Senim Silla

Infobox musical artist 2
Name = Senim Silla

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Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Ross Rowe
Alias =
Changed_Name = Abdurrahim Qadir Shukri
Origin = Aurora, Colorado
Genre = Hip Hop Soul
Years_active = 1988–present
Label = Infinite Rhythm Network
Sleeper Cell Records

Senim Silla (real name Ross Rowe) is a Hip Hop Soul artist from Pontiac, Michigan. [cite web|title=The Name The Motto The Outcome : Tiny Mix Tapes |url=http://tinymixtapes.com/Senim-Silla |publisher=Munroe |date=May 5, 2007] He is well respected for being one half of the former rap duo Binary Star. [cite web|title=Platform8470: The Name The Motto The Outcome |url=http://www.platform8470.com/artists/ai_senimsilla.asp |publisher=WULF |date=June 2007] [Stylus 2008 [http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/on_second_thought/binary-star-masters-of-the-universe.htm Binary Star: Masters Of The Universe] Retrieved June 9 2006] cite web|title= AllMusic: Features: Binary Star: M.O.T.U. |url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:hjfpxqqjldfe |publisher=Brad Mills] cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/review/RV1PE5VNHNQPH/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#RV1PE5VNHNQPH |publisher=Alan Pounds |title=Senim Silla (of Binary Star) - “Among the best hip-hop releases of '07” |date=August 21, 2007 |author=Alan Pounds]

Biography

Early life

Senim Silla was born Ross Damion-Galen Rowe on the 20th of August 1977 to parents Robert and Diania Rowe. His father was in the Air Force and because of this the family moved around quite a bit. Constant moving meant constant readjusting for young Senim. Leaving friends and having to make new ones became a hard-learned skill; a thing the artist attributes to his ability to communicate with people from all walks of life. After moving across the country, the family eventually settled in Detroit, Michigan. Senim was 8yrs old.

Detroit would come to set the tone for the next decade of his life. He remembers: "Detroit was and is an ill place. It corrupted me in many ways. It brought so many firsts for me, you know? It was when I was first introduced to drugs, guns, all that. I saw cats get stabbed, shot, beat up, all that, you know? I was innocent before that. I mean, I had no concept of these things before hand. On the other hand, it's where I first started rapping". The family lived in Detroit for nearly 5 years before moving to Pontiac. The abrupt move was brought on by Senim's mother having her fill of the city, when her son got robbed coming from the corner store one day. An incident Senim cites on the song "Wild Life".

Pontiac is where Senim says he came of age. In his own words: "It's where I became Senim Silla". This is where Senim would build most of his significant relationships, hone his skill to flow, and make the decisions that would effect the rest of his life.

Pontiac

On the first day of high school he was introduced to Malaki The Most Hi. The two quickly became inseparable. Up until this time Senim was only rapping in secret. He credits Malaki as being the person who helped him build the confidence to share his rhymes with others. During lunch time at school is where Senim and others would gather and showcase their talents in freestyle sessions. Senim recalls: "We were the sh*t! Cats made names for themselves all over the yak [Pontiac] from those sessions. Motherf**kers across knew who we were and we probably never met them. That's how powerful the sh*t was".

It was during one of these sessions that Senim would meet Lo for the first time. He recounts: "We were a tight-knit group at that time and we were the only cats really flowing like that. So if you were rapping; we knew about it. Anyway, one day I come into the lunchroom and cats are already at it. Burning-knuckle Vernon was hitting a beat for this cat busting a rhyme off some paper. (Which we never did, so I knew he had to be new) So I post up [and] start listening to a cat. This dude was on some sh#t. I mean he's spitting and putting sound effects in his sh*t. It was crazy." The mystery rapper turns out to be One.Be.Lo.(Then known as Rahlo or Lo for short)

The Spoox era

In the summer of 1993, Malaki proposed to Senim that they should start a group called "The Spoox". Of course being that Senim greatly admired Malaki; he jumped at the opportunity. Later they would add a third member [C-Note] , soon after followed by a fourth, that person being Lo. Whom Senim hadn't seen much of since that day in the lunchroom. Due to ego and immaturity, The Spoox would be short-lived. After the break-up of the crew, Senim and Lo became very tight. So much that you could hardly find one without the other.

enim and Lo

At this time Senim and Lo were straddling the fence between rap and criminal activity. Senim: "It wasn't that we were trying to be thugs or nothing, we were just trying to get paid. Now granted, cats got bolder with each outing, but that came through progression. We didn't go from slanging trees to robbing cats all in one night, you know?" This progression he speaks of would come to a head the night the two decided to rob a local pizza shop. It would prove to be a major mistake when the two were arrested 2 weeks later at the home of Senim.

Incarnation and the formation of Binary Star

Senim and Lo were sentenced to 3 to 20yrs for armed robbery in May of 1994. Housed at different facilities, which is protocol in cases of co-defendants, Senim was sent up-state while Lo was sent to a facility in the lower part of Michigan. During his time Senim embraced Islam, and began to study a number of different subjects including psychology and philosophy. Still rapping as always, Senim quickly makes a name for himself around the compound amongst the other inmates that rap. On one occasion, a new inmate comments that he had just came from another joint [correctional facility] where there was another inmate who had a rap style very similar to that of Senims'. Upon giving a description of this person, he discovers that it is in fact Lo that he was speaking of. Was this coincidence?

Even more extraordinary, a few months later, Lo would be sent to the same facility as Senim. An occurrence that isn't supposed to happen. The two quickly picked up right from where they left off. Rapping continuously, Lo one day has a revelation. He tells Senim that the two of them should combine as a group. Senim agrees and the two begin to brainstorm on names for the group. After several different ideas, Lo comes up with Binary Star. His explanation behind it was that the two of them shine on their own as solo artists but revolve so close they're bound as a group.

Discography

Binary Star

*"Waterworld" - 1999
*"Masters of the Universe" - 2000

olo

*"The Name, The Motto, The Outcome" - 2007