Almost ten years since his first appearance on the Rebel Alliance EP, Mr. Lif is just beginning to become a household name with the cool crowd. Although Mo’ Mega marks his second full-length solo release for Definitive Jux, it’s actually his fifth release for the label, also clocking two EP’s (Enters The Colossus and Emergency Rations) and a collaborative album, as The Perceptionists, with Akrobatik and DJ Fakts-One. While his full-length debut, I Phantom, showcased Lif with a variety of producers behind him, Mo’ Mega takes a more linear approach, with backbone producer El-P producing much of the effort. 

    Given the schizophrenic nature of his now classic debut, at first Mo’ Mega may seem a bit redundant, due to the fact that El has produced much of this effort. But like most projects the producer is involved with, after consecutive listens, you realize where he is going with his beats, the brilliance of his production becomes evident. If Dilla is a “drum god”, then by all means, El is the most evil drum Satanist. 

    The album begins with “Collapse”, the perfect reintroduction to the duo, as Lif delivers a lyrical nervous breakdown, struggling between career and family, while El provides a heavy, building backdrop that animates what Lif is saying perfectly. This seamlessly leads into “Ultra-Mega”, a virtual competition for the spotlight between the two, where Lif delivers a barrage of sociopolitical and economic commentary, while El goes nutzoid on the drum machine, employing kicks and snares of all kinds. This follows right into “Brothaz”, as the two come off like a millennial Public Enemy, lambasting the U.S. Government for Iraq, Katrina, and Rwanda, over a busy Bomb Squad-esque beat. This leads into the two-part “The Fries”, a disturbingly humorous portrait of the McDonaldsization of American society: “a new disease you caught at Mickey D’s / in your Quarter Pounder with Cheese / order with ease / super size please / can you believe? / people even survived through the drive-thru?” “Take, Hold, Fire” follows, finding Lif, Aesop Rock, and El each spitting a verse built around each word of the song title. 

    The second act of the album travels in a slightly different direction yet doesn’t miss a beat. Guest producer Edan steps in on “Murs Is My Manager”, providing a funky backdrop for this hilarious mic session between Mr. Lif and Murray. “Washitup” follows, finding Lif reaching back into his Caribbean roots, delivering a self-produced dancehall track about the fundamentals of good hygiene, once again tapping into his humorous side.  

    The last act of the album gets more personal, beginning with “The Come Up”, an excellent posse cut with fellow emcees Akrobatik and Blueprint, where each of them tell a tale of an aspiring emcee (which may or may not be autobiographical). Things get more personal on “Lookin’ In”, where Lif pens verses to his estranged father, but Lif makes good on his dad’s mistakes with the closer, “For You”, a thoughtful dedication to his daughter.

     While I Phantom might be a better album than Mo’ Mega, this record should not be taken for granted. People will probably not be able to grasp the sheer magnitude of what El is doing here with his production, and the same can be said for Lif’s rhymes, to some extent. Regardless, Mo’ Mega presents a refreshing brand of smart, inspiring, and well-produced hip-hop in an age when everything else has to be dumbed-down for mass consumption.