Binary Star is back to change the game once again.
The duo of emcees One Be Lo and Senim Silla possess a lethal chemistry greater than the sum of its parts. Trading verses effortlessly, the two can create magic on the mic ranging from intricate storytelling to battle raps.
Hailing from Pontiac, Michigan – Lo and Senim originally met in high school and instantly developed a close friendship. However one poor decision that could have easily derailed their career, made the bond between them stronger and more focused. An armed robbery conviction landed them both in prison for a three-year sentence and during this time Binary Star officially came into existence in 1998.
Upon their release, Lo and Senim had grown more mature, focused, and immediately began recording what would evolve into Masters of the Universe and the classic song "Reality Check". Binary also had plenty of beats waiting from longtime friend Decompoze , who would co-produce a majority of the album.
After initially pressing up CD, vinyl, and tape copies – the Binary Star buzz earned the group a distribution deal that would convert music listeners into loyal fans with the release of M.O.T.U. in 2000. It went on to sell over 25,000 units and showed the viability of independent hip-hop during a time when major labels had begun the commercialization of rap music.
Shortly after recording the M.O.T.U. album, the two parted ways claiming creative differences. One Be Lo developed his own solo career by rocking shows across the country. In 2005 his solo debut S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. moved over 22,000 units on Fat Beats Records. Lo also kept fans happy with several releases on his own Subterraneous Records: Project: F.E.T.U.S., S.T.I.L.L.B.O.R.N., and The R.E.B.I.R.T.H.. This has set the foundation nicely for the highly anticipated B.A.B.Y.
They reunited briefly in 2002, doing a concert together at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont, but they did not record any new material. Although there has inevitably been speculation about a reformation of Binary Star, One Be Lo has stated that this is unlikely. "I seriously doubt it", he said, proceeding to claim, "Artists are real, real picky and real, real closed minded. They can be real, real strongly opinionated. If there ain’t no real chemistry, it ain’t going to work."
In 2009, recently reuniting after a 10-year hiatus, Binary Star is back in the studio working on its long awaited follow-up to the classic debut album Masters Of The Universe (M.O.T.U.). Tentatively titled "Light Years Apart," the duo's EP serves as a mere prequel to a full-length LP.
On March 29, 2013, Binary Star released their first album in thirteen years, a self-titled EP, as a celebration of their 15th anniversary as a duo.
Glen Close
Binary Star Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I shitter shatter MC's for tryin to steal my butter
He's bitter cuz I'm better, so now he drinks the bottle
I did a dirty duty with a cutie she's a model
I met her at the party scoped her body, name was Patty
She's pregnant with a shorty, said that I'm the baby's daddy
Just paper(?) sweet potatoes nine months later had a daughter
Coulda said "I'll see ya later" but I stayed to child support her
Now she's colder cuz I told her
For the better that my other lady's name was Heather
She's like whatever, whatever, a tear she cried it but she dried it
Deeply hurted, broken hearted, but she tried to hide it
But finally she pleaded that she didn't want to end it or suspend it
She wanted me to sever ties with Heather
So we could be together
I said I'd think about it, but I know she don't believe it
She kissed me on my cheek and as she drove away she speeded
The next day, I'm greeted by her mother
Oh brother, she think I'm stupid
Tryin to play cupid undercover
Talkin about how me and Patty made the cutest couple
Then invited me for supper
Now don't think that I'm petty
But I know what desperate ladies put in their spaghetti
That's why I told her that I ate already
Oh shmack, the hell?
Ay yo, ay yo, check this out
Yo, after we parted that's when trouble started
Patty was actin all retarded
I tried to disregard it but she keeps playin on my phone and blowin up my pager
I wonder, how she keep gettin my number?
