''Masters of the Universe'' is the second and final studio album from American hip hop duo

Binary Star A binary star is a system of two stars that are gravitationally bound to and in orbit around each other. Binary stars in the night sky that are seen as a single object to the naked eye are often resolved using a telescope as separate stars, in wh ...

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Senim Silla Ross Rowe, known professionally as Senim Silla ("all is mines" spelled backwards), is a hip hop artist from Pontiac, Michigan, best known as one of the two MCs in rap duo Binary Star, along with One Be Lo. Senim Silla co-hosts the ''Foreally Sho ...

One Be Lo 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. He is well respected for being one half of the rap duo Binary Star, and has released a n ...

), released on October 31, 2000. The release is largely a remixed and rearranged version of their 1999 debut ''

Waterworld ''Waterworld'' is a 1995 American post-apocalyptic action film directed by Kevin Reynolds and co-written by Peter Rader and David Twohy. It was based on Rader's original 1986 screenplay and stars Kevin Costner, who also produced it with Charl ...

''. The album was one of the most acclaimed underground hip hop releases of 2000, though it only sold around 20,000 copies. ''Masters of the Universe'' was re-released on July 25, 2006 by Infinite Rhythm Network.

Critical reception

In a review for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, Brad Mills wrote that the album has "everything a great hip-hop album requires, with varied beats, differing rhyme deliveries, and content you'll find yourself thinking about long after it's been said." He rated the album 4.5 out of 5 stars, and noted that "without huge marketing budget from a major label, this album will probably fail to reach the level of success it deserves." At RapReviews, Steve Juon rated the album 9 out of 10, and argued the album "represents everything that's right about underground hip-hop... Very few albums that come out are as well conceived or prepared as "Masters of the Universe" – which proves exactly why the title of Binary Star's national debut is truly apt." In a 2014 "Album of the Week" for Bonus Cut, Daniel Hodgman wrote that the album was an "aggressive mix of raw underground hip-hop and self-conscious lyricism... Most of what makes ''Masters of the Universe pleasing'' is its relentless punchlines, vast lyrical depth and succinct production as an underground hit.

Track listing

References

{{Authority control 2000 albums Binary Star (hip hop group) albums Alternative hip hop albums by American artists