working on his solo debut, is featured on all aforementioned releases, plus his own party-moving singles, like "The Show Starter" (Coup D'Etat).
[edit] Discography
[edit] Solo studio albums
- I Phantom (Definitive Jux - 2002)
- Mo' Mega (Definitive Jux - 2006)
- I Heard It Today (Bloodbot Tactical Enterprises - 2009)
[edit] EPs
- Enters the Colossus (Definitive Jux - 2000)
- Emergency Rations (Definitive Jux - 2002)
[edit] External links
- Official Website[dead link]
- Mr. Lif on Myspace
- Definitive Jux Official Website
- Definitive Jux - Mr. Lif Bio
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ "Mr. Lif Wins Big at the 2001 Boston Music Awards". Hip-Hop Elements. April 24, 2001. http://www.hiphop-elements.com/article/read/4/5310/1/.
- ^ "Mr Lif". NME. 2007. http://www.nme.com/artists/mr-lif.
- ^ Blodgett, Tom (September 5, 2009). "Anomie Belle w/ Mr. Lif @ Bumbershoot". Seattle Subsonic. http://www.seattlesubsonic.com/2009/09/05/anomie-belle-w-mr-lif-bumbershoot/.
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