Before Enter the Colossus, Emergency Rations, or his first full length album I Phantom, Boston emcee Mr. Lif was just a hungry talent who devoured beats in an attempt to make a name for himself. Over the next few years with his distinct nasal flow, Lif has drawn a tremendous following. A following consisting of those who appreciate an emcee who has a retro style without trying to be that throwback emcee. So to reward those who recognize the value of an entity such as Mr. Lif, the now Def Jukkie has opened up his vaults of vinyl only and never released  material for consumption with the release of the archived Sleepyheads.  

     Lif’s legacy begins back in 95, when he was considered a “battle emcee” so it’s only right that Sleepyheads jumps off with the joint that made heads turn “Madness In A Cup”. Lif also serves up another hot joint that unfortunately didn’t make the final cut of the Emergency Rations EP, the neck snapping “Day of Power”, as Lif displays his more political side within the walls of the reggae tinged production. Sleepyheads presents both sides of the emcee, from the battle loaded joints “Target: Gristle” and “Be Out”  to the more conscious efforts such as “Because they Made It That Way” which is incredibly dope and thought provoking: “The only place I can find justice is deep inside of these lines/That I designed to explain situations of the times/People in general are targets of big money markets/And are all disposable unless you come ready to work/Fully posable with suit and tie/Ready to buy into the bullshit images/ Of people claiming that money is what there religion is/ Filthy females that are visionless/ And foes that are precision less/ Let me be your mind’s eye and vision this.) Both sides of Lif are effortlessly executed with the greatest of ease showcasing Lif’s staggering abilities.”
  
    But the bona fide gem on this collection of unreleased and rarely heard material is the now classic “Farm Hand”. Produced by Lif himself, the track embodies a country twang with an undeniable head nodding resonance. Teetering back and forth from the battle emcee to the more politically charged persona, Lif simply kills the track which alone is worth the price of acquisition as his well-defined defined flow sounds off “You step to the stage Cause you think that you’re fresh/ But I’ll burn off your flesh Like David Coresh/ Skin sizzlin’, now your frame is a scab/ Let’s play a fucking game of virtual stab…” and flips it around to his more political side on the second verse “Funny how a politician runs and shits his suit/ That he bought with money from selling guns to loot/ perhaps Came from makin’ more pollutes your lungs and gave ya a glance of cancer, add a 21 salute/ You were just another recruit that got shitted on in life’s crap chute/ The government gave you the boot But now I’m in cahoots with alternative routes.” The perfect example of what the Lif is all about.

     Mr. Lif fans can rejoice for the simple fact that Lif has provided an album chock full of his earlier work. Spanning from 1995 all the way to 2002, fans are granted the opportunity to witness Mr. Lif grow as an artist. What also is a souvenir is contained in the linear notes which, though brief, explain what each song means to Lif and grants the listener a pass into
the mind of the B-Boy. All supporters of Mr. Lif now have something else to add to their collection and with the release of Sleepyheads, Lif comes full circle making available a musical timeline of where he came from and potentially what to hope for in the future.