http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.66625&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rssRappers are supposed to play their positions. If they're mainstream, they rap about money, girls and rims over club productions, while the so-called underground gets away with the occasional political diatribe over a lo-fi beat. But Lifesavas' members, Vursatyl and Jumbo, aim for something different. Their lyrics are sharp, witty and €”positive without being sappy, and their concepts are fully fleshed out. On "Hellohihey," the leadoff single from their 2003 debut, Vurs is approached by a series of fictional emcees whose egos are bigger than their talent. He initially shrugs them off, but soon the critique turns inward as the rapper explores his own slippery path to self-absorption. This intertwining of Vurs' honest self-reflection with Jumbo's stuttering, chunky funk production drew critical praise and helped the group secure a cult following. Their 2007 sophomore album, <i>Gutterfly</i>, found the group going in a far different direction. For that record, Lifesavas paid homage to Blacksploitation of the '70s with a set of characters in a fictional Portland full of murderers, pimps and pushers. Surprisingly, the album was more playfully respectful than it was morally heavy-handed. - Sam ChennaultWest Coast Indieen720Sat, 26 Dec 2009 17:57:49 -0800 http://static.realone.com/rotw/images/logo_rhapsody_113x22.gif http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.66625&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss Rappers are supposed to play their positions. If they're mainstream, they rap about money, girls and rims over club productions, while the so-called underground gets away with the occasional political diatribe over a lo-fi beat. But Lifesavas' members, Vursatyl and Jumbo, aim for something different. Their lyrics are sharp, witty and €”positive without being sappy, and their concepts are fully fleshed out. On "Hellohihey," the leadoff single from their 2003 debut, Vurs is approached by a series of fictional emcees whose egos are bigger than their talent. He initially shrugs them off, but soon the critique turns inward as the rapper explores his own slippery path to self-absorption. This intertwining of Vurs' honest self-reflection with Jumbo's stuttering, chunky funk production drew critical praise and helped the group secure a cult following. Their 2007 sophomore album, <i>Gutterfly</i>, found the group going in a far different direction. For that record, Lifesavas paid homage to Blacksploitation of the '70s with a set of characters in a fictional Portland full of murderers, pimps and pushers. Surprisingly, the album was more playfully respectful than it was morally heavy-handed. - Sam Chennault http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.5198172&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Wed, 1 Jan 2003 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 5198172 tra.5198172 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Spirit in Stone alb.5197634 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/2/2/0/9/969022_170x170.jpg 2003-01-01 00:00:00.0 2003-01-01 00:00:00.0 true What If It's True tra.5198172 218000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.5198172&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.5198172&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.5198173&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Wed, 1 Jan 2003 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 5198173 tra.5198173 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Spirit in Stone alb.5197634 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/2/2/0/9/969022_170x170.jpg 2003-01-01 00:00:00.0 2003-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Livin' Time/Life: Movement 1 + Livin' Lude tra.5198173 279000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.5198173&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.5198173&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.13839255&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Tue, 17 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 13839255 tra.13839255 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Gutterfly alb.13831361 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/7/3/3/4/994337_170x170.jpg 2007-04-24 00:00:00.0 2007-04-17 00:00:00.0 true Gutterfly tra.13839255 264000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.13839255&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.13839255&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.13839256&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Tue, 17 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 13839256 tra.13839256 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Gutterfly alb.13831361 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/7/3/3/4/994337_170x170.jpg 2007-04-24 00:00:00.0 2007-04-17 00:00:00.0 true No Surprise + Scene 1 - Fly Paper tra.13839256 241000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.13839256&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.13839256&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.13839257&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Tue, 17 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 13839257 tra.13839257 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Gutterfly alb.13831361 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/7/3/3/4/994337_170x170.jpg 2007-04-24 00:00:00.0 2007-04-17 00:00:00.0 true Shine Language tra.13839257 239000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.13839257&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.13839257&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.5198179&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Wed, 1 Jan 2003 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 5198179 tra.5198179 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Spirit in Stone alb.5197634 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/2/2/0/9/969022_170x170.jpg 2003-01-01 00:00:00.0 2003-01-01 00:00:00.0 true State of the World/Apocalypse/War tra.5198179 159000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.5198179&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.5198179&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10810472&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Tue, 24 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 10810472 tra.10810472 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Fever / Selector 12" alb.10789146 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/2/3/0/1/861032_170x170.jpg 2003-06-24 00:00:00.0 2003-06-24 00:00:00.0 true Selector (Main Mix) tra.10810472 244000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10810472&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10810472&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.5198183&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Wed, 1 Jan 2003 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 5198183 tra.5198183 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Spirit in Stone alb.5197634 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/2/2/0/9/969022_170x170.jpg 2003-01-01 00:00:00.0 2003-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Emerge tra.5198183 401000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.5198183&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.5198183&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.5198184&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Wed, 1 Jan 2003 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 5198184 tra.5198184 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Spirit in Stone alb.5197634 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/2/2/0/9/969022_170x170.jpg 2003-01-01 00:00:00.0 2003-01-01 00:00:00.0 true Me tra.5198184 325000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.5198184&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.5198184&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803388&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Thu, 12 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 10803388 tra.10803388 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Spirit In Stone - Instrumentals alb.10788498 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/4/8/3/0/860384_170x170.jpg 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 true Hello Hi Hey tra.10803388 354000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803388&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803388&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.5198181&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Wed, 1 Jan 