Mr. Lif's 2002 'Emergency Rations' EP Revisited as Bold Post-9/11 Hip Hop

Mr. Lif's Emergency Rations EP, released in 2002 on Definitive Jux, is being revisited as a standout work of politically conscious hip hop from the early 2000s. The EP served as a precursor to his full-length album I, Phantom, released just months later. Lif was considered the most traditionally 'conscious' rapper on Definitive Jux, a label known for experimental and politically minded artists. Label founder El-P positioned socially aware rap as a core part of the imprint's identity, with Lif's debut EP Enter the Colossus being the first release on the label in 2000. Emergency Rations is now recognized as one of the more daring hip hop releases to emerge in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.