story by Noah Levine
photo by Maya Hayuk

On their undeniably potent debut album Black Dialogue, The Perceptionists make a number of bold statements. But this is not unexpected coming from three Boston-based hip hop artists who won underground acclaim for their politically-charged solo work. Black Dialogue's surprises come when the group shows off a playful, old-school sound with lyrics covering personal and emotional topics rarely heard in hip hop.

"I'm on the road so much, why would I want to make a boring plodding record that you can't dance to?" asked Mr. Lif, who teams up with longtime friends Akrobatik and DJ Fakts One to make up The Perceptionists. Lif said he and his partners are out to make music with a lasting impact. They took their time putting the record together, waiting until they really had something to say with solid beats to spit over.

MR. LIF'S INNER VIEW "Everyone wanted us to be the next Dead Prez or Public Enemy, but we're not gonna do that. We're not saints and I don't want to be put in the saint box."

To them, the message and the beats are equally important, even though Lif knows making "music that provides a little brain food instead of rotting your mind" can be an impediment to commercial success these days. "When I tell people I'm a hip hop artist, I always have to explain that I'm not like the people you see on TV," Lif said. "The Source ain't trying to put Mr. Lif, Akrobatik and Fakts One up on there."

The Perceptionists all grew up listening to the hip hop of the late '80s and early '90s, when groups like Public Enemy and Boogie Down Productions scored hits with tracks that delivered poignant messages. They want no part of the glorified gangster culture that's ruled the commercial side of hip hop since The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac took over.

"The people that I worry about are the youth who never lived through the time when Public Enemy or Run DMC was on the radio," Lif said. "I'm trying to emulate my idols and my idols made some really good music. I say things that I feel are important and I'm just expressing myself. If there's one thing that stays true, it's that the hard workers rise up. It's always about maintaining a certain standard of quality. If you're not gonna do that, you might as well throw in the towel."

One listen to Black Dialogue is proof that The Perceptionists aren't going to be doing that for a long time. The group deals with serious topics including social apathy, black culture's vast influence, and on the strident "Memorial Day," they brazenly ask, "Where are the weapons of mass destruction?" while rhyming from the perspective of a disillusioned U.S. soldier. But some of the album's best moments come on tracks showcasing the group's less dissident side. "Love Letters" is a series of verses about wooing a new crush and "5 O'Clock" finds the MCs musing about rushing home from work to dedicate whatever time is left to doing what you love. Lif said the group was excited to take their music to new levels and showcase new sides of their personalities.

"Everyone wanted us to be the next Dead Prez or Public Enemy, but we're not gonna do that," he said. "We're not saints and I don't want to be put in the saint box. It was just time for us to be who we are on the record. Me Akro and Fakts, when we're together, we laugh more than anyone on the planet."

This spirit comes through clearly on "Career Finders" - a hilarious collaboration with Shock G (in his Humpty Hump persona) - where G, Lif and Akro take turns helping out sub-par MCs by finding them jobs more suited to their talents. Lif said that working with Shock taught him how a music career is propelled by love, passion and hard work. The Perceptionists display an abundance of those qualities in their music, their attitude, and in the way they perceive life.

The Perceptionists :: Empty Bottle :: April 23.