2003 00:00:00 -0800 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 5198181 tra.5198181 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Spirit in Stone alb.5197634 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/2/2/0/9/969022_170x170.jpg 2003-01-01 00:00:00.0 2003-01-01 00:00:00.0 true 5th Horseman tra.5198181 352000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.5198181&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.5198181&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803383&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Thu, 12 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 10803383 tra.10803383 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Spirit In Stone - Instrumentals alb.10788498 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/4/8/3/0/860384_170x170.jpg 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 true Soldierfield tra.10803383 106000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803383&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803383&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803384&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Thu, 12 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 10803384 tra.10803384 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Spirit In Stone - Instrumentals alb.10788498 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/4/8/3/0/860384_170x170.jpg 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 true It's Over tra.10803384 191000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803384&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803384&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803385&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Thu, 12 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 10803385 tra.10803385 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Spirit In Stone - Instrumentals alb.10788498 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/4/8/3/0/860384_170x170.jpg 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 true What If It's True tra.10803385 234000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803385&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803385&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803386&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Thu, 12 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 10803386 tra.10803386 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Spirit In Stone - Instrumentals alb.10788498 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/4/8/3/0/860384_170x170.jpg 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 true Livin' Time / Life: Movement 1 tra.10803386 247000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803386&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803386&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803387&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Thu, 12 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 10803387 tra.10803387 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Spirit In Stone - Instrumentals alb.10788498 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/4/8/3/0/860384_170x170.jpg 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 true Fever tra.10803387 284000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803387&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803387&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803389&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Thu, 12 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 10803389 tra.10803389 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Spirit In Stone - Instrumentals alb.10788498 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/4/8/3/0/860384_170x170.jpg 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 true Head Exercise tra.10803389 228000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803389&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803389&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803390&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Thu, 12 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 10803390 tra.10803390 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Spirit In Stone - Instrumentals alb.10788498 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/4/8/3/0/860384_170x170.jpg 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 true Selector tra.10803390 230000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803390&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803390&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803391&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Thu, 12 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 10803391 tra.10803391 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Spirit In Stone - Instrumentals alb.10788498 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/4/8/3/0/860384_170x170.jpg 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 true Fa Show tra.10803391 252000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803391&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803391&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803392&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Thu, 12 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 10803392 tra.10803392 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Spirit In Stone - Instrumentals alb.10788498 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/4/8/3/0/860384_170x170.jpg 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 true Resist tra.10803392 214000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803392&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803392&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803393&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Thu, 12 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 10803393 tra.10803393 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Spirit In Stone - Instrumentals alb.10788498 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/4/8/3/0/860384_170x170.jpg 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 true 5th Horseman tra.10803393 352000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803393&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803393&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803394&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Thu, 12 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 10803394 tra.10803394 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Spirit In Stone - Instrumentals alb.10788498 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/4/8/3/0/860384_170x170.jpg 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 true Skeletons tra.10803394 156000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803394&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803394&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803395&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Thu, 12 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 10803395 tra.10803395 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Spirit In Stone - Instrumentals alb.10788498 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/4/8/3/0/860384_170x170.jpg 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 true Emerge tra.10803395 380000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803395&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803395&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803396&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Thu, 12 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 10803396 tra.10803396 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Spirit In Stone - Instrumentals alb.10788498 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/4/8/3/0/860384_170x170.jpg 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 2003-06-12 00:00:00.0 true Me tra.10803396 243000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803396&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10803396&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10810470&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss West Coast Indie Tue, 24 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0700 Top Tracks by Lifesavas on Rhapsody Online 10810470 tra.10810470 Lifesavas art.66625 0.99 Fever / Selector 12" alb.10789146 http://image.listen.com/img/170x170/2/3/0/1/861032_170x170.jpg 2003-06-24 00:00:00.0 2003-06-24 00:00:00.0 true Fever (Main Mix) tra.10810470 319000 http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10810470&variant=play&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.10810470&variant=data&rws=%2Flifesavas%2Ftop-tracks.rss