Hip Hop is
certainly an art form in which age matters. While most younger fans won’t pick
up a KRS or Chuck D album because they claim
they’re old and too preachy, Mr. Lif
remains right in their crosshairs. Like the other socio-political avengers of
the new millennium, Lif
is keeping the movement alive amongst the new generation of fans that was
started so many moons ago by Chuck,
KRS, Paris and the like. Like his forefathers, Lif attacks racism, political
corruption and societal ills with brilliant perspective, devastating wit and
well placed anger.
An original
member of the Definitive Jux
family, Lif is produced
by the only man with soundscapes as apocalyptic as his narratives. DJX head honcho El-P produces all but 3 songs of Mo’ Mega, bringing his own beast to snack
on republicans and corporate fat cats. Mo’
Mega, like Lif’s
shining debut I Phantom,
follows a theme. But in this case, the theme is much looser than the relatively
structured Phantom. The meaning
of Mo’ Mega’s title
(which many have called wack), is actually quite ill once Lif explains it:
“Mo’
represents the dialect of the Black slave in America.
Mega represent the hyper-modernized world
we live in.
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As the cost of living increases at an
exponential rate,
More of us are finding it difficult to keep
pace.
I feel that the term Mo’ extends beyond
race to describe
the masses whom have not achieved elite
levels of wealth.
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Mo’ Mega is the juxtaposition of the slave
and the elite
with no common ground between the two.”
Lif begins holding court with the
appropriately titled “Collapse” as he teases a trip to the
psychiatric ward over El’s
intimidating guitars. The cycle of the album begins taking place at this point.
“Ultra
Mega” turns Lif’s
gaze outward to the monuments of consumerism, digging right through El’s ridiculous production. As the
beats get funkier Lif
expands the blast radius all the way to the White House on his plea to his “Brothaz”;
“Fact 3/The Bush administration worth
nothin, just fuck’em/throw’em in a barrel, buck’em/oh you ain’t know them flood
waters was comin’?/you ain’t smell that African blood runnin‘?”
The social
messages continue with “The Fries” (peep the break down!), and
the Aesop Rock and El-P assisted “Take,
Hold, Fire” before things take a lighter turn. First Lif fends off Rakim guest spots and Herbal Essence
endorsements from super-manager Murs
(“Murs Iz My Manager”). Next he gives a PSA in personal
hygiene to all the young ladies with some ill island flavor. Who says conscious
cats can’t be funny? As the album comes full circle Lif’s gaze slowly comes back inward.
He pens a note to wifey from the tour grind (“Long Distance”),
Akrobatik, Blueprint join
him to rap about their come up (“Mo’ Mega”), before capping
things off with the beautiful son-to-father song (“Looking In…”)
and father-to-daughter song (“For You”).
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Where
as I was hooked on I Phantom on
the first listen, “Mo’ Mega” took me quite a few listens
before I really grasped what a dope album this is. Mr. Lif can be a very serious emcee,
talking about things that some people just may not want to think about. But for
those who feel like they’re being brow beaten with lessons, he knows when and
how to switch it up and keep it fun. And you know, he’s really good too. Of
course, being backed by El-P’s
ever evolving production doesn’t hurt either. I’ll take mo’ please.