But I find out later Patty was a good friend of Brenda, the operator
I didn't sweat it
I coulda did something about it, but forgive and forget
The next day I got a letter
Yeah, you know who wrote it
I can't quote it in the same exact words she stated
But it was saying something about the times that we dated
The baby we created
She said she hated me for leaving
And soon she would get even
Sincerely, Patricia Stevens
After I read it, I knew where this was headed
And I couldn't let it go no further, not even a little
Right in the middle of this thought I was caught by surprise
It was a call from the hospital
Somebody named Dr. Evans
Telling me that my lovely Heather was in room 311
So pedal to the metal I got there in seven seconds
She's alive on my arrival, even though the signs are vital
I asked the doc what happened
A hit and run accident and not a single witness police never caught the driver
Deep inside I knew that Patty did this
Yo, so if you find true love, hold on til the end
Cuz we all know the women outnumber the men
I caught one to play me close like her name was Glenn
And I'll be damned if I ever let it happen again
Fatal Attraction [repeated over scratches]
Yea, yea, I caught one to play me close like her name was Glenn
In Binary Star's song Glen Close, the singer raps about his experiences with two different women, Patty and Heather. He begins the verse by boasting about his rhyming abilities and how easily he can defeat other MCs. He then talks about his encounter with Patty at a party where he had sex with her and nine months later, she gives birth to his daughter. Despite not being in love with Patty, the singer chooses to stay and support his daughter. However, this causes tension with Heather, his other relationship, who he eventually tells about his involvement with Patty. Heather is upset but eventually pleads with him to end things with Patty so they can be together. The verse ends with the singer receiving a letter from Patty expressing her hatred towards him and later receiving a call from the hospital informing him of Heather's hit-and-run accident which he suspects was caused by Patty.
The song touches on themes of love, lust, and jealousy. The singer's relationships with the two women have different outcomes, with one resulting in the birth of his daughter and the other in tragedy. The verse also highlights the potential danger of jealousy and how it can lead to harmful actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Ay yo, when I shoot a rhyme I make you shudder
My rhymes are so powerful, they make you shake and tremble.
I shitter shatter MC's for tryin to steal my butter
I destroy other rappers who try to copy my style or steal my spotlight.
He's bitter cuz I'm better, so now he drinks the bottle
The other rapper is jealous of my success and constantly drinks to drown his sorrows.
I did a dirty duty with a cutie she's a model
I had a one-night stand with a beautiful model.
I met her at the party scoped her body, name was Patty
I met her at a party and checked out her body. Her name was Patty.
She's pregnant with a shorty, said that I'm the baby's daddy
She's pregnant with a baby and claims that I'm the father.
Just paper(?) sweet potatoes nine months later had a daughter
After nine months, she gave birth to a baby girl.
Coulda said 'I'll see ya later' but I stayed to child support her
I could have walked away from the situation, but I chose to stay and support my child.
I didn't love the baby's mother
I didn't have strong romantic feelings for Patty.
Now she's colder cuz I told her for the better that my other lady's name was Heather
Patty became distant and angry after I told her that I was seeing someone else named Heather.
She's like whatever, whatever, a tear she cried it but she dried it
She acted like she didn't care and tried to hide her sadness over losing me.
Deeply hurted, broken hearted, but she tried to hide it
She was deeply hurt and devastated by our breakup, but tried to hide her emotions.
But finally she pleaded that she didn't want to end it or suspend it
She begged me to give her another chance and not end our relationship.
She wanted me to sever ties with Heather so we could be together
She wanted me to break up with Heather so that we could get back together.
I said I'd think about it, but I know she don't believe it
I told her I would consider her request, but knew she didn't trust me.
She kissed me on my cheek and as she drove away she speeded
She gave me a kiss on the cheek before driving away quickly.
The next day, I'm greeted by her mother Oh brother, she think I'm stupid
The next day, I was surprised to see her mother, who thought I was gullible or naive.
But I know what desperate ladies put in their spaghetti
I suspected that Patty's mother might try to drug me or do something tricky.
That's why I told her that I ate already Oh shmack, the hell?
I lied and told her that I had already eaten to avoid eating her potentially drugged spaghetti. I was surprised by her reaction.
Ay yo, ay yo, check this out
I'm getting ready to tell a story.
Yo, after we parted that's when trouble started Patty was actin all retarded
After we broke up, Patty started acting crazy and irrational.
I tried to disregard it but she keeps playin on my phone and blowin up my pager
I tried to ignore her behavior, but she kept calling and paging me non-stop.
