| Mr. Lif | |
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Mr. Lif live at Pitchfork Music Festival, July 30, 2007 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jeffrey Haynes |
| Born | December 11, 1977 |
| Origin | Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Genres | Alternative hip hop, political hip hop |
| Occupations | Rapper, producer |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels | Definitive Jux Ozone Records Thought Wizard Productions Bloodbot Tactical Enterprises |
| Associated acts | The Perceptionists, Anomie Belle, Thievery Corporation |
| Website | Official Website Definitive Jux - Bio |
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 Bajan.
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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. His track "Pull Out Your Cut" was featured in the soundtrack to the ESPN Video Game ESPN NFL 2K5.
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] Mr. Lif has also collaborated with Otis Grove, Thievery Corporation and Anomie Belle.[3]
I Heard It Today, was released in 2009 on Bloodbot Tactical.
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