Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

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OneBeLo coming to Der Rathskellar

Continuing the exploding trend of underground hip-hop in the Midwest, OneBeLo, half of premier underground hip-hop duo Binary Star, will be performing at Der Rathskellar in the Memorial Union on Friday, March 3.

With their tight hooks and smooth flow, Binary Star was among the leaders of an underground hip-hop scene which took off in the late 1990's: a scene that included acts like Blackstar, (Mos Def, Talib Kweli, DJ Hi-Tek) Blackalicious and Dilated Peoples. Since the 2001 release of their seminal album Masters of the Universe, which sold over 20,000 copies, the members of Binary Star have gone their separate ways. Citing creative differences, OneBeLo (formerly known as OneManArmy) and Senim Silla parted ways but remain on good terms while each pursues a solo career.

Born Nahshid Sulaiman in Pontiac, MI, OneBeLo was raised on old school rap legends such as KRS-One and Ice Cube. There is a noticeable similarity between OneBeLo's raps and the style of the old school greats, especially the celebration of a different set of values. The political subject matter and nimble, clearly expressed flow not only represent the current underground hip-hop scene, but also are a welcome throwback to the glory days of hip-hop.

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The mission of the record label he founded in January 2000, Subterraneous Records, is dedicated to a return to the origins or hip-hop. As OneBeLo notes on his web site: "the 'true' essence of hip-hop has been corrupted by greedy capitalists, who only view hip-hop as a business venture. In most cases, these capitalists could care less about the essence, the atmosphere, the culture, let alone the youth, unless it is profitable."

Therefore, his music advocates a return to "the original 'theme,'" which was "'positivity' … its goal, to create a more positive atmosphere for the youth, get the kids out of the gangs and off the street."

Although idealistic, OneBeLo is nothing if not a realist. He doesn't hesitate to explore in depth subjects that many rappers simply skim over. Where some rappers talk about life on the streets as if they condone the drugs and violence inherent in inner city life, OneBeLo gets straight to the core of the problem with "Ghetto," one of the best and most powerful tracks on his most recent album, S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M, which was first released in February 2005.

Line by line, he breaks down a sad day in the life of the hood rapping, Junior high-schoolers who don't say no to drugs: "Now you can get shot every day it's a struggle to be alive … ghettos is filled with blacks, crack, smack, roaches and rats / thugs totin' they gats … that girl over there don't even bother with her / she's a hood rat, gold digger, never had a father figure / her older brother was a big time drug dealer, when he was young his role model was a drug dealer … he took a bullet in head now he's in a coma … the sad part about it ain't the money or the dope / the trigger man wasn't even old enough to vote."

One would be hard-pressed to find lyrics rawer than these.

The leader of the Michigan underground scene, OneBeLo has spent years bringing the Midwest sound to a national audience. Not only is he the official host of Brainstorm, the annual emcee battle of the year in Seattle, he has performed at such notable festivals as Warped Tour and the Battle of the Year in Germany. He has also shared the stage with such notable artists as Ghostface Killah and underground hip-hop pioneers Jurassic5. With OneBeLo's vision of a united hip-hop community and his skillful ability to keep it real through powerful rhymes, his critical acclaim will continue to grow exponentially in the coming years. His show at Der Rathskellar in the Memorial Union is not one to be missed.

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