One Be Lo: LABOR (Language Arts Based On Reality)

Yesterday Sims announced the lineup for the show he curated during Doomtree Blowout week. On Sunday December 4, he will be performing at 7th St Entry with Brother Ali, Astronautalis, and One Be Lo. This is awesome.

In light of the news, I wanted to share with you One Be Lo's latest album, LABOR. One Be Lo has been laying low lately, as we haven't heard much from the talented Michigan rapper since his 2007 album The REBIRTH. Well, he's back and still in fine form. Check the album out below, and purchase it at his Bandcamp site.

One Be Lo: LABOR (Language Arts Based On Reality)

One Be Lo & Red Pill on F.O.K.U.S. Radio (Video)

Peace to Teddy Ruck-Spin for sending this my way. One Be Lo and Red Pill freestyle over the ubiquitous "I Wanna Rock" instrumental. One Be Lo's B.A.B.Y. (Being A Black Youth) has a tentative release date in late April. Could be a preliminary album of the year contender if the One Man Army stays as consistent and sharp as he usually is.

Ro Spit, T3, Buff 1, One Be Lo, Marv Won, Phatboy Chef, Fat Ray, & Fatt Father: “Detroit Riots" (Prod. Black Milk)

Detroit comes out in full force for this posse cut. Spotted via Michigan Hip-Hop.

Ro Spit, T3, Buff 1, One Be Lo, Marv Won, Phatboy Chef, Fat Ray, & Fatt Father: “Detroit Riots" (Prod. Black Milk)

One Be Lo: "Pigs ft. Mike Posner"

A new joint from one of my favorite emcees in hip-hop today. And it's nails. No surprise there.

In related news, One Be Lo just siged a record deal with Bay Area label MYX Music, and will release his album B.A.B.Y. in February of 2010. Great news there.

One Be Lo: "Pigs ft. Mike Posner"

Grynch: "Chemistry ft. One Be Lo"

I'm not familiar with Grynch, but I definitely know who One Be Lo is. Well, Grynch has an EP coming out on July 7, and this is track off the project. Shouts to 2DopeBoyz.

Grynch: "Chemistry ft. One Be Lo"

One Be Lo: In The Studio w/ The North Starz

Ketchums over at Speech Is My Hammer, a real dope blog featuring mainly Michigan hip-hop, posted this video of One Be Lo working in the studio with a production team from Michigan, The North Starz. These guys' beats are pretty crazy, and One Be Lo spits some insane verses. They are working on a mixtape presently, and Kethums also reported that he's heard a little bit of One Be Lo's upcoming album, B.A.B.Y. (Being A Black Youth). One Be Lo is a favorite rapper of mine, so I'm eagerly awaiting anything he's working on.

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