I Phantom
Mr. Lif
2002
I Phantom is a hip-hop concept album that’s an exploration of the dynamics of everyday life, and the pursuit of our dreams, in a rapidly decaying society. It starts by talking about the life of an everyday worker, reflecting on friendship and family in modern society. Then the narrative zooms out to tackle the underlying political theme, climaxing in a nuclear war.
I Phantom starts with the main character (who is unnamed) in the midst of a dream state in which he envisions everything from his own death to the summit of his prowess (Bad Card, A Glimpse At the Struggle, Return of the B-Boy). Mr. Lif dreams of dying in a failed liquor store robbery before being returned to life in the next track.
His dream is rudely interrupted by his alarm clock, and sadly, it’s back to the real world. The next series of songs embody many of the struggles of day-to-day living. Some of the struggles Mr. Lif touches upon are getting jerked at your job, hoping to fit in the social scene, attempting to maintain family life, etc. Success details the vicious cycle of the working class through a story about a man who lost his family because he was too busy trying to provide for it.
The last 6 songs are dedicated to providing a vivid display of how the social ills of the American society fuel a decay, which affects all of our lives to a great extent. This is achieved by providing a scope in which we see the effects of these ills on everything from family structure (Success and Now) to life as a whole on planet Earth (Earthcrusher and Post Mortem). The album was mostly produced by El-P.
Stand-Out Tracks
Success feat. Aesop Rock
Life From the Plantation
Post Mortem feat. El-P, Jean Grae, Akrobatik
