critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 81, based on 12 reviews. Moira McCormick of the Chicago Tribune called it "a heady, lyrically dazzling, unsparing" hip hop concept album told "with humor, heart and a sorcerer's way with words", while Blender deemed the record's funk-influenced beats "innovative" and Lif's rhymes "engaging ... [He] brilliantly avoids the pitfalls of vacuous bling-drones and 'real hip-hop' whiners alike." In The A.V. Club, Nathan Rabin called it "really audacious and ambitious", writing that it mixes El-P's "icy B-boy futurism with Lif's nasal-everyman flow, to powerful effect." Village Voice critic Robert Christgau said I Phantom showed an ambitious concept, specific insight into life working and raising a family, and a critique comparable to Boots Riley. He said the "musically pleasurable" album "fleshes out its cohesive narrative and cogent ideas with beats that respect the spare antipop ethos without abjuring such wayward rhythm elements as femme chorus, bass-drum-whoop jam, and $20 synth loop". For the annual Pazz & Jop critics poll, Christgau voted I Phantom as the 15th best album of 2002. Kludge ranked it at number seven on the magazine's list of the year's 100 best records. Track listing Personnel Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. Aesop Rock – vocals Akrobatik – vocals Keith Atkins – engineering, mixing Edan – production El-P – engineering, executive producer, mixing, production, vocals Fakts One – mixing, production, vocals Ray Boy Fernandes – engineer, mixing, vocals Jean Grae – vocals Insight – featured artist, production Dan Ezra Lang – art direction, design Emily Lazar – mastering Mr. Lif – primary artist Nasa – engineering, mixing, production, vocals Amaechi Uzoigwe – vocals Vast Aire – vocals Charts See also Political hip hop References Further reading External links Mr. Lif official website Definitive Jux official website 2002 debut albums Mr. Lif albums Definitive Jux albums Concept albums Albums produced by El-P