Search - Binary Star :: Masters of the Universe

Among the greatest in the underground

Alan Pounds | Minneapolis, MN | 07/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Binary Star is an underground duo from Pontiac, Michigan. These two emcees (Senim Silla and OneManArmy [aka OneBeLo]) recorded their debut entitled "Water World" in 1999 on $500 budget, released on their own label, Terrorist Records. They only pressed 1,000 copies of the record. So you would have been pretty lucky to get a hold of one. The original mixes and songs on "Water World" were later re-mixed and rearranged for this album, "Masters Of The Universe". Senim Silla and four others were charged with murder in January of 2005. All were acquitted except for Silla, who escaped from police custody during transport from jail to court. He is still a fugitive on the loose to this day. Needless to say, OneManArmy and Senim Silla no longer record or play shows as Binary Star (since 2000). Well, lucky for us, these two emcees managed to make one of the greatest hip-hop records ever recorded.



Another one of my favorite hip-hop records, OneBeLo's (aka OneManArmy's) "S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M." was the reason for my purchase. Binary Star, like OneBeLo's record, focuses on lyrics for the most part. They have a message to all of the P.Diddy's and Chingy's out there. They don't brag about their cars, money, clothes or any other mundane material items; and they make it a point to let you know this. Their lyrics are simply unmatched by any underground hip-hop artist/group. In fact, of all the underground hip-hop I've heard, this one is truly unique. Their flows (even those brought forth by Decompoze) are impenetrable. They come up with what seems like the best written rhymes that you can think of. But in all actuality, almost all of these verses were dropped and recorded in one take (which makes it more amazing). Although I've never heard "Water World", I would say the production on the album is pretty dope, and original. It's no El-Producto, but it showcases their wicked flows and rhymes nicely.



"Masters Of The Universe" was released on Subterraneous Records (OneBeLo's label) in 2000, and includes appearances by Decompoze, DJ Phrikshun, DJ Upperkut, Elzhi, J.U.ICE, AML, O Type Star, Lacks, Ki and Brenda Jae. You may be confused if you own this album by looking at the track listing above (I know I am). My album has a much different track listing (and 24 tracks, as opposed to 17). From the first cut, "Reality Check", they let you know what time it is with some lyrics like this (from Silla) - "I ain't all about economy / so the fact that all these wack emcees is making G's don't bother me". This album will have that head nodding from the start. The second cut, "Conquistadors", is one of my favorites. OneManArmy shines here with some lyrics like this one - "Nobody's next to grab it / I got lyrics to Go-Go like Inspector Gadget / In a bad habit fiending for the potency / I'm the Narcotics Anonymous Dope Emcee". Here's another one from "Slang Blade" - "Senim's of the size of the kill with a slang blade / Some call it a kaiser / Equalizer blows your brains, expose your wiser". "Fellowship" is my current favorite, that features the extraordinary talent of Decompoze (who is just as talented as the company he shares). Aside from his mad lyrical precision, "Fellowship" also has one of the dopest beats on the record, with a sample that sounds like it could be from the old Batman TV show theme, and a driving funked up bass line. Another one of my favorites (also featuring Decompoze) is "Indy 500". This one has a clear message - "We need to try to keep this music to ourselves / We sellin' out this art for some money / to some guy who don't care nothin' about this music / We gotta keep it to ourselves.. tryin' to win the Indy 500". The chorus is even better for all you underground hip-hop heads - "All we need is beats, and rhymes and go and spark it / As long as we got the Underground, yo, we got a market / I don't need an agent to tell me how to run it / Cause my goal's to win the Indy 500". The album is just filled with intelligent lyrics that are simply astonishing. If you're into the underground, you probably complain that mainstream rappers rap about gold, bit**es, Bentley's, clothes, and other lame material possessions. Peep this lyric from "Binary Shuffle" - "Do you wanna hear a song about the money we got? (Oh No!) / Talk about the people we shot? (Oh No!) / Brag about the clothes that we wear? (Oh No!) / Do you think what we sayin' is fair? (Oh Yeah!)".



As if I haven't praised this album enough, I will tell you that I've listened to this album at least 15 times since I got it less than a week ago, and I'm already ranking it in my top 10 best rap albums I've ever heard (which is a lot). These guys got it all; intelligent lyrics, intoxicating flows, and dope beats. I'm sure you've heard that about plenty of rap albums, but this one is on a higher level. You have to hear it yourself to witness the magic, because my brain and fingers are hurting from typing this long a$$ review."

Binary STARS.

Darryn | Salisbury, England. | 04/01/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Looking at the tracklisting for the CD you'd think with 17 tracks plus bonus cuts that this disc would contain some good cuts, but will suffer from the 'filler effect'. Lets start there, 17 tracks, NO filler. None. Each track is unique in it's own right, the only MINOR flaw being that a quite few of the tracks contain piano loops, but man I haven't heard piano loops this good since '36 Chambers' or any Premier joint, they're varied enough to keep you interested, slow rocking mellowed out tunes like 'Glen Close' to up-tempo boom-bap all out classics such as the insanely dope 'Reality Check'. Like true 'Binary Stars', the MC's fit SO well together throughtout the whole album with their styles intertwining perfectly, each MC's flow is class, believe me. As with most Hip-Hop records these days, at least one cut has gotta include a full story, and Binary Star don't let you down with 'Wolf Man Jack', a tale about strange goings on and severed heads, this isn't up in the dizzy heights of Slcik Rick, Guru or even Big L, but the it's the atmosphere Binary Star create in the song which really draws you in, the haunting loop and sound effects help create this. Some of the tracks include some sick noise samples, think of somethin' like 'Never Again' by Remedee on 'The Swarm', I like the ones used on 'KGB' most, each MC throws lyrical barrage after barrage over the stripped down beat and minimilistic sound effects. The album reminds me a little of '36 Chambers' a little also because of the amount of movie samples used, a few of the songs open with some kind of statement from some old movie, but this gives you a little break between tracks, before Binary Star get ready to rip your earphones up once again, cos' you just KNOW they will.
My personal favourite though is 'Honest Expression', aimed at commercial and money hungry rappers, sell outs, fake-thugs whatever, the track is TOTALLY ill, I nearly pulled a muscle cos' I was noddin' my head so much, the lyrics, flow, beat, everything about the whole song is just so stupidly ill, pure class.
Don't listen to the people who gave this one star or whatever, listen to the ones who give it 4 or 5 stars cos' they damn well earned it.
Why is it that 90% of Hip-hop duets with STAR/R in their name ALWAYS turn out to be dope? We have Black Star, Gang Starr, and now Binary Star, all with one thing in common, they all shine bright."

Pure, classic, creative hip-hop

Darryn | 12/04/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Perhaps one of the most promising debuts since "Illmatic," "Masters of the Universe" inrtoduces the world to Binary Star, the flagship group released on Subteranneous records. Throughout the album, Senim Silla and the One Man Army brandish their lyrical dexterity over some of the finest beats produced in recent years. Stand out songs include "The KGB," which features help from some of Detroit's finest emcees, as well as the Chicago battle champ Juice. Also shining on "The KGB" is Elzhi, another up and coming emcee from Detroit. But, on this album, it is the Binary Stars who truly shine bright, even brighter than most of their major label counter parts. Including underground Classics like "Glen Close," "Slang Blade," and "Honest Expression," this album is a must have to any die hard hip-hop fan. From front to back, "Masters of the Universe" never fails to disappoint. Each verse seems to get better than the next, One Man Army's verse from "Reality Check" is still one of my favorite of all time. And, as Juice so perfectly states on "The KGB," "The only person who could kick a doper line would be God.""