Phi Life Cypher
Encyclopedia
Phi Life Cypher is a British hip hop
group based in Luton
, comprising two MCs, Si Phili
and Life MC
, and DJ Nappa. The trio started making music together around 1996, and since have had much success on the UK underground circuit. Phi-Life Cypher made it to the final of Tim Westwood
's Talent 2000 competition and ripping the mic on DJ Skitz's seminal posse cut 'Fingerprints of the Gods' projected them to the upper realms of the UK Hip Hop scene.
Phi Life Cypher released "Clint Eastwood
" the track on the Gorillaz
' G-Sides
, a compilation of the B-sides from the first three singles was released in Japan and quickly followed with international releases in early 2002. The new year also saw a performance at the 2002 Brit Awards, featuring the band in 3D animation, weaving in and out of each other on four large screens along with rap accompaniment by Phi Life Cypher.
The group has toured with and appeared on tracks by Gorillaz
and DJ Vadim
.
British hip hop
British hip hop is a genre of music, and a culture that covers a variety of styles of hip hop music made in the United Kingdom. It is generally classified as one of a number of styles of urban music...
group based in Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
, comprising two MCs, Si Phili
Si Phili
Si Phili is a rapper from Luton, England. Known for being a solo artists as well as part of the group Phi Life Cypher.-Career breakthrough:...
and Life MC
Life (rapper)
Life MC is part of the trio, Phi Life Cypher , a Luton-based British Hip Hop group. He has also released four solo albums to date with DJ Nappa...
, and DJ Nappa. The trio started making music together around 1996, and since have had much success on the UK underground circuit. Phi-Life Cypher made it to the final of Tim Westwood
Tim Westwood
Timothy Westwood is an English DJ and presenter of radio and television. He also presents the UK version of the MTV show Pimp My Ride...
's Talent 2000 competition and ripping the mic on DJ Skitz's seminal posse cut 'Fingerprints of the Gods' projected them to the upper realms of the UK Hip Hop scene.
Phi Life Cypher released "Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood (song)
"Clint Eastwood" is a song by Gorillaz. It was released as the first single from their debut album in March 2001. It peaked at #4 in the UK and #57 in the US on 11 September 2001. The single has sold 480,000 copies in the UK according to the Official UK Charts Company. The song is a mix of...
" the track on the Gorillaz
Gorillaz
Gorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...
' G-Sides
G-Sides
G Sides is a B-sides collection by Gorillaz, featuring the additional tracks from their first three singles and the Tomorrow Comes Today EP. The compilation was originally released only in Japan in December 2001. The US edition, with a slightly different track listing, followed in February 2002...
, a compilation of the B-sides from the first three singles was released in Japan and quickly followed with international releases in early 2002. The new year also saw a performance at the 2002 Brit Awards, featuring the band in 3D animation, weaving in and out of each other on four large screens along with rap accompaniment by Phi Life Cypher.
The group has toured with and appeared on tracks by Gorillaz
Gorillaz
Gorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...
and DJ Vadim
DJ Vadim
DJ Vadim is a prolific DJ and producer, born in Leningrad, USSR , raised in London and currently residing in both New York and Berlin, whose music combines hip hop, soul, reggae and electronica...
.
Albums
- Millennium MetaphorsMillennium MetaphorsMillennium Metaphors is the first album from Luton based hip hop group Phi Life Cypher. It is notable for its highly political lyrics and has been likened to early work by Public Enemy.-Track listing:#"Intro" - 1:05#"ABC" - 5:25...
(2000, Jazz Fudge) - The Instrumentals (2000, Jazz Fudge)
- Higher ForcesHigher ForcesHigher Forces is the second album from Luton based hip hop group Phi Life Cypher.-Track listing:# "Higher Forces" # "Seek & Destroy" # "Overemix" # "Rap It Up" # "Real Raw" # "The Desert" # "War"...
(2003) - PlaybackPlayback (Phi Life Cypher album)Playback is the second album from Luton based hip hop group Phi Life Cypher. It contains classic tracks from other albums but is mostly new material.-Tracklisting:# Worldwide 4.09...
(2006)
EPs and singles
- "Baddest Man" (1998, white labelWhite labelWhite label records are vinyl records with adhesive plain white labels affixed. Test pressings, usually with Test Pressing written on the label, with catalogue number, artist and recording time or date, are produced in small quantities to evaluate the quality of the disc production...
) - "Earth Rulers" (2000, Jazz Fudge)
- "Herbaholics" (2001, Jazz Fudge)
- The Chosen Few EP (with Task ForceTask Force (band)Task Force are a British hip hop group from Highbury in London, England. The group is led primarily by two brothers Chester P and Farma G...
) (2002, Jazz Fudge) - "Over" (2003, Zebra Traffic)
- "Rap It Up" (2004, Zebra Traffic)
- "Playback" (2006)
Guest appearances
- GorillazGorillazGorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...
— "Clint EastwoodClint Eastwood (song)"Clint Eastwood" is a song by Gorillaz. It was released as the first single from their debut album in March 2001. It peaked at #4 in the UK and #57 in the US on 11 September 2001. The single has sold 480,000 copies in the UK according to the Official UK Charts Company. The song is a mix of...
" (Phi Life Cypher version), "The Sounder" (edit), "Starshine (Alternate version)" - The HerbaliserThe HerbaliserThe Herbaliser is a jazz rap band formed by Jake Wherry and Ollie Teeba London, England during the early 1990s. Although currently signed to !K7 Records, they were one of the best-known acts from the Ninja Tune independent record label...
— "Distinguished Jamaican English" (The Herbaliser remix) - SkitzDJ SkitzDJ Skitz or Skitz is a British DJ and music producer. He was born in 1970 in Cambridgeshire and started DJing in 1991. He has compiled a number of British Hip Hop compilations and other Hip Hop compilations. Along with Rodney P he produced the first track to ever be played on BBC Radio 1Xtra in...
— "Fingerprints of the Gods", "Cordless Mics at 20 Paces" - Mark B. & BladeBlade (rapper)Blade is a British rapper, born in the Armenian quarter of Iran and came to London when he was 7. His first single, Lyrical Maniac recorded in 1989, soon brought Blade to prominence in the fledgling British hip hop scene....
— "Ya Don't See the Signs" (Phi Life Cypher remix) - DJ VadimDJ VadimDJ Vadim is a prolific DJ and producer, born in Leningrad, USSR , raised in London and currently residing in both New York and Berlin, whose music combines hip hop, soul, reggae and electronica...
— "Ghetto Rebels"