Nahshid Sulaiman (born Ralond Scruggs; November 7, 1976), better known by his stage name One Be Lo, is an alternative hip hop artist from Pontiac, Michigan.
[citation needed] Upon Lo's release, in 1998 he formed the hip-hop group Binary Star with Senim Silla, and they hit the ground running.
Though Lo had intended to rhyme anonymously as a solo act to revert attention to the music, he was often addressed as OneManArmy because of a line he used in a song.
Lo added extra Senim Silla verses and new songs to a Waterworld re-release entitled Masters of the Universe in 2000, and continued to focus on touring with Subterraneous and recording several albums’ worth of new music.
He and Senim Silla would later go their separate ways, with Lo citing "creative differences" as the main reason for their split.
[14] A year later, Subterraneous Records released WaterWorld Too, a compilation featuring a number of artists from the label's roster.
Much of the album, which features the likes of Freeway, Phonte (of Little Brother), Devin The Dude, Guilty Simpson, Royce da 5'9", Zion I, Akir, and others, was lost when thieves broke in and stole studio equipment.
also showcases the musicianship of One Be Lo's fellow Pontiac natives David "DMT" Vied (guitar), Derek "The Tyrant" Caraway (keyboard) and Detroit's Emily Rogers (bass).
He is often praised for his clear delivery, precise rapping style and conscious lyrics, especially from fans of alternative hip hop.
This was noted by Allmusic in their review of S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M., saying:[18] "One Be Lo is a deep thinker; the details and complex wordplay within his rhymes often take several plays to fully comprehend and appreciate.
Similar in effect to X-Clan's Brother J, his words can be righteous, but they're always delivered with casual assurance, like he's talking to an acquaintance at a bus stop.
He observes with the wisdom of a father who's been through prison, raises a lot of issues, has almost as many solutions, and never sounds overbearing or preachy."