Customer Reviews

The Name The Motto The Outcome

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I've been chomping at the bit for a solo album from Senim Silla ever since I heard Binary Star's seminal record "Masters Of The Universe" (1999). Silla, One Be Lo, and Decompoze were among the most prolific rappers I was listening to at the time, and they really changed the way I look at hip-hop. Finally, the time has come for Senim Silla's "The Name, The Motto, The Outcome", and I'm floored once again at it's pristine quality.

I hope nobody out there is looking for "Masters Of The Universe" part 2, because that is not what this is at all. It is actually a major improvement in almost every way possible. First off, Silla is 8 years older, has a 9-year old daughter, and his mind is in a better place now. He is still a revolutionary artist, and much of his lyrics are very political, and always very intelligent. Second, the beats on the Binary Star record were almost exclusively jazz-filled. The beats were darker and far more simple, but never lacked when creating cohesive songs. On "The Name, The Motto, The Outcome" the beats are just incredible! It's mostly produced by the ever improving and talented Decompoze. It utilizes a healthy dose of R&B, Soul, Funk and Rock music; and very very little jazz.

There are plenty of standouts here that demand several listens. "Keep It Coming" is a major standout, with some very personal lyrics. My two favorites at the moment has got to be "Brothers Killed Malcolm" produced by Mr. Beats, and "Less Than Capital" produced by Mississippi Steve. Both tracks have some gorgeous sampling of some old soul/funk tunes that I've been trying to pinpoint for days now. It's rarely that I constantly repeat any song on an album, but these two have been getting a lot of plays lately. On "The Awakening", Senim really brings the heat, showing his tight mic skills have not faded over time. He keeps things positive throughout the album, which keeps him free of preachiness, and ultimately brings his message to the listener strongly, and that much more effectively.

There's no real short-comings to the record at all. Most of all, Silla shows true hunger, and a love for hip-hop that is unrivaled by most artists in the game. This album is full of soul and sincere honesty...most definitely what I would call true school hip-hop. If you thought One Be Lo's "S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M." and/or Decompoze's "Decomposition" was hot, you simply need this to complete the solo works of the ever groundbreaking Binary Star collective. You will NOT be sorry!

In 1999, an unknown Michigan hip hop crew named Binary Star quietly released their classic Waterworld (remixed as Masters of the Universe) and although it wasn't a chart smash by any means, underground listeners regarded it as a game-changing masterpiece. The collective was built around One Be Lo (aka the Anonymous, OneManArmy) and Senim Silla, a pair of rappers who grew up together through high school and simultaneous stints in prison, as well as other contributors including Decompoze. The group went their separate ways following Masters of the Universe, with One Be Lo releasing a string of critically acclaimed gems as a solo artist.

2007 came around, and as One Be Lo continued to receive praise for his phenomenal S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M., Senim quietly released his solo debut, "The Name, The Motto, The Outcome." In actuality, it'd be pretty hard to find two rappers with more similar technique, probably a product of their growing up together. Senim's music doesn't sound much like Lo's, but there's an uncanny similarity in the quality of both of their recordings. Their music both uses unorthodox sounds and experimental musical approaches, producing results that sound like nothing else in the world but both exude so much soul. Musically, "The Name, The Motto, The Outcome" is a study in itself, with beats contributed by the inimitable Decompoze, who is one heck of a producer, among others. It's got an unconventional, very underground sound, with dusty-sounding samples and vocal bytes, but it's upbeat and its appeal is fairly irresistible. The only guest to be found throughout the sixteen tracks is Naaman Morris, who raps with a deep, commanding delivery and sings like Anthony Hamilton, making the stuff of many a great collaboration.

Senim Silla is truly an MC's MC: energetic, inventive, lyrical, conscious, humorous, thoughtful, and downright likable, he's armed with a Muslim's righteousness that never borders on preachy. His flow and delivery are impeccable, and the songs throughout his debut LP are memorable bangers with distant, artistically appealing beats. "Keep It Coming" and "V for Vesper" hit hard with headspinning verses about politicians, religion, and Senim's own prowess, and "Brothers Killed Malcolm" is an absolutely amazing track, laced with a driving bassline and haunting vocal samples. Senim does it justice with passionate, personal lyrics.

The best stretch contains a batch of Naaman Morris duets. The funky, inspired "Less Than Capital" is phenomenal, the frenetic "Rear Window" is chilling, and my favorite is "The Wild Life," with a superb beat and chorus between heartfelt verses about factors bringing down today's youth. "The Awakening" hits hard with furious lyrics and a minimalist beat, and the memorable "Breaking the Law" is excellent. The entire tracklist maintains the same level of quality and inspiration and is extremely consistent, right through the perfect closer "One for the Money," a philosophical track with numerous quotables and a dramatic piano-laced beat.

