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The Return… July 28th Boston’s best return with an all new album “Resolution” produced by Willie Evans Jr., Synesthetic Nation, Chop, ZMY DaBeat, Paten Locke, pAS dOO, Theory Hazit, Mr. Lif, and 8-BZA. The Perceptionists (Mr. Lif & Akrobatik) are two of the greatest live emcees the game has ever seen and their return marks a big moment for Hiphop fans everywhere.
Read moreThe group that Public Enemy’s Chuck D compared to “Miles and Coltrane” is back after a twelve year hiatus. Critically acclaimed rappers Mr. Lif & Akrobatik (The Perceptionists) are back with their new album Resolution, debuted at Stereogum. Accompanying the news is their first single, the energetic and insightful “Hose Down (feat. Syne).” The song juxtaposes the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s with today’s cultural climate. What made The Perceptionists stand out from the crowd of hiphop acts was not only their take on society and politics, but their bond and teamwork as human beings. After debuting at #41 on the Billboard charts, Mr. Lif & Akrobatik eventually went on to pursue their solo careers. Now, after all this time, they have come back together to make something incredible. Drawing on two different near death experiences, the new album reflects life’s ephemeral nature. Entitled “Resolution,” the album is a spiritual and psychological reconciliation. Resolution by Mr. Lif & Akrobatik (The Perceptionists)
Read more12 years ago, Mr. Lif & Akrobatik’s group The Perceptionists were set to release their debut album on the now legendary label Def Jux. The Boston trio (which included DJ Fakts One at the time) had dropped the single “Memorial Day” outlining the politics of the day that were not so dissimilar to today’s climate. Their debut album “Black Dialogue” hit and earned acclaim across the board from XLR8R to Entertainment Weekly, and landed in the Top 50 on Billboard’s Heatseeker’s Charts. From those expectant beginnings, The Perceptionists launched their commercial career. But just before the first tour DJ Fakts One left the group to focus on family. Lif & Ak went out on the road performing at Paid Dues alongside their peers Murs, and Atmosphere. The record had its moment in the sun, and then the business of music quickly pushed Lif back into his solo artist position to prepare for a follow up album. Akrobatik signed a solo deal with Fatbeats. After a near fatal tour bus crash (38 feet off an embankment) and “I Heard It Today,” Mr. Lif took some time off from his solo career and ended up joining the DC super group Thievery Corporation in 2009 (Lif is still a part of the Thievery Corporation team). Akrobatik was suddenly hit with emergency surgery that required an aortic dissection to save his life. This is the official mini-documentary of Mr. Lif & Akrobatik (The Perceptionists).
Read moreAlone in the evening, in public spaces, the mind wanders. Twilight dreams flicker through the mind’s eye and overlap our quotidian commutes. Director Jon Webb’s dance of light plays seamlessly over Nashville based producer L’Orange’s subdued spaghetti western whistling, dry-drum driven soundscape. The lead-laced, pumice toned voice of veteran vocalist Mr. Lif ambles deftly through the track like the lone survivor of a world well over the excitement of an end that has long since passed. The final video from the duo’s recent album “The Life & Death of Scenery” (Mello Music Group & Adult Swim) brings color and lighting choices that call to mind something Gasper Noe might have shot if on location in LA. The otherworldly feel is highlighted by actress Xinyi Zhu who dreams with eyes open while lost somewhere in time wearing a dookie gold chain, thin rimmed full moon spectacles, and high hipped denim shorts. The video is a magical ode to the quiet escapism headphones offer.
Read more“The Life And Death Of Scenery” available now here.
