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 Barbadian.
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MR. LIF TICKETS
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History
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.
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]
I Heard It Today
, released in 2009 on
Bloodbot Tactical, contained some of the most pointed lyrics of his career.
[3]
Discography
Solo studio albums
- I Phantom
(Definitive Jux - 2002)
- Mo' Mega
(Definitive Jux - 2006)
- I Heard It Today
(Bloodbot Tactical Enterprises - 2009)
EPs
- Enters the Colossus
(Definitive Jux - 2000)
- Emergency Rations
(Definitive Jux - 2002)