Mr Lif – Mo Mega LP [Def Jux]

Some artists make albums because they can. The great ones make albums because they have to. With that said, the first thing you need to know about Boston-bred MC Mr. Lif’s new album, ‘Mo’ Mega’, is that this is the album he had to make.

Hot off of last year’s smash success with the Perceptionists (his collaboration with fellow MC Akrobatik and one of Rolling Stone’s Top 50 Albums of 2005), Lif is back with an arsenal of new rhymes that showcase his massive talents as an MC, poet, and true life reporter.
 
In the tradition of the story telling of legendary MCs like Chuck D, KRS One, Rakim & Guru, ‘Mo’ Mega’ delivers a take on modern day America that is simultaneously personal and political.
 
Following the breakout success of ‘Enters The Colossus’ EP (Def Jux 2000), Lif established himself as one of the most ambitious and forward-thinking MCs in the game.  He further cemented this status with the releases of his acclaimed ‘Emergency Rations’ EP and ‘I Phantom’ LP in 2002.

In the time that followed, Lif was profiled by MTV, Rolling Stone, SPIN, The NY Times, Entertainment Weekly, XXL and a slew of other media outlets. His stock quickly rose on a national level thanks to a relentless tour schedule.  The crowds grew steadily, and by the time Lif took to the road with fellow Def Jukie Aesop Rock for a series of sold-out shows, the people had spoken.  They were tired of clichés, and with our culture in crisis, economy floundering, and soldiers coming home in coffins, they didn’t want to hear about trivialities of the hyper-consumerism and egomania that have infested society.
 
To help commit the sound and fury of his most recent soundbombs to tape, Lif has teamed up with acclaimed producer and longtime collaborator El-P to set the sonic table for ‘Mo’ Mega’. As always, Def Jux head honcho El Producto has flipped the boom-bap, orchestrating a catalytic soundscape from behind the boards—one that could only be navigated by a lyrical force as focused and deadly as Lif’s.
 
There’s no need to look any further than your newspaper or TV to see the inspiration for ‘Mo’ Mega’s’ calls to arms. From the water-logged streets of New Orleans to the killing fields of Sudan, from the struggle of personal relationships to the stress of living in USA 2006, there’s a riot that’s been going on. Consider this it’s soundtrack.

Release Date: 12th June 2006

• www.definitivejux.net