I wonder, how she keep gettin my number? But I find out later Patty was a good friend of Brenda, the operator
I wondered how she was still getting in touch with me, but later found out that she was friends with the operator who gave her my number.
I didn't sweat it I coulda did something about it, but forgive and forget
I didn't get too upset or worked up about it, and chose to forgive and move on.
The next day I got a letter Yeah, you know who wrote it
The next day, I received a letter from Patty, as I suspected.
I can't quote it in the same exact words she stated But it was saying something about the times that we dated The baby we created She said she hated me for leaving And soon she would get even Sincerely, Patricia Stevens
The letter was angry and vengeful, accusing me of leaving and saying that she hated me for it. She hinted at seeking revenge and signed it with her full name.
After I read it, I knew where this was headed And I couldn't let it go no further, not even a little
After reading the letter, I realized that things were about to get worse, and I knew I had to stop it before it went too far.
Right in the middle of this thought I was caught by surprise It was a call from the hospital Somebody named Dr. Evans
Just as I was contemplating what to do, I received a call from the hospital from a doctor named Dr. Evans.
Telling me that my lovely Heather was in room 311 So pedal to the metal I got there in seven seconds
The doctor told me that Heather was in the hospital and I rushed to get there as fast as I could.
She's alive on my arrival, even though the signs are vital I asked the doc what happened
Heather was still alive when I got there, but her condition was critical. I asked the doctor how it happened.
A hit and run accident and not a single witness police never caught the driver
The doctor told me that Heather was the victim of a hit-and-run accident and that the driver hadn't been caught.
Deep inside I knew that Patty did this
I suspected that Patty was responsible for the hit-and-run.
Yo, so if you find true love, hold on til the end Cuz we all know the women outnumber the men I caught one to play me close like her name was Glenn And I'll be damned if I ever let it happen again Fatal Attraction [repeated over scratches]
The song concludes with the lesson that true love is rare and valuable, so cherish it. Women outnumber men in society, making it more difficult to find true love. The artist was burned by one woman, named Glenn, who played him and he learned to avoid falling for the same mistake again. A reference to Fatal Attraction, a movie about a dangerous love affair, is used to emphasize the lesson.
Lyrics © TUNECORE INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
adam freezy
I first saw Binary in the basement of East Quad, in Ann Arbor circa '97. Bought this (cassette!) single from Lo after their performance ('Masters' hadn't been released yet) and have been a fan ever since. Got to see them dozens of times over the years too, from shows at the Blind Pig to a performance at DEMF. I even battled in some of the rap battles that Lo used to host at the Blind Pig (made it to round 2 a couple times too haha). Cool cats for sure and really dope emcees, even years later their music is fire.
KarlJC1411
Cool story man, respect for sharing
G.i. Samurai
You know what's sad, a lot of headz are just hearing real hip hop like this for the first time, and to know that this was manifested during the golden area of hip hop, 93-2000. Thanks Real Hip Hop for the upload.
Taylor King
I used to listen to this when I was in the 5th grade with an ipod I stole and found so much beautiful music. It is wrong to steal. But hip hop stole my taste for the rest of my life. "when I shoot a rhyme I make you shutter, shoulda shot an MC for trynna steal my butta "
Munib Ali
@AstroPhysicks my main point was to point out that it began earlier that noted above
joey anderson
Rest in peace to the legends. I wonder what Pac n Biggie would say if they were still around.
Munib Ali
@***** by all means I'm not taking anything away from that era. Amazing hip-hop as well. But I'm afraid, regardless of what a few critics have to say, that is not the "golden era" of hip-hop.
G.i. Samurai
@Munib Ali Although I appreciate the hip hop during that period; there wasn't really an explosion of hip until the early 90's through 2000. MC's such as Nas, DOOM, M.F. Grimm, The Wu, Snoop, The Lone Catalysts, Big L, Biggie, Lord Finesse, Common Sense, Juice, Vakill, Ras Kass, O.C. just to name of few were within that period. During this time you had hip hop springing up from multiple places around the map. Go to undergroundhiphop (dot) com and hear for yourself.
Him Baer
Masterful album, in sooo many ways. Influenced my teenage years heavily and still love it. Aged well, thank you. :)
frizza241
finally found it after 10 years!