Michigan’s One Be Lo has been making moves on the underground rap scene for about a decade. After recording some classic material with the group Binary Star, he went the solo route while also building his own label, Subterraneous Records. After some intermediate releases, last year’s S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. garnered much positive attention (It made my Top 20 albums of the year) with strong, positive lyrics over beats ranging from beautiful to heavy. One Be Lo continues to work on new music and collaborations with other indie rap heavyweights, and his energetic live show pleases hip-hop purists and new fans alike.
One Be Lo will make a return appearance in Columbus Wednesday night at Cafe Bourbon Street as part of So What Wednesdays, a weekly hip-hop night started up by Weightless Records in November. Opening will be Weightless’ own Zero Star, whose 2006 debut full-length Forever’s Never Really That Long was definitely pleasing to the hip-hop ear (I had more to say here). Along with the weekly pure hip-hop DJ sets, the live shows kicked off by this event make So What Wednesdays an exciting addition to Columbus nightlife.