"Oh, I see. So, uh , we all just supposed to start trusting the government again now that we got a friendlier face to it now, huh? All our problems will be solved. Everything's all good, right?"
And thus begins the latest from Boston native Mr. Lif's album I Heard It Today. Lif is an individual with a lot to say; most notably his dislike (and overall distrust) of the government as well as those of a higher social class. A few years back he dropped an excellent album in I Phantom. That album took a playful, yet serious, look at the everyday life of most Americans (ie., the 9-5, family, the 9-5, war, and the 9-5) and it was great. However, the years have passed and Lif spends a majority of his disapproval (and he has a shitload of qualms with a shitload of things) on the economy, the government, and the ever-present gap between social classes.
The start of the album gets right into with the nice little introductory track "Welcome to the World." Over a rugged drumbeat and trippy, psychedelic-like guitar and interspersed cuts he begins his tirade. And things segue nicely into the next track "What About Us?" (which, as you can probably guess, is about the lower class (a previously mentioned favorite topic of Lif's)). However, things hit a complete wall after this track.
Next, we get "Breathe." Guesting on this cut is female rapper Bahamadia. And like most female rappers, she isn't good. At all. And furthermore the track sounds suited for her more so than for Lif. Isn't this HIS album so why does she basically get her own track which happens to feature Mr. Lif? The jazzy Tribe Called Quest-ish beat does not fit Lif's aggressive and gravely voice at all. It is a complete failure. However, things rebound nicely with the next track thanks to fellow Bostonian Edan (who supplied the beat and who, himself, released a nice little album a few years back with Beauty and the Beat).
Following Edan's offering "Collapse the Walls" once again things slow down. After a weak "posse" track featuring a Vinnie Paz (of Jedi Mind Tricks) who during his verse is incapable of delivering back to back lines in the same breath (which is supremely annoying to listen to once you pick up on it) and a few skits and a track about police brutality, Lif gets behind the boards for another passable track ("Hatred").
Luckily the album finishes somewhat strongly with the final four cuts even though one happens to be an ode to da ganja ("Head High"). And with these tracks (excluding "Head High") Lif returns to voicing his personal opinions and beliefs on all the faults of the government and the overall shittiness of America's class system. And they aren't half bad. And not all that great either. The beats just aren't the hard-hitting stuff of Lif's previous efforts and there is an obvious (and soon to be explained) reason for that.
After a few listens I am dissapointed (as I am a fan and have been for awhile now). Mr. Lif seems to have hit a creative lull. His lyrics aren't as thought-provoking as well as somewhat repetitive (theme-wise) and the beats are just not up to par with his previous efforts. And the obvious answer to that is the absence of El-P. El-P had helped significantly on the two prior Mr. Lif releases producing a majority of the tracks, but this time around Mr. Lif has moved away from Def Jux (El-P's label) and, as a result, has parted with El-P's cold, hard-hitting beats( which perfectly complemented Lif's themes and vocal style) and replaced them with what we get here on I Heard It Today. Regardless, Mr. Lif still has the voice and tenacity to be a great lyricist, he just didn't hit the mark in 2009 with this release.
3.0/5.0
Standout tracks: "Welcome to the World", "Head High", "The Sun"
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