I Phantom

Last updated
I Phantom
I Phantom.jpg
Studio album by
Mr. Lif
ReleasedSeptember 17, 2002 (2002-09-17)
StudioBoston Butta Beats in Boston; Def Jux Studios, Steel Acres, and The Danger Room in New York
Genre Hip hop, underground hip hop
Length47:23
Label Definitive Jux
Producer
Mr. Lif chronology
Emergency Rations
(2002)		I Phantom
(2002)		 Mo' Mega
(2006)

I Phantom is the debut studio album by American rapper Mr. Lif. It was produced mostly by alternative hip hop artist El-P, among others, at Boston Butta Beats in Boston and the New York City-based Steel Acres, The Danger Room, and Def Jux Studios. Mr. Lif composed I Phantom as a concept album about the working life of an African American who is pressured into pursuing the dubious rewards of the American dream. [1]

Contents

The album was released on September 16, 2002, by Definitive Jux. A widespread critical success, it was acclaimed for El-P's sparse hip hop production and Lif's incisive, everyman lyrics.

Music and lyrics

To see conscious rap disappear to the point where people are almost shocked that I could make such a record is disappointing. How did we get lulled to sleep like this?

— Mr. Lif, Jockey Slut [2]

I Phantom is a concept album described as "an exploration of the dynamics of everyday life, and the pursuit of our dreams, in a rapidly decaying society." The narrative begins with death ("A Glimpse at the Struggle") and resurrection ("Return of the B-Boy") and ends with nuclear holocaust ("Earthcrusher", "Post-Mortem"). The liner notes provide instructions on how the story should be followed. [3] Mr. Lif recorded the album at Boston Butta Beats in Boston and the New York City studios Steel Acres, The Danger Room, and Def Jux Studios, [3] in the same sessions that produced his debut extended play Emergency Rations (2002). [2] The album features beats made by alternative hip hop producers such as Edan, DJ Fakts One, and El-P, as well as guest raps performed by Aesop Rock, Jean Grae, and Akrobatik. [2]

I Phantom expands on the everyman persona that he debuted on Emergency Rations, of which he said in an interview for the Chicago Tribune : "We're wasting time if we're not talking about issues that affect us and the planet in our music. I grew up in an era when Boogie Down Productions, Public Enemy and Eric B. and Rakim were dropping serious science on their records. They didn't ignore what was going on around them at the time, and neither should we. We're talking with each other through this music." [4] While his debut EP was an intensely political diatribe on U.S. foreign policy and the Bush administration, I Phantom focuses more on working class black America. [5]

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 81/100 [6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Alternative Press 7/10 [8]
Blender Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
NME 7/10 [10]
Pitchfork 8.3/10 [11]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Vibe 4/5 [14]
The Village Voice A [15]

I Phantom was released by Definitive Jux on September 16, 2002, in the United Kingdom and on September 17 in the United States, [16] where Mr. Lif had begun a national tour on September 14 to promote the record. [17]

I Phantom received widespread acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 81, based on 12 reviews. [6] Moira McCormick of the Chicago Tribune called it "a heady, lyrically dazzling, unsparing" hip hop concept album told "with humor, heart and a sorcerer's way with words", [1] while Blender deemed the record's funk-influenced beats "innovative" and Lif's rhymes "engaging ... [He] brilliantly avoids the pitfalls of vacuous bling-drones and 'real hip-hop' whiners alike." [9] In The A.V. Club , Nathan Rabin called it "really audacious and ambitious", writing that it mixes El-P's "icy B-boy futurism with Lif's nasal-everyman flow, to powerful effect." [18] Village Voice critic Robert Christgau said I Phantom showed an ambitious concept, specific insight into life working and raising a family, and a critique comparable to Boots Riley. He said the "musically pleasurable" album "fleshes out its cohesive narrative and cogent ideas with beats that respect the spare antipop ethos without abjuring such wayward rhythm elements as femme chorus, bass-drum-whoop jam, and $20 synth loop". [15]

For the annual Pazz & Jop critics poll, Christgau voted I Phantom as the 15th best album of 2002. [19] Kludge ranked it at number seven on the magazine's list of the year's 100 best records. [20]

Track listing

No.TitleProducerLength
1."Bad Card"Nasa2:09
2."A Glimpse at the Struggle" El-P 3:28
3."Return of the B-Boy"El-P7:35
4."Live from the Plantation" Edan 3:58
5."New Man Theme" DJ Fakts One 3:23
6."Handouts"Insight0:40
7."Status" (featuring Insight)Insight4:00
8."Success" (featuring Aesop Rock)El-P4:16
9."Daddy Dearest"El-P0:57
10."The Now"El-P3:48
11."Friends and Neighbors" DJ Fakts One 2:34
12."Iron Helix" (featuring Insight)Insight2:41
13."Earthcrusher"Insight3:46
14."Post Mortem" (featuring El-P, Jean Grae and Akrobatik)El-P4:01

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. [3]

Charts

Chart (2002)Peak
position
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [21] 20
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [22] 16
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [23] 80

See also

Related Research Articles

Mr. Lif American hip hop artist

Jeffrey Haynes, better known by his stage name Mr. Lif, is an American hip hop artist from Boston, Massachusetts. While being praised because of his political lyrics, he has released two studio albums on Definitive Jux 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.

<i>Enters the Colossus</i> 2000 EP by Mr. Lif

Enters the Colossus is the debut EP by American hip hop artist Mr. Lif. It was released November 14, 2000, on the Def Jux record label.

<i>Emergency Rations</i> (EP) 2002 EP by Mr. Lif

Emergency Rations is the second EP by American rapper Mr. Lif, released on June 25, 2002, by Definitive Jux. It was recorded at Bandulero Sound in Berlin, Boston Butta Beats in Boston, and The Pool Room in New York City.

