Binary Star (band)
Encyclopedia
Binary Star is a hip hop group formed in 1998 that was composed of One Be Lo
and Senim Silla
. One Be Lo
met Senim Silla, and the two formed Binary Star during their time in Hiawatha Correctional Facility. One Be Lo took the time to gather extensive knowledge about the music industry, including copyrights, publishing, and how to successfully start a record company. In his own words, he "learned how to hustle legally".
in Middlebury, Vermont, but they did not record any new material. Although there has inevitably been speculation about a reformation of Binary Star, One Be Lo has stated that this is unlikely. "I seriously doubt it", he said, proceeding to claim, "Artists are real, real picky and real, real closed minded. They can be real, real strongly opinionated. If there ain’t no real chemistry, it ain’t going to work.".
Binary Star's legacy, while minor, is still apparent, as Masters of the Universe and its earlier counterpart Waterworld are still highly regarded by many fans of underground hip hop.
Despite earlier claims, Binary Star's official myspace page states that, "Recently reuniting after a 10-year hiatus, Binary Star is back in the studio working on its long awaited follow-up to the classic debut album Masters Of The Universe (M.O.T.U.). Tentatively titled "Light Years Apart," the duo's EP serves as a mere prequel to a full-length LP."
One Be Lo
Nahshid Sulaiman better known by his stage name One Be Lo is an alternative hip hop artist from Pontiac, Michigan. He is well respected for being one half of the former rap duo Binary Star, and has released a number of well-received solo albums...
and Senim Silla
Senim Silla
Senim Silla is a hip hop soul artist from Pontiac, Michigan, best known for his role in the rap duo Binary Star-Biography:...
. One Be Lo
One Be Lo
Nahshid Sulaiman better known by his stage name One Be Lo is an alternative hip hop artist from Pontiac, Michigan. He is well respected for being one half of the former rap duo Binary Star, and has released a number of well-received solo albums...
met Senim Silla, and the two formed Binary Star during their time in Hiawatha Correctional Facility. One Be Lo took the time to gather extensive knowledge about the music industry, including copyrights, publishing, and how to successfully start a record company. In his own words, he "learned how to hustle legally".
History
Their debut effort, Waterworld was produced on a $500 budget and released in 1999, under the label Terrorist Records. An extensive tour of Michigan followed, as both members of the duo were on parole and were not permitted to leave the state. Binary Star then switched to Subterraneous Records and released Masters of the Universe, named for a track on the album. This album was essentially just a remixed version of Waterworld, but garnered far more attention, as the album sold 20,000 copies. However, the pair were not getting along particularly well, and, citing creative differences, Binary Star was discontinued. They reunited briefly in 2002, doing a concert together at Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
in Middlebury, Vermont, but they did not record any new material. Although there has inevitably been speculation about a reformation of Binary Star, One Be Lo has stated that this is unlikely. "I seriously doubt it", he said, proceeding to claim, "Artists are real, real picky and real, real closed minded. They can be real, real strongly opinionated. If there ain’t no real chemistry, it ain’t going to work.".
Binary Star's legacy, while minor, is still apparent, as Masters of the Universe and its earlier counterpart Waterworld are still highly regarded by many fans of underground hip hop.
Despite earlier claims, Binary Star's official myspace page states that, "Recently reuniting after a 10-year hiatus, Binary Star is back in the studio working on its long awaited follow-up to the classic debut album Masters Of The Universe (M.O.T.U.). Tentatively titled "Light Years Apart," the duo's EP serves as a mere prequel to a full-length LP."
Discography
- Waterworld (1999, Terrorist Records)
- Masters of the Universe (2000, Subterraneous Records)
One Be Lo
- WaterWorld Too (2001, Subterraneous Records)
- Project: F.E.T.U.S.Project F.E.T.U.S.Project: F.E.T.U.S. is an album by rapper One Be Lo that was first released in 2002. Over half the album was recorded before the release of the Binary Star album Masters of the Universe in 2000...
(2002, Subterraneous Records) - S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. is a 2005 album from alternative hip hop artist One Be Lo. According to the "Scoreboard" page on the Babygrande Records website, the album had sold over 13,000 copies by the end of 2005....
(2005, Fat Beats/ Subterraneous Records) - The R.E.B.I.R.T.H.The R.E.B.I.R.T.H.The R.E.B.I.R.T.H. is a 2007 album by hip hop artist One Be Lo.The album features production entirely from outside producers . The producers list includes Texture & 14KT , K Krueser, Memo , Jake One, Bean One, Vitamin D, Eric G., and D.L...
(2007, Subterraneous Records) - "L.A.B.O.R." (2011, Subterraneous Records)
External links
- [ Binary Star] at Allmusic
- http://going.com/listeninglounge Binary Star November 20, 2009 San Francisco concert info