The norm in hip-hop is jewelry, cars, clothes, and money. I don’t see that changing at all in the foreseeable future but at least there are people like Mr. Lif in the game who can stray from the usual topics and introduce listeners to things they may have never even though of. We are living in unique times and every man, woman, and child should be educated on what’s going on in the world.

Mr. Lif may not sell ten million copies but I guarantee he will spark a few people to do some great things. With his new project, I Heard It Today coming out soon you can get ready for some real hip-hop and an education at the same time. Sixshot.com caught up with Lif to discuss Barack Obama, the Bush administration, and his new project, I Heard It Today. 

Sixshot.Com: Alright man, you’re from Massachusetts. I feel like there’s so much happening there in terms of hip-hop but the rest of use never really get to see it. What is the scene really like?

Mr. Lif: Well here’s the thing dog, in 2001 I moved to California. I lived in the Bay from 2001-2004 and I came back and have been in Philadelphia since. The time I’ve spent there has been very, very limited. I could tell you what is was like from 1995-1999 but as far as current stuff I don’t even think I could tell you. Shit, I really couldn’t even tell you much about the scene in Philly because I’ve really been on some hermit shit. I’ve got some really ambitious new projects that I’m putting together. I’ve really just been focused on what I’m trying to get accomplished and I haven’t really been out there trying to do shows and all that. I do shows as few and far apart as possible because I’d rather just spend the time in the lab at this point so as far as knowing what’s going on in hip-hop anywhere this is probably the worst time to ask me. (Laughs)

Sixshot.Com: So what are these projects that you’re working on?

Mr. Lif: Right now I’m actually working on this political project called I Heard It Today. It’s basically a series of songs and we’re trying to leak one song every two weeks on the internet. The songs are going to discuss some of the stuff we all face in America today. A lot of the songs are really documenting the feel of these extremely unique times we’re going through. We have a Black man on the presidential ballot for the first time in history. Not only is he on the ballot and I don’t want to say that he’s heavily favored but the media has definitely rushed to the aid of Barack Obama.Within the last month alone he’s been on the cover of almost every magazine.

It’s to the point where McCain is complaining on television that he’s not getting as much attention as Obama. Not only that but we’re also still in the midst of the housing crisis. There’s just so much going on right now. There are questions about the economy. Tons of questions loom. To an extent the idea of the American dream has been shattered because home ownership is a big part of that and it’s not as possible as it once was. The series covers a lot from the Bush administration from the Towers to the housing. It kind of covers all of that.

Sixshot.Com: That sounds great man. Are you an Obama supporter?

Mr. Lif: Yeah I definitely am. With Bush in office it was kind of like the “fuck you era”. The government had an agenda that didn’t really coincide at all with the needs of the every day person. It didn’t take into account the opinions of the people. The war was started and despite the protest it was just kind of a diluted explanation and then there was the shift to Iraq. I really don’t know man. This presidency started with us getting hit in New York City and losing 3,000 of our own people. Its ending with us getting hit in our houses and losing our houses. It’s to the point where the middle class who have finally reached the American dream losing their home as well as losing any favorable credit rating they may have had.

These people have to battle back and I’m sure paying a home mortgage hits you way harder than paying some credit card bills. A default on a mortgage is the one thing you don’t ever want to have on your credit rating. There’s a lot of adversity that people are facing right now. I think this gives the government a great opportunity to start a new slave class. You’re taking people who were close to people being the middle class to now being, I don’t even know. You’re taking people who had a decent credit rating who are now just looking for a place to rent because they can’t own a home anymore.

Sixshot.Com: A lot of hip-hop heads are supporting Obama and that’s the first time this has ever happened. Is it going to bring different people out to vote? Will more people vote? What do you think?

Mr. Lif: I think it will definitely bring new people to vote. Obama’s presence in this race really calls for everyone to come out and vote. People are up in arms and they’re ready to step up and vote somebody into office that they can truly identify with. They want to give him the best possible shot of getting into office. I think people are starting to feel like it’s their duty to finally get out there and vote this time. You have a 71-year-old white male who fits the bill of what the base of this country has always been. Retirement age is 65 so putting this guy into office doesn’t exactly make you feel like you’re going to have the sleek, cutting edge of government.

Obama is a much younger man who has brown skin and kind of embodies the whole theme of America. There’s this huge, diverse group of people who have come here to lay roots in this country and I think they can relate to Obama. I think people do see him as the future and as an accurate representation of where this country has gone and also of where it could go and should go. Change is something that people are generally afraid of but I think that things have gotten so bad that people are willing to take the risk at this point. These are unique times and it’s important that hip-hop has strong documentation of this time because it would be a shame to not have as much as possible be said during this time.

Sixshot.Com: Do you feel like rapper who has 10 and 20 or more million listeners should take a political stance in their music?

Mr. Lif: I think that to each is own. It’s something that has to genuine. You can’t just take someone who totally doesn’t give a fuck about what’s going on in the world and force them to be political. We don’t want people to do it because it’s what’s poppin’ at the time. If rappers went back to being political right now and their were rappers who were on some thug shit trying to be more political I would accept that because I feel a lot of shit is getting pumped out to our youth today. It’s tough to say that people should say more. It would be nice if there were a resurgence of consciousness in music.

I think Nas just did his part with his new album. He spoke his mind and addressed a lot of important issues. It’s tough to say that cats should because it’s based on upbringing and a lot of different factors. There are cats who just want to make the music that will make them some money so they could avoid poverty so it’s a tough call man. I will say that with the advances in production where the sounds are slick and danceable and it’s universal and the hooks are amazing to go along with the beat I don’t see why you can’t write verses with a little bit of substance and still have people shaking their asses on the dance floor. I don’t think the excessive materialism needs to be so prevalent right now when people are just trying to survive.

Sixshot.Com: Do you ever feel like the political messages go over people’s heads?

Mr. Lif: Yeah of course. There have even been times where I have completely turned my nose up at politics. I didn’t even want to deal with it.  There were times when I didn’t watch the news because it’s just depressing man. There was definitely a point where I felt beaten into submission. Watching the administrations run away with the future and do whatever they wanted without really giving a fuck about the people kind of took a lot out of me. Nas even said, “If I sound too smart I’ll scare ya’ll away”. He’s right because no matter how smart you are you have to walk that thin line to make sure that you’re still relatable. I was actually dating a girl who was getting her PhD and her average level of conversation was over most people’s heads. It kept me sharp which was great but I always thought one of her biggest weaknesses was not being able to relate.

Sixshot.Com: So we should be checking for  I Heard It Today?

Mr. Lif: Absolutely, I’m gonna keep it that. I want the focus to be I Heard It Today.