The Perceptionists is an American hip hop group from Boston, Massachusetts. The group initially had three members: Mr. Lif, Akrobatik, and DJ Fakts One. The group was signed to the Definitive Jux label. In 2005, the trio released a studio album, Black Dialogue. Shortly after the release of Black Dialogue, DJ Fakts One left the group. In 2017, they released their second studio album Resolution, with Mr. Lif and Akrobatik as the only two members of the group performing on the album.

Edan Portnoy, better known as Edan, is an American hip hop artist from Rockville, Maryland.

Akrobatik American rapper

Jared Bridgeman, better known by his stage name Akrobatik, is an American rapper from the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. He is also a part of the hip hop collective named The Perceptionists with Mr. Lif and DJ Fakts One, which released Black Dialogue in 2005.

<i>Fantastic Damage</i> 2002 studio album by El-P

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<i>Mo Mega</i> 2006 studio album by Mr. Lif

Mo' Mega is the second solo studio album by American hip hop artist Mr. Lif. It was released by Definitive Jux on June 13, 2006. It peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart, as well as number 31 on the Independent Albums chart.

<i>Live at the Middle East</i> (Mr. Lif album) 2002 live album by Mr. Lif

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<i>Definitive Jux Presents II</i> 2002 compilation album by various artists

Definitive Jux Presents II is a 2002 compilation album released by American hip hop record label Definitive Jux. It peaked at number 37 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart.

<i>Definitive Jux Presents III</i> 2004 compilation album by various artists

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<i>Definitive Jux Teaser 2005</i> 2005 compilation album by Various Artists

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The Weathermen (hip hop group)

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DJ Fakts One Musical artist

Fakts One is an American hip hop DJ & producer from Boston, Massachusetts. Fakts One was a founding member of the hip hop group The Perceptionists with long-time collaborators Akrobatik and Mr. Lif but left the group shortly after release of their first album Black Dialogue.

The Mighty Underdogs is an American hip hop supergroup from the San Francisco Bay Area. It consists of rappers Gift of Gab and Lateef the Truthspeaker and producer Headnodic.

The following is an incomplete discography for Definitive Jux, an independent hip hop record label based in New York City, United States. Artists such as El-P, Aesop Rock, Cannibal Ox, Mr. Lif, RJD2, and Cage have released records through Definitive Jux.

<i>Bucket of B-Sides Vol. 1</i> 2005 compilation album by Various Artists

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El-P discography

El-P is a New York-based hip hop artist and co-founder, owner, and CEO of Definitive Jux Records. His discography consists of three solo studio albums, five instrumental albums, two mix tapes, and eleven singles. He has also appeared on numerous other artist's recordings as either a guest vocalist or producer. Releases from Company Flow, The Weathermen, and Run the Jewels, all of which El-P has been a member, are not included in this discography: only solo material.

Mr. Lif discography

The discography of Mr. Lif, an American hip hop artist from Boston, Massachusetts, consists of three full-length studio albums, two EPs, one live album, two compilation albums and ten singles. Four music videos for his songs have been produced.

Resolution is the second studio album by American hip hop group The Perceptionists. It was released on Mello Music Group on July 28, 2017. Music videos were created for "Hose Down" and "Free at Last".

References

  1. 1 2 McCormick, Moira (November 26, 2002). "Mr. Lif: I Phantom". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Larkin, Colin (2006). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 50. ISBN   0195313739.
  3. 1 2 3 I Phantom (CD liner notes). Mr. Lif. Definitive Jux. 2002. DJX37.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. ↑ Kot, Greg (April 28, 2002). "The hip-hop underground mixes it up". Chicago Tribune . Arts & Entertainment, pp. 1–2. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  5. ↑ Kois, Dan (September 23, 2002). "Music preview: Mr. Lif". Salon . Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  6. 1 2 "Reviews for I Phantom by Mr. Lif". Metacritic . Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  7. ↑ Kincaid, Nic. "I Phantom – Mr. Lif". AllMusic . Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Mr. Lif: I Phantom". Alternative Press . Cleveland (171): 84. October 2002.
  9. 1 2 "Mr. Lif: I Phantom". Blender . New York (10): 124. October 2002.
  10. ↑ "Mr. Lif: I Phantom". NME . London: 40. September 14, 2002.
  11. ↑ Chennault, Sam (September 29, 2002). "Mr. Lif: I Phantom". Pitchfork . Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Recordings: Mr. Lif, I Phantom, 3 Stars". Rolling Stone . New York (908). October 31, 2002. Archived from the original on March 30, 2003. Retrieved March 5, 2013.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  13. ↑ "Mr. Lif: I Phantom". Uncut . London (65): 110. October 2002.
  14. ↑ Hsu, Hua (October 2002). "Mr. Lif: I Phantom". Vibe . New York. 10 (10): 184. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  15. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (February 11, 2003). "Consumer Guide: The Prelude". The Village Voice . New York. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  16. ↑ Cibula, Matt (September 17, 2002). "Mr. Lif: I Phantom". PopMatters . Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  17. ↑ Umlauf, Simon (September 16, 2002). "Mr. Lif: The Hip Hop Rebel". CNN Headline News . CNN . Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  18. ↑ Rabin, Nathan (October 18, 2002). "Mr. Lif: I Phantom". The A.V. Club . Chicago. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Pazz & Jop 2002: Dean's List". The Village Voice. New York. February 18, 2003. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  20. ↑ "The Best of 2002". Kludge . Los Angeles. Archived from the original on July 22, 2004. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Mr Lif Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  22. ↑ "Mr Lif Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Mr Lif Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2018.

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