Hello my name is…
I got so many different names that people know me by. One Be Lo aka One Man Army, born Raland Scruggs aka Nahshid Sulaiman. Some people who have known me for years read interviews sometimes and don’t even know that it’s me.
I was raised in…
I was born and raised in Pontiac, Michigan, just north of Detroit.
The reason that you’re reading about me is…
I make music that not only hip-hop fans need to hear, but anybody who can appreciate good music. I talk about a lot of things that almost anybody can relate to.
Right now I’m working on…
I’m in a zone right now, I got so many producers and projects that I’ working on right now. I guess the goal is to have enough material so when I run out of shit to say, I can still dig into my library and put out records. Kinda like Tupac records coming out years after his death.
But I’d rather be…
I can’t think of anything that I would rather be doing right now. Being an artist is not something I want or even choose to do, it’s just who I am. No matter what I’m doing, beats are playing in my head, thoughts are racing and I gotta write something down. Sometimes I gotta tear up boxes, write on receipts, napkins, whatever I can write on to get that thought out. And I don’t feel right until it’s recorded. I can’t wait to get back to the States so I can get a MBox for my laptop so I can record on-the-go.
My most prized possessions are…
When I think of prized possessions, I think about the things that I own that I couldn’t do without. That would have to be my cell phone and maybe my laptop. I gotta be able to communicate. Next would be my studio gear, and then my shoes, and then my hats. Some people buy souvenirs—I like to buy shoes and hats in every city.
But I’d give it all away for…
If I could get unlimited studio time and unlimited access to the internet, I could get by. I guess I could give away all my shoes and hats for new ones, same thing with the phone.
The first thing I do in the morning is…
Wash my hands, my face, my arms up to the elbows, my head and my feet.
The last thing I do at night is…
That depends…
My momma always said…
“I don’t care if people like me or not!”
I love it when people…
Show love or at least consideration for other people and their realities. Whether it be lifestyle, beliefs, feelings or whatever. I think you have to allow people to be who they are. Even if they have to change, they gotta change on their own.
I hate it when people…
I hate when I’m in the studio and somebody who has nothing to do with the creative process is there distracting everybody else. I guess they don’t look at it like it’s work, but it is.
If you ever see me walking down the street…
I must be headed somewhere important, because I don’t walk unless I have to.
My most notable run-in with the law…
November 18th, 1994 when they ran in my friend’s house while we were watching
rap videos and arrested us for armed robbery.
If I had to say sorry it would be because…
It’s probably because somebody sincerely had a misunderstanding so maybe I needed to clear something up.
I get real aggro when…
The first thing that comes to mind is that rainbow pinwheel of death on my MacBook. Other than that, I try not to let anything affect me in that way.
The last time I swore I’d never drink was after a night of…
It’s been so long, I can’t even remember.
Future projects and plans…
I’m working on so many things right now, most of these projects don’t even have names set in stone. But in the near future I do plan on releasing a project called “Baby (Being a Black Youth)” and “Life (Lo is for Everybody).” I’m collabing with a few producers as well, like Bean One—we got a project almost finished and I think we’ll call it “The Ones and Only.” I’m also working on a project with Black Milk and another one with Jake One. Stay tuned.
And before I leave I’d like to give a shout out too:
I wanna give a big shout out to anybody who has supported me in the past, present and future. I would be irrelevant without these people.
