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Monday, May 21, 2007
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Local'Binary' eclipse

Companion stars eventually align.
810 S State Street 222-4822 - 1906 Packard 995-9940 + bibburritocorn
To play: Complete the grid so that every row, column
and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.
There is no guessing or math involved,
just use logic to solve. Good Luck and enjoy!

By TED CULLINANE
Daily Arts Writer
One of the more attractive
aspects of Michigan's burgeoning
hip-hop scene is the diversity of its
artists. It's not
uncommon to Binary Star
hear the politi-
cally charged PrevieW
rhymes of an
artist such May25
as Invincible $10 and $13/18+
alongside the doorsopen at
hardcore flows 9:30 pm
of Guilty Simp-
son or Phac Atthe Blind fig
Kat.
Within this spectrum of vary-
ing styles, the members of Binary
Star have established themselves
as the preeminent purveyors of
traditional boom bap. The duo's
well-crafted beats and tightly
delivered rhymes cut to the
essence of the best underground
hip hop.
Despite ending their recording
partnership years ago, the mem-

bers of Binary Star still periodi-
cally reunite on stage. Saturday's
show at the Blind Pig celebrates
One Be Lo and Senim Silla's latest
solo releases - R.E.B.JR.T.H. and
The Name The Motto The Outcome.
The two Pontiac natives initial-
ly received national attention with
Masters of the Universe (2000),
Binary Star's debut album. One
Be Lo's precise couplet on "Real-
ity Check" is a summation of the
group's ethos: "Honestly my num-
ber one policy is quality / Never
sell my soul is my philosophy."
While Lo and Silla's debut
gained critical acclaim, their col-
laborative success was short-lived.
Citing creative differences, the
duo split immediately after the,
release of Masters of the Universe.
One Be Lo has since released a
string of acronym-titled albums
and mixtapes, most notably 2005's
S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.
With R.E.B.IR.T.H. (Real
Emcees Bringing Intelligent
Rhymes to Hip Hop), Lo continues
to update Binary's distinctive mix

of astute wordplay and socially
conscious subject matter. Tracks
such as "Gray" illustrate his lyrical
dexterity: "Family on the light side
don't accept the dark side / Sorta
like apartheid passin' each other
by/ Like the Pharcyde."
While Lo has relentlessly
toured in promotion of his solo
material, Silla has maintained a
relatively low profile. His first solo
album, The Name The Motto The
Outcome, is a reflection of seven
years of musical growth. Silla pro-
vides a refreshing backdrop for his
animated rhymes and meticulous
flow with melodic choruses, live
instrumentation and a rock and
reggae influenced production,
With both Silla and One Be Lo
finding success in their respective
solo careers, Saturday's reunion
show promises to be a festive
atmosphere. For those tired of
watching amateur underground
acts struggle to rock a crowd, Lo
and Silla's commanding rhymes
and veteran stage presence will be
a welcome change.

MORE ONLINE REVIEWS AND PREVIEWS SOPRANOS UPDATE
Michigan Daily Arts Page Daily Arts Blog
at michigandaily.com (michigandaI.com) (michiaandoilv.com/thefilter)

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