Binary Star - Masters Of The Universe (2000)

Binary Star - Masters Of The Universe (2000)

Sincerity can be faked, so when I try to think of a word to describe what sets One Be Lo (aka One Man Army) apart from a lot of other rappers -- conscious rappers, more specifically -- I try to avoid slapping the "sincere" label on him. Even if the use of the word is fitting, it still doesn't seem to do justice to the man's talent, which is on display here as one half of the duo Binary Star.

The lyrics on Masters Of The Universe take the standard conscious rap route of comparing their skills to other rappers who are staples of mainstream hip hip. You will probably lose count of how many times the term "wack emcee's" is used. Coming from anyone else, this talk would become tiring, but this is where that whole aforementioned sincerity thing comes into play. The most scathing attack in this vein is found on the standout track "Honest Expression", during which Lo and his partner Senim Silla, in just five minutes, sum up every feeling that I've had about hip hop for the past decade. They vent their frustrations on the cheapening of the music as a whole, it's journey from an expression of the harsh realities of street life to digestible pop hits glorifying said street life, and the rappers who sell themselves out to get a piece of the mainstream success that rap is enjoying as of late. This is still sadly relevant even today. It's hard not to feel their pain on how rap has fallen (yet simultaneously risen), but like most artists that touch on this subject, they're only preaching to the choir.

Fortunately though, Binary Star offers up some variety in the form of story raps. "Wolf Man Jack" is especially well done. It tells the story of a half man, half wolf......named Jack....*cough*. Three neighborhood kids decide to play a joke on a man who claims to have seen Wolf Man Jack, which of course yields disastrous results. Another excellent song, "Glen Close", tells the story of a crazy ex-girlfriend who sabotages Lo's new relationship. These songs and others, if nothing else, take the subject matter off the state of rap music long enough for it to not get annoying and repetitive.

While I wouldn't go as far as calling Masters Of The Universe, as the sticker on the album claims, "a hip hop classic", it is a damn solid album with few, if any, faults, featuring one of the most consistent and (dare I say it) underrated talents the genre has to offer in One Be Lo.


Score: 8.5/10


"Reality Check"


"Wolf Man Jack"