Phantom

Mr. Lif brought hip-hop back in 2002. In an era wracked by warfare and rising economic inequality, the Boston MC helped restore a feeling that had drowned in the mainstream. The album - currently being re-issued by Mello Music Group - was called I Phantom. The message spoke to us all. Inspired by eloquent and irate predecessors like Public Enemy and KRS-One, the rapper born Jeffrey Haynes created arguably the most scathing indictment of life in the Bush era. Originally released on the seminal indie rap imprint Def Jux, Lif's debut LP was instantly hailed as a classic.