One Be Lo facts for kids

Nahshid Sulaiman (born Ralond Scruggs; November 7, 1976), known as One Be Lo, is a talented alternative hip hop artist. He comes from Pontiac, Michigan. He is well-known as one half of the rap group Binary Star. One Be Lo has released many popular solo albums. He is also a member of Massive Monkees, a world-champion B-boy crew.

One Be Lo's Life Story

One Be Lo was adopted in Pontiac, Michigan. His mother worked as a beautician. His stepfather worked at a factory. When he was 14, his parents divorced. As a teenager, he faced some challenges. During this time, he read a lot and became a Muslim. He met Senim Silla and they formed the rap group Binary Star.

One Be Lo's Music Career

Starting with Binary Star

After his release, One Be Lo formed the hip-hop group Binary Star in 1998 with Senim Silla. They quickly became popular. Their first album, Waterworld, was released by themselves. They worked with artists like Elzhi and J.U.I.C.E. The album was praised for its creative ideas and important messages.

One Be Lo also formed a production team with Decompoze. They had recorded music together in high school. Waterworld quickly sold all 1,000 copies. People called it an "instant classic." One Be Lo wanted to rap anonymously at first. But because of a line in a song, people often called him OneManArmy.

In 2000, One Be Lo added more verses from Senim Silla and new songs to a re-release of Waterworld. This new version was called Masters of the Universe. He then focused on touring and recording new music. Later, he and Senim Silla decided to go their separate ways. One Be Lo said it was because they had different creative ideas.

In 2011, Binary Star announced they were reuniting after 10 years. They planned to release new music. They released an EP in 2013. It was called Binary Star (15 Year Anniversary Edition).

One Be Lo's Solo Journey

In January 2000, One Be Lo started his own record label, Subterraneous Records. A year later, the label released WaterWorld Too. This album featured many artists from his label. Meanwhile, he kept working on his own music with producer Decompoze.

In late 2002, One Be Lo decided to release a limited number of copies of Project F.E.T.U.S.. The title is a special acronym for "For Everybody That Under Stands." These songs were not originally planned for release.

S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. and S.T.I.L.L.B.O.R.N. (2005)

Project F.E.T.U.S. became very successful. After that, he finished his next album, S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.. This title means "Sounds Of Nahshid Originate Good Rhymes And Music." He asked Fat Beats Records to release a single from the album. But they offered him a different deal.

They liked the whole album. So, One Be Lo signed with Fat Beats for distribution in 2003. The label asked him to change his name from OneManArmy. This was to avoid problems with a punk band with a similar name. He changed his name to OneBeLo. He had already used this name with F.E.T.U.S..

One Be Lo later traveled to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for Hajj. This is an Islamic tradition to find one's self. Fat Beats released S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. in 2005. The album featured other Michigan rappers like Abdus Salaam. It also included singer Ka Di. The album was highly praised by critics. It sold about 12,000 copies in its first few weeks. Many people admired One Be Lo for his thoughtful and smart lyrics.

With two successful projects, One Be Lo went on many tours and played at major festivals. He performed about 160 shows each year between 2005 and 2007.

The R.E.B.I.R.T.H. (2007)

One Be Lo moved his family to Egypt. He wanted them to experience a different culture. When he returned years later, he left his deal with Fat Beats. He then released The R.E.B.I.R.T.H. by himself. This title means "Real Emcees Bring Intelligent Rhymes To Hip-Hop." This album was very meaningful to him. He recorded it after a difficult personal loss.

One Be Lo worked with many beatmakers for this album. These included Lab Techs, Jake One, and Memo. Instead of recording many songs and picking the best, he focused on one project. This project was called B.A.B.Y..

B.A.B.Y. (2008)

Much of the music for B.A.B.Y. was lost. Thieves broke into his studio and stole equipment. Also, the record label he signed with, MYX, closed down. This happened before the album could be released.

L.A.B.O.R. (2011)

L.A.B.O.R. stands for "Language Arts Based On Reality." This album uses ideas from animals and different jobs. Most of the music was produced by D Will, 14KT, Nick Speed, and Vitamin D. L.A.B.O.R. also features musicians from One Be Lo's hometown. These include David "DMT" Vied on guitar and Derek "The Tyrant" Caraway on keyboard. Emily Rogers from Detroit played bass.

The NEWPRINT (2015)

On July 19, 2015, One Be Lo announced that he signed with a new record label group called "The NEWPRINT."

One Be Lo's Rap Style

One Be Lo is known as "the MC's MC." People often praise him for how clearly he raps. They also like his precise style and meaningful lyrics. Fans of alternative hip hop especially appreciate his work. Allmusic, a music website, described his style in their review of S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.:

One Be Lo is a deep thinker. The detailed and complex words in his rhymes often need to be heard many times to be fully understood. His words can be very thoughtful. But he always delivers them in a casual way. It's like he's talking to a friend at a bus stop. He shares his wisdom. He brings up many issues and offers solutions. He never sounds like he is lecturing.

One Be Lo's Music Albums

Binary Star Albums

• Waterworld – 1999
• Masters of the Universe – 2000
• Binary Star EP (15 Year Anniversary Edition) – 2013
• Masters of the Universe (MOTU) (re-release) – 2016
• Water World 3 – 2017
• LIGHTY – 2018
• EARS APART – 2018

Solo Albums

• WaterWorld Too – 2001
• Project: F.E.T.U.S. – 2002
• S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. – 2005
• S.T.I.L.L.B.O.R.N. – 2005 (with DJ Scene)
• Project F.E.T.U.S. (2CD Re-Issue) – 2007
• The R.E.B.I.R.T.H. – 2007
• L.A.B.O.R. – 2011
• K.I.C.K. P.U.S.H. – 2012
• C-S.E.C.T.I.O.N. – 2020
• B.A.B.Y. – 2020

Official Mixtapes

• S.T.I.L.L.B.O.R.N. – 2005
• Laborhood Part 1 – 2011
• Laborhood Part 2 – 2011
• Laborhood Part 3 – 2012
• Laborhood Part 4 – 2015
• 10 G.R.A.Ms – 2015
• The Original Born Ones – 2016
• Laborhood Part 5 – 2017