Posted on 04/16/2009
A conversation with Mr. Lif is never a dull one. He’s one of underground hip-hop’s most compelling voices, unafraid to speak about the contemporary issues that Americans struggle with every day, and he’s hitting the scene with what may be his strongest album to date. Self-released through his new Bloodbot Tactical Enterprises label, I Heard It Today features production from Edan, J-Zone, Batsauce, Willie Evans Jr., Therapy, and Headnodic, and takes a hard look at political topics that affect us all on a global scale.

We talked to Lif about the biggest crises facing America today, how this record is better than 2006’s Mo Mega, and why it only made sense for him part ways with his label Definitive Jux to release the album on his own.


OKP: I can’t listen to I Heard It Today without feeling an energy in these songs that took me by surprise. I’m not saying that people have a certain expectation about what a Mr. Lif record should sound like, but this definitely feels different. You’ve been off the radar for a minute – what influenced this record?

Mr. Lif: This record wasn’t just me making something for the people, but really it was me making something for myself, too. To give you some context: I was out on tour for Mo Mega at the end of 2006, and got into a crazy tour bus wreck. I took some bumps and bruises both mentally and physically, and had to come back from that. Following the accident, Definitive Jux and I spoke about getting together and doing more stuff, but we never really found a common ground, as far as what I needed and what they needed at the time. Everything is still amicable between us, and we have a great relationship still, but it was just time for me to do something on my own.

OKP: Let’s talk a little bit more about the Def Jux situation. You worked extensively with (Definitive Jux founder/producer) El-P on Mo Mega, and while it was by no means a failure, it seemed like something was definitely amiss with that album, especially following a record like your 2002 Def Jux debut LP, I, Phantom.

Mr. Lif: To me, Mo Mega wasn’t fully realized. It was made in a whirlwind where my input was compromised throughout the entire process. When El and I made that record, I don’t think that our friendship was at its peak. Chemistry can be so important in this process. In sports, they have cats go through spring training and minicamps in order to build team chemistry. Although El and I are very tight friends, we happened to tackle the task of making Mo Mega at a point when we really hadn’t been talking that much and weren’t in the loop of each other’s lives, but we had this deadline hanging over our heads.

El was in one place that was cool artistically, and I was in another place, but we just didn’t have the luxury of time to be like, ‘Ok, I see where you’re coming from. Here’s a batch of songs that we’ve made, now let’s tweak this, redo that.’ We tried to do as much of that as possible. El is clearly a very talented producer, and I hope that people walk away from this record and think that I’m still a talented emcee. I just think that album was one of those things where we’ve both seen better days, and I think that it’s evident in that piece of art.

OKP: So what’s your relationship with him today?

Mr. Lif: There’s no love lost with El and I. We’ve had several conversations about it, as recently as within the last three months. It is what it is. We did the best we could do at the time. I’m glad those songs are out there for the public. I’m glad we did songs like “Collapse,” “Brothaz,” “For You,” “Murs Iz My Manager.” Should they have been on the same album as songs like “Take, Hold, Fire!” and “Ultra Mega?” I don’t know. I did the best I could do at the time to make it cohesive. But I think if you look at I, Phantom and I Heard It Today, there’s a more seamless nature to the records and it’s more of what I would expect from myself. So as far as things with El, we definitely got everything back to where it needs to be. We don’t have plans to do future work, but as far as our personal relationship goes, it’s strong. And it would be a good platform to extend on should we choose to do music together again.



OKP: How was the process of making the album on your own terms different than working through a label like Definitive Jux?

Mr. Lif: This was just me completely taking my art back, posted up in my own studio, making the music that I wanted to make, building with producers who I’d met over the years and just getting a chance to sift through a good grip of their beats till I found the ones that suited the project the most. I didn’t have any expectations to focus on except for my own.

OKP: And what kind of expectations did you have for I Heard It Today?

Mr. Lif: I really wanted to return to what I would call the ‘vintage style’ that was displayed on I, Phantom, where it’s just more of a stream of consciousness narrative that goes throughout the album. That approach is prevalent here, especially on the middle of the album dealing with the prison system, with the skits where the guy’s getting locked up and then getting out of jail and pondering about the different problems in our society. It just gave me a chance to really make a cerebral record. I just want people to pack a bowl, listen to this record, and reflect on the times that we’re living through. We’re at a very pivotal point in this country, and for this record I got a chance to be myself and channel a really inspirational era in American history directly into some music.

OKP: This record is clearly very political in its tone and content, something that can be said about most of your discography. What compels you to return to these topics in your music?

Mr. Lif: My standpoint in this society is that of an outcast or a misfit. I’ve never been that much of a fan of pop culture or been able to assimilate to it. I just feel like there’s so much… I don’t know, maybe I take things to heart too much, or maybe it’s seeing people around me struggle, or reflecting on my own struggles – I don’t know what it is. I just feel like I have things to say so I’ve got to say them. I’m not saying every record has to be like this, but it was important for me to artistically return to what I consider a vintage style, with a new fire and the hunger that I have right now. A lot of this record was making a product that was pertinent to a time that people needed support. I needed to make these songs in order to make sense of things that were very convoluted in my mind.