What becomes clear after listening to "The Name, The Motto, The Outcome" is that the original Binary Star crew may have consisted of two of the absolute best rappers on the planet. The fact that One Be Lo and Senim Silla remain so criminally unknown is truly perplexing and an indication that there is no justice in the music business. Lo and Silla are two guys that justify all the press in the world, yet remain as mysterious as they are talented. Still, perhaps Senim's way of remaining "elusive as a fugitive" is part of his appeal for now. For an album of substantial, artistic, quality hip hop, one need go no further than Senim Silla's "The Name, The Motto, The Outcome," a record that is unusual in sound and approach but virtually flawless. This album was pressed in limited amounts and is getting harder to find, but I really hope that the word spreads so that treasures like this aren't lost forever. Supporting artists like Senim Silla feels good...track down this album and I don't expect anyone to be disappointed.

after years of waiting for the first solo project from Senim Silla, I gotta say that I'm not disappointed. this is definitely not what i expected, and sounds nothing like MOTU or the solo joints Lo has put out, and its clear that Senim has created his own sound as opposed to rehashing old lyrics and trying to be a one-man-Binary. Lyrics are on-point (and definitely harder and more radical than before), delivery and wordplay is precise, production is solid, and a love for the art is undeniable. This will probably remain one of my top 3 hip-hop albums this year.

...Back to the future/why I'm Silla McFly/ahead of my time/ ya got me in my Optimus Prime... Silla don't lie.

Mr.Slangblade himself, with a little help from his friends Naaman Norris, Mississippi Steve, Decompoze and others has done what many strive to do but fail miserably...and that is create original, creative, conceptual hip hop music, that only gets better the more you listen. No bling, no excess, just filthy tracks so dirty he should have included a q-tip with each purchase. Silla's one-off flow and sense of humor is a beacon of light in a dying genre (YEAH I SAID IT...SUE ME). Naaman absolutely kills the hooks on this joint dead. Put this CD in the deck and seal it shut with duct tape, my friends. Timeless, golden hip hop from Pontiac, Michigan, To The City Of Angels and back again, from a man who is not afraid to rock a beard on one side of his face and not the other.
May I recommend "Less Than Capital"?
BUY this and thank me later... He got kids and they ain't eating good intentions.

After a long wait, Senim Silla finally came out with his first solo LP. Senim is a really talentated MC that caught my ear, and many others, when he released an album with OneBeLo (aka OneManArmy) under the group moniker Binary Star. With Lo' doing his own business Senim took his time to make an album. It was supposed to be his everything.

I just have to say that this album was worth the wait and the satisfaction and creativity from the LP warrants a pick-up. The production and track-list is top-notch with beats supplied by Decompoze'- amount others. The pace is relaxing and never too fast where you can't understand the word play used by Senim, who is just as sharp while in Binary Star.

A few end tracks can be slept on, but that in way makes this album any less of great buy. If you enjoy different hip-hop that takes samples and influences from different styles of music, then you'll enjoy it!

http://thehiphopnerd.blogspot.com/2008/01/criminally-slept-onsenim-silla.html

Senim Silla's a lyricist. Thru and thru. If you're into lyrics then this is one for you. If you're into politically oriented Hip-Hop, then this is definitely one for you. But in addition to the dope lyrics, the beats don't disappoint either...

http://thehiphopnerd.blogspot.com/2008/01/criminally-slept-onsenim-silla.html

This is the album I've been waiting for! 2007 has been such a lackluster year for hip-hop so far(in my opinion of course) that I was getting pretty damn disheartened... but these are the type of releases that still keep my love affair with this music alive and strong! Now the production is good with a bulk of it being handled by Decompoze(check out his solo disc too), Senim's old partner from Binary Star. The rest is a bunch of cats that you've probably never heard of, but either way they lace the album lovely with alot of diverse beats that keep every song sounding fresh and unique. But let's face it, the REAL reason you buy a Senim Silla album... the lyrics! If unfamiliar with Senim or any of his work with Binary Star then prepare to be impressed. He can make you laugh, think, get offended, get pumped... all in one rhyme even! If you still aren't sold on this yet(and never heard Binary before) then find the song "Slang Blade" and listen to it... your next move afterwards will almost guaranteed be to check this out!

Binary Stars was the illest rap duo of all time. They're lyrist with a respectable image to potray. Dope beats, dope rhymes, what else do you need. Senims solo album is just a shadow of what he used to be. He's lyrics was dumbed down, his style isn't as smooth, and to top it all off spits ish that contradicts the silla we knew in Binary Stars. "Who said its all about the economy" in this album all he raps about is making money and shooting ak, also it turns out silla's athies(as it shows on the cover) and he blasphemies on every single track on this b****. i dont about the other reviewers but i got into underground hip hop to escape foos like that. If you want to listen to real hip hop, get yourself OneBeLo's new joint. he wont disappoint.