Read moreDa Wednesday Underground Flava – Underground & Old School Tunes Non-Stop Host: DJ P.R. Today’s show includes a shit load of brand new bangers from the likes of L’Orange x Mr. Lif, Stik Figa, J. Cole, Quelle Chris, Smoke DZA x Pete Rock, Hus Kingpin, Ab-Soul, LOX and RTJ. Press play and enjoy! Record Of The Day: J. Cole – False Prophets Playlist L’Orange & Mr. Lif – There’s An Art To Sleeping Stik Figa – The Ends & Outs J. Cole – Everbody Dies **Record Of The Day** J. Cole – False Prophets Quelle Chris – Buddies Gensu Dean feat. Rashid Hadee – Let The Smoke Blow Smoke DZA & Pete Rock feat. Rick Ross – Black Superhero Car Hus Kingpin – Gun Runner The LOX – What Else You Need To Know Ab-Soul – Threatening Nature Run The Jewels – Legend Has It Nino Bless feat. Vee Tha Rula & Jack Juan – Rebirth The LOX – Don’t You Cry The Roots feat. Common & Ingrid Michaelson – Who Tells Your Story Dave East – Stretched Out (Statik Selektah Remix) Vince Staples – Vicodin (Statik Selektah Remix) Mickey Factz & Nottz – I’m Good A Tribe Called Quest feat. Busta Rhymes – The Donald Download here (right click and save as…)
Read moreHere’s a bonus cut from “The Life & Death of Scenery”, which was released October 14. Grab it here. The Life & Death of Scenery by L'Orange & Mr. Lif
Read moreOff of “The Life And Death Of Scenery”, available here.
Read moreDa Wednesday Underground Flava – Underground & Old School Tunes Non-Stop Host: DJ P.R. Heavy hit after heavy hit! Press play and enjoy. Record Of The Day: The Game – I Grew Up On Wu-Tang Playlist NxWorries (Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge) – Get Bigger/Do U Luv The Game – The Juice The Game – The Soundtrack Dr. Dre feat. Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar, Marsha Ambrosius & Candice Pillay – Genocide Cold 187um feat. Ice Cube & The D.O.C. – Legacy Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad feat. Method Man – Bulletproof Love Banks & Steelz feat. Method Man & Masta Killa – Point Of View Wu-Tang Clan feat. Kool G Rap – Rivers Of Blood **Record Of The Day** The Game – I Grew Up On Wu-Tang Wu-Tang Clan – C.R.E.A.M. De La Soul – Royalty Capes Mr. Lif & L’Orange – 5 Lies About The World Outside Earl Sweatshirt – Balance Dag Savage feat. ADAD & CashUs King – All My People Isaiah Rashad – Brenda Download here (right click and save as…)
Read moreGeorge Orwell once prophesized, “if you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face – forever.” The latest EP from L’Orange & Mr. Lif, The Life and Death of Scenery, conceives a chimerical “lighthearted dystopia” just far enough from modernity to breathe easily, but close enough to make you consider relocating to that cave in the forest. In this collaboration with the eccentric North Carolina producer, L’Orange, Lif imagines an adjacent future called the “last society,” where culture has been obliterated and physical survival has taken precedence over art. Released through a partnership between Adult Swim and Mello Music Group, the duo’s latest opus opens with one of four addresses from “The Narrator” (played by The Daily Show’s Wyatt Cenac). These Big Brother missives capture a world where the, “books are all burned, the vinyl has been melted, and the remaining art catapulted over the city walls.” The mere act of whistling is cause for the guillotine. It’s the rap analogue to Fahrenheit 451, 1984, or a Brave New World, where the Soma is uncomfortably soothing and the sunshine eerily abundant. The former Def Jux legend inhabits on the role of The Scribe, frantically showing the post-apocalyptic survivors the power of what’s been lost. It attacks those who value disposable art over the timeless; it articulates the necessity of preserving culture; it lampoons the absurdity of attempting to destroy one of the most immutable qualities in mankind. In L’Orange’s words, the collaboration is “a
Read moreOff of L’Orange and Mr. Lif’s forthcoming album, “The Life & Death of Scenery”. The project will be out on October 7th for free via Adult Swim and an extended version on October 14th on Mello Music Group.
Read moreThe first single from L’Orange & Mr. Lif’s upcoming project, “The Life & Death of Scenery,” featuring Akrobatik & Gonjasufi. The album will be out on October 7th for free on Adult Swim (AdultSwim.com) and an extended version on October 14th on Mello Music Group.
Read more“A macabre and psychadelic love story shot by Jon Webb. Backed by Selina Carrera’s powerful vocals on the chorus, Lif spits dense tongue twisters like “The goal is to search deeper grow smarter and think harder/Plus avoidance of the grim reaper/you don’t need to be a martyr.”
Read moreFrom Mr. Lif’s upcoming “Don’t Look Down” project, dropping April 15th. Pre-order here.
Read moreBrought my portable lab over to Del’s crib to capture this madness. Wore my engineering cap & wielded my poetic license simultaneously to harness the chemistry of what has now become a long friendship between Del & I. Our goal was to bring you the uncompromised raw. – Mr. Lif
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