Featuring: Akrobatik Brotha PC

Brotha PC: Hey! Hey, Ak!
Akrobatik: Oh, yo, peace Brotha. How you doing?
BPC: Maintainin'
Ak: It's kinda bittersweet to see you this afternoon, man
BPC: Why's that, brother?
Ak: Yo, I — I know you know my man Mr. Lif; I don't — I don't know if you heard this or not but, you know, the brother's missing, man
BPC: Missin'?!? Whatchu talkin' 'bout 'this brother's' — but hold on, now, hold on, yo, but… Yo, you come back when you can be more serious. Please don't joke with me about issues like this here
Ak: Nah— nah— nah, brother, with all due respect, I ain't got no reason to front about something like that. I ain't seen him in like three months, man
BPC: Man, you got to—
Ak: I ain't spoke to him in a minute, no one has
BPC: Man, this is tragic
Ak: I'm just afraid that the brother speakin' up for his people in his music done finally caught up to him, man
BPC: Man, lemme tell you somethin': that brother came to me and played me some of his new jams, and I said "Look, I appreciate what you're doin', those thoughts need to be out there and exposed, but you functionin' in a country where people are…
Ak: Mm-hmm
BPC: …not at all cynical of the actions of they government, A, and B, they ready to believe…
Ak: True
BPC: …everything that they see on the muthafuckin' tube, know what I'm sayin'?"
Ak: No doubt
BPC: Yo, you gotta look at situations like Mumia: the brother spoke out, he's locked down right now. Look at Patrice Lumumba: the CIA went over to the Congo to chop his frame into bits…
Ak: Mm-hmm
BPC: …and then burn 'em in acid so there's no muthafuckin' traces, you see what I'm saying? Look at Malcolm
X, look at Martin Luther King, man. It's a real raw predicament out here
Ak: Right, right
BPC: Man, we got the US droppin' rations off to people that are missin'…
Ak: Yeah
BPC: …because we already killed 'em all! Probably got explosives in the goddamn containers anyway, y'know what I'm sayin'?
Ak: True that!
BPC: Then, right here in our own country where we supposed to have freedom of speech, if you stand up and say something that goes against popular belief? You fucked. You end up missing because they gonna take some sort of action to take your ass out…
Ak: Yeah, I was talkin' — I was talkin' about that the other day
BPC: …y'know what I'm sayin', brother? Man, lemme tell you somethin'. Most people out here is livin' check to check, week to week, strugglin' to keep they head above water. They're too emotionally and physically exhausted to even speak out and try to represent themselves, so they missin' too
Ak: True that
BPC: Man, the situation's frustratin', just makes me wonder who the hell we really are
Ak: I feel you, man, and Lif, like, IS one of those brothers that breaks that, man, but— but, yo, I stopped by his crib, a— and, y'know, Coach Haynes hit me off with a gym bag that had all like the last joints he was doin' before he went and disappeared and all o' that. So, y'know, if you got a minute, I'd love for you to check 'em out. I know, y'know, Lif's— you always thought highly of him and all of that…
BPC: Hey. Hey, brother. Hey, if you got the time I got the time, man
Ak: A'ight. Cool, cool. Yo, he— he was on to something with this stuff. Check it…

Mr. Lif

Mr. Lif (born Jeffrey Haynes, December 11, 1977) is a hip-hop artist from Boston, Massachusetts. Often noted for his political lyrics, he has released two studio albums on El-P’s Definitive Jux label and one on Bloodbot Tactical Enterprises.

Mr. Lif is also a member of the hip hop group The Perceptionists with long-time friends and collaborators Akrobatik and DJ Fakts One.

Mr. Lif grew up in the neighborhood of Brighton in Boston, Massachusetts. After attending the Dedham, MA private school Noble and Greenough School, he went on to attend Colgate University for two years, and he eventually dropped out. He became a performer in 1994. Mr. Lif’s family ancestry is Bajan.