Record Exchange Boise

Reviews:

In June, Boston hip-hop MC Mr. Lif issued Emergency Rations, a politically-mindedEP whose title cut was one of the most sharp-tongued songs yet recorded in thewake of September 11. "Home of the Brave" crystallized Lif'sanger at the U.S. government: "When they realized we don't supporttheir attack/ They needed something to distract/ Anthrax." Unfortunately,if you think that smells like a conspiracy theory, Emergency Rations'framing device (Lif is missing because his lyrics are too rabble-rousing forthe government to handle) didn't help matters any.

Lif's posturing is less overt on the new I Phantom, but his attitudesare as strong as ever. On "Live from the Plantation" he bemoans the9-5 grind: "My boss walks by/ He's looking just like an a**hole/ Smiling'cause he jerks niggas for minimum cash flow/ He's cool to my face/But I swear I heard him laugh, though/ Tickled by the fact that I'm themodern-day Sambo/ And just when I think that I'm about to go Rambo/ I calledup my man and he says he understands, yo/ We all are being murdered by a similarprocess/ Whether you work at the candy store or slave at the office." Heeven gets loose on "Status," a funny narrative about nightclubbing:"Put a sock in my pants, on some Uncle Luke s***/ Giving pounds to peopleI didn't know/ My destination was the back door/ Not because the bouncertold me not to come back/ I'm just sneaking in the back door 'causeI got it like that." Producing his own excellent beats (special noticeto the cool electro of "Return of the B-Boy"), got it like that hedoes.