Shine: to be bright with reflected light

Bars and be yawned (Son shine and reign) is the second single for One Be Lo’s Baby album. This song begins as a reflection of growing up in Pontiac (Mi) committing crimes and doing time in prison. The message is universal and timeless, but during these pandemic times in September 2020 It serves like a light source to my 18 year old son, now studying his first year of college courses.

Born 5 days after 9/11, his name is Diaab which translates as “One who perseveres during hard times.” The lesson here is about Shining bright even in the darkest hours.

I chose to use a photograph of myself, taken 25 years ago, when I was around the same age that Diaab is now. The difference between Diaab and young Rahlo is the difference between night and day. Even though we look almost identical, he just began his first year of college courses while in contrast my 18th year was spent incarcerated at the Hiawatha Correctional Facility for armed robbery serving a 3-20 year sentence.

In this Polaroid snapshot of 1995, I had recently reverted to Al Islam durIng this dark period, and a new light was just entering my world.
This is when I decided to changed my birth name to Nahshid. I learned that even while my body was in quarantine and lock down, my mind, heart and soul was free.

Bars and be yawned is about prison bars opening wide, and whatever comes after that. It’s a reminder of where I came from, and how far beyond we can actually go, from one generation to the next.

Reign: to have control, rule or influence of any kind.