Eventually, Binary Star disbanded due to creative differences. OneManArmy changed his name to One.Be.Lo and focused on his solo career. Unfortunately, One.Be.Lo became involved in illegal activity, which resulted in him having to do a bid in prison. While incarcerated, he did the time and did not let the time do him. After converting to the Muslim religion, One.Be.Lo grew to be more focused and determined than ever before. Once released, he helped Subterraneous Records grow. Along with Trackezoids, One.Be.Lo released his unofficial solo project “F.E.T.U.S.”, which was to prepare fans for his release “L.I.F.E.”. Before we could experience “L.I.F.E.”, One.Be.Lo released his official solo album “S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.” (an acronym for “Sounds Of Nashid Originate Good Rhymes And Music”). Released by Subterraneous Records and Fat Beats, “S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.” is rich in themes, concepts, and lyrics. One.Be.Lo rides the beats from Trackezoids and rocks mics with Abdus Salaam, KaDi, Decompoze and Magestik Legend. From the opening track “Underground”, there is an instant emotional and rhythmical takeover of the listener’s body and mind. “Propaganda” discusses hype and the machine behind the hype as One.Be.Lo mentions the Internet, magazines, and many more. A truly heartfelt performance is evident on “Oggie”, a song about a lost person.

On a cold, winter evening in 2005, I had an insightful conversation with the emcee. As “S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.” represents a stage during pregnancy, One.Be.Lo has finally been born. The birth of One.Be.Lo is a soulful and intelligent gift to hip-hop. The next generation of lyrical emcees has been born.

MVRemix: What goes on?

ONE.BE.LO: Man, I’m just trying to get the word out there. I want to let cats know what’s going on and what we are bringing to the table.

MVRemix: Your debut solo album is called ‘S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.’ Tell us about it.

ONE.BE.LO: Yeah, ‘S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.’ is basically a formal introduction of One.Be.Lo to the listener. I was apart of other projects in the past, but I didn’t feel that I truly introduced myself as an artist with those projects. On those projects, I don’t think the listener walked away knowing who I truly was. ‘S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.’ shows the listener who I am, what I bring to the table, and what I am like as an artist. Now, they can hear my style and delivery. The album is a good representation of me.

MVRemix: What was the transition like from being OneManArmy in Binary Star to going solo and becoming One.Be.Lo?

ONE.BE.LO: I think the transition was freedom. It’s funny because many people do not know that the same people who put that other album together are still here. Other than the other emcee spitting the verses, I’m still making music the way I make music. The only difference is the label on the CD. It just has a different name on it.

MVRemix: Will there be another Binary Star album?

ONE.BE.LO: We tried to link up and do it, but I seriously doubt it. I think we just got to that fork in the road 4 years ago and I felt that it would not work. A couple of years past, I was like ‘Let’s see if we can make this work because people love this sh*t’.’ At that point, we were just way past that fork in the road. He was on that side and I was on this side. We were just on different sh*t. Whatever that means. You can listen to his music and enjoy it. You can listen to my music and enjoy it. That doesn’t mean we can work together. Artists are real, real picky and real, real closed minded. They can be real, real strongly opinionated. If there ain’t no real chemistry, it ain’t going to work.

MVRemix: Do you have a favorite song on ‘S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.’?

ONE.BE.LO: I don’t really make songs. I make albums. You know? When I start recording, I record a whole project. It varies from time to time and what mood I’m in. I only listen to a certain number of albums. I’m not the kind of person who goes straight to track 13. I put the sh*t in, start at track one, and I listen to it. If I can’t make a record like that, I won’t do it. Obviously, the tracks have to stand on their own. I don’t really have a favorite. It kind of depends on what mood I’m in and where I am at. If I had to choose, the track that best represents me is ‘Rocketship.’ That is just some emcee sh*t. The beat is tight. I’m just doing some One.Be.Lo sh*t on there. That’s one of the best representation of some emcee sh*t.

MVRemix: Can you explain the title ‘S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.’?

ONE.BE.LO: ‘S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.’ is an acronym. It is kind of secondary to what it means. The acronym stands for ‘Sounds Of Nashid Originate Good Rhymes And Music’. It is basically saying what you will get from me. Dope rhymes and dope beats. Good music. It is not good in the sense that you think ‘He’s talented’. It is more like ‘That was refreshing’. They walk away with something that can stir some thoughts and bob their head to. I want cats to see who I truly am as I person and as an artist. It’s like an actual sonogram.

MVRemix: Can you explain the ‘F.E.T.U.S.’ project?

ONE.BE.LO: I’m all about concepts. It all kind of happened accidentally. I wanted to make that music that was for everybody. There was a time when you listened to ‘Children’s Story’ by Slick Rick and anybody who listened to hip-hop, loved that sh*t. There wasn’t a West Coast thing or a down South thing. It was hip-hop. Lo is for everybody. That is the kind of music I make. I was working on this project called ‘L.I.F.E.’ and I had these tracks laying around. ‘L.I.F.E.’ was so dope to me. I wanted to show people my development. I pressed up 1,000 copies just for the cats in my website. I called it ‘F.E.T.U.S.’ because it showed my developmental stages leading up to ‘L.I.F.E.’ It was all an accident. I pressed it up, didn’t promote it, and didn’t tell anybody it was coming. I sold the first 1,000 in a week. It wasn’t supposed to be an album. I just put it out for the people asking me to put something out. It was just for those cats. The acronym stands for ‘For Everybody To UnderStand’. So, if you ain’t feeling it, it ain’t for you. Basically, I’m saying that it is only getting bigger. All of this is preparing everybody for ‘L.I.F.E.’. I would like believe that some time down the road, someone would want to get the whole collection. That’s the kind of hip-hop I grew up with.

MVRemix: What is this mix-tape you are coming out with?

ONE.BE.LO: I have a mix-tape coming out called ‘S.T.I.L.L.B.O.R.N.’. That sh*t is crazy.”

MVRemix: What CDs or LPs have you been listening to recently?

ONE.BE.LO: I’m on tour right now. The only thing that I would play in its entirety is something like Ice Cube’s ‘Amerikkka’s Most Wanted’. Ice Cube’s ‘Death Certificate’. Tribe Called Quest’s ‘Midnight Marauders’. Wu-Tang Clan’s ’36 Chambers’. ‘Mecca And The Soul Brother’ by Pete Rock & CL Smooth. There are also some things that I consider classics that some may not. Organized Konfusion’s ‘Stress’ is like my favorite album of all time. Common’s ‘Resurrection’. I like the kind of sh*t that provokes me to be creative and do something different. Those cats make me come up with new concepts. Those cats would make me think. Nowadays, everything is on the table. What you hear is what you get. I’m trying to make a record that after 75 listens, you still get something new.

MVRemix: How did you hook up with Fat Beats?

ONE.BE.LO: If I wasn’t a Muslim, I would say it was all luck. For years, they were talking about doing a 12-inch with me. When ‘S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.’ was being made, I got a call from them about them wanting to put out a 12-inch. I sent them another package. Instead of just a 12-inch, I sent them the whole album, which I just mixed. They called me back and told me that they wanted to do the whole album. The president of the company and whole staff was excited about it. It wasn’t my intention. We started building and here we are.

MVRemix: You did a couple of years in prison. What was that all about? What were you charged with?

ONE.BE.LO: That’s my personal life, man. I can’t get into that. The only reason that I would share it would be to kick it with someone who has to excel after prison. I have to let cats know that I got in trouble and used that time to better myself. I got into things that I should not have gotten into. I became a Muslim. I learned a lot about myself and the people around me. I came home focused. Ever since then, I have been elevating.