Mr Lif is from Boston. He is a political and socially conscious rapper reminiscent of acts like Boogie Down Production & Public Enemy who were known for their deeply thought provoking lyrics. Born Jeffrey Haynes, Mr. Lif grew up in the Boston, MA, suburb of Brighton. He released his first single, Elektro, in 1998, attracting the attention of labels Grand Royal and Def Jux.
Lif released a series of critically acclaimed singles and EPs, starting with Enters the Colossus in 2000. Touring kept him busy for the next year, but he still found time to release the Cro-Magnon single and a live CD.
In 2002, 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 Fakts One to form The Perceptionists, who released Black Dialogue. One year later, he returned with Mo’ Mega, his follow-up to I Phantom.