It doesn't get much more real in hip hop than Binary Star. This group comprised of One Be Lo aka One Man Army – Zak, holla – and Senim Silla came out with only one legit studio release. Why is that? Senim Silla was indicted for murder. The two even formed the rap group while in prison on charges of armed robbery. Senim Silla for the most part has faded into obscurity since this great duo album, but One Be Lo has continued on to have a pretty successful underground career. With rhymes as demonstrated on this track, it's a wonder he hasn't gained more notoriety.
The start of the track opens up with a sample introduction and some off-key piano with an edgy sound. Then as the piano fades, the beat comes in heavy with some higher pitched melodies. OneBeLo raps first, and spits a verse of straight lyricism. He lets the listener know that he knows the duo isn't a super pop group, and that he's completely comfortable with that. "Maybe you should grab a telescope to see my view just like astronomy/it ain't all about economy/ so the fact that all these wack emcees is makin G's don't bother me". He then goes on to give a great verse laced with tight similes and creative and funny wordplay. "Better believe this, most rappers can't achieve this/I'm bad to the bone but X-Rays can't even see this". One word describes this verse better than any other: smooth. Everything about it ties very well with the rest of the verse.
A multi is when there is more than one word that rhymes per line of beat, and Senim Silla exercises them to perfection is his verse. More often than not, artists that try to utilize this technique get the meaning of the song lost in the intricate web of multis they are trying to say in a song. While this doesn't quite exactly happen in this verse, Senim's flow lulls the listener into the zone where you are listening to the music and somewhat paying attention, but at the same time it sounds good enough with just the combination of the beat and the sound of his voice that it isn't important. If you do focus enough to make out the lyrics, they do not disappoint. "Mastermind crafty rhymes, I'll rip from drafty lines/ that chill spines like the Alpines, runnin up on Senim's nasty nines/ a close encounter of the worst kind".
This entire album is worth a listen. This group doesn't play around when it comes to making good music.
-JR
No comments:
Post a Comment