OKP: What types of things are you referring to?

Mr. Lif: Seeing our banks work in conjunction with our American government to allow all of these bullshit loans to be given to so many homeowners, basically chipping away at the core of the American dream. Home ownership is such a big part of that. This bailout bill – watching the wealthy find a way to pay themselves an exorbitant amount of money even in a time when everyone else was falling by the wayside. It’s funny to watch them on TV trying to act shocked that the 700 billion dollars that was granted wasn’t used properly. Really? Did you think that they had hired a very strict committee to serve as a watchdog over all of this, to ensure that the money wasn’t going to be misused? Or that even if they did hire the committee, that the people wouldn’t just grease those peoples’ palms to look the other way?

We’re in a really vicious time that I think needs to be documented. Shit is ill right now. The teeth of the machine that we live in are just sharper and more savage than ever. What I’ve learned over the years is that the people at the bottom are expendable when it comes to the bottom line. If war’s profitable and they have to go out to some country to kill 5-10 thousand people, that’s fine as long as someone’s getting rich off of it, period. I would love to have a different view of things, but that’s what I’ve seen lately.



OKP: You mention at the end of the record that you went through a lot of struggles to get this album out. What other logistical challenges did you face in putting out I Heard It Today on a strictly independent level?

Mr. Lif: Most of the actual challenges that I was less familiar with kicked in after I had finished the album itself. I’ve been through contract negotiations before, and have had to do records on a budget. That part of it was increased this time, because it was me operating as the label: going to the best people suited for each track and getting the best work out of them, choosing the right mix engineers who were talented but also had the right perspective about doing the work within my budget while still having the same unwavering dedication that the project really needed.

Then I also had to design the marketing and promotional campaign. (Digital distributor) The Orchard is doing my digital distribution, and I just met with them and talked face to face about some of the things that will take this campaign to a higher level, on a grassroots level, on a digital level, making sure that the physical product is in stores when I go to different cities. I don’t have the luxury of Def Jux handling that stuff this time. I have to establish those contacts myself and make sure that the machine is well oiled and running smoothly. It’s a bigger time commitment on my part, but these are also the reasons that I wanted to do this on my own. You can get comfortable being on a label that does this stuff for you and does it so well. We’re in an era where labels have to scale back what they do largely due to finances, and artists have to become more self-reliant, anyway. I feel like what I’m doing with this project is very fitting, based on what’s going on in this era.

OKP: It definitely sounds like a learning experience. Speaking of learning experiences, I imagine that it must have been a new experience when you toured with jam band Galactic last year? What was it like playing for a totally different crowd who most likely had never heard of a Mr. Lif?

Mr. Lif: I feel like my whole career, I’ve never been a chart-topping artist with a bunch of hit records. I’ve had some underground hits, if you want to call them that, but my audience has basically just been a bit of a cult following. Some people know the lyrics to my songs, but not the majority. I’m not Jay-Z; I can’t say two lines and then hold the mic to the audience for them to finish for me on every song. So I’ve always had to think from the angle of the underdog.

Performing with Galactic was actually easier, because I had an incredible band playing my music with me, and they knew exactly what they were doing. All I had to do was go out there and be charismatic and nail my vocals down. I love those guys. It was a really pleasant experience and it was good to see how they do things, being on the tour bus with them, seeing how they run their company and the network of people that they have working with them. That’s one of the greatest things about working with other people – you really get to see how they run their business, in their particular genre.

OKP: Finally – and this is a question that’s been seriously weighing down on your fans and contemporaries alike – are you mad at Murs for biting your hairstyle?

Mr. Lif: (laughs) No, I’m not mad at Murs. I’ve known him for a while, and he told me before that he was inspired by the way that I’ve grown my ‘locks. The brother is mad motivated, and he’s always been looking forward to make sure that his career is upwardly mobile.

OKP: Ok, that’s good…I’m not trying to stir up any online rap beef here, but you know the Internet has been talking…

Mr. Lif: (laughs) Ah, well I really wouldn’t know anything about that. I really avoid the blogs and forums and whatnot. My only thing is that I hope as he moves upward he won’t forget a brother. That’s my boy; I go way back with him. Let him climb up into better situations, and have him call me so we can put out a song together through his major channels.

OKP: So what’s next for Mr. Lif once this album drops?

Mr. Lif: This album really gave me the opportunity to reinstate my own ideas and make them tangible, and I’m grateful for that. I’ve got a 40-date tour lined up, and I’m really just looking forward to hitting the road and building with people.

- Sean Kantrowitz

Be sure to pick up I Heard It Today (in stores on April 21), and catch Mr. Lif when he rolls through your city!

Listen to “What About Us” off of I Heard It Today, below.