Mr. Lif’s Emergency Rations EP is post-9/11 hip hop at its most daring
This article revisits Mr. Lif’s 2002 EP 'Emergency Rations,' framing it as a prescient work of political hip-hop. The author argues that the album's dystopian themes and critiques of government overreach resonate more strongly in the current political climate than upon its initial release.
There was a period in the early aughts when Definitive Jux (nee: Def Jux) seemed like it was going to be the future of hip hop. While the label featured plenty of experimental, boundary-pushing, and politically minded acts, Lif stood out as the most “conscious rapper” in the traditional sense. It was clear though, that label head El-P envisioned that as an important part of Def Jux’s identity, as the first record it put out was 2000’s Enter the Colossus EP, from Lif.
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