Midwest Broadcast's Slept On Albums, Vol. 2

A while back, I made my first posting of an album that I believe slipped through the radar, but is far too dope to deserve to go unnoticed. Volume 1 featured Brother Ali's Off the Record, and the posting can be seeing by following this link. Volume 2 returns now with another criminally slept on album, One Be Lo's The R.E.B.I.R.T.H.

You may (or may not) remember One Be Lo from the group Binary Star, who released another relatively slept on, yet underground classic, Masters of the Universe (I sense a pattern here). Well, that group broke up, and One Be Lo dropped some heat with a couple of solo albums. But it was 2007'sThe R.E.B.I.R.T.H. that really raised the bar. The album is an acronym for "Real Emcees Bring Intelligent Rhymes To Hip-Hop," and One Be Lo does just that. The opening track, "Rebirth," features a steady barrage of hip-hop quotables, over a thumping sample-based beat. One Be Lo is a versatile lyricist who skillfully covers a wide variety of topics on his album. "Born & Raised" pays homage to his home town of Pontiac, Michigan. "Don't Sleep" is an absolute heater, featuring battle raps from One Be Lo and some fresh horns on the beat. And "House Rules" honestly might be the best rap about a dice game since Big L (RIP). As a whole, the album holds up cohesively, making for a very complete listen from start to finish. This album is definitely worth your money - and I'd assume you could find a used copy online for relatively cheap. But, if you're broke ass is too stingy to cop The R.E.B.I.R.T.H., then I'm sure you could find a downloadable copy online, I just won't link to you it. Either way, this album is terrific and should definitely be an addition to the collection.

One Be Lo: The R.E.B.I.R.T.H. at Amazon