Bilal Sayeed Oliver (born August 23, 1979)
is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is an independent artist, noted for his wide vocal range, work across multiple genres, and intense live performances.
Starting out at a
major label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produc ...
, Bilal debuted with his popular R&B single "
Soul Sista
''Soul Sista'' is the debut studio album by American R&B singer KeKe Wyatt. It was released on November 13, 2001, by MCA Records. The album's writing and production was entirely credited to Steve Huff. The album debuted at number 33 on the US ...
" in 2000, but turned to playing
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
venues and recording more
progressive soul
Progressive soul (often shortened to prog-soul; also called black prog, black rock, and progressive R&B) is a type of African-American music that uses a progressive approach, particularly in the context of the soul and funk genres. It developed ...
music in subsequent years. He has commercially released four albums to critical success,
while his unreleased but widely leaked second album ''
Love for Sale'' also found wide acclaim among critics and listeners. He was a member of the
Soulquarians
The Soulquarians were a rotating collective of experimental Black music artists active during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Members of the collective included singer and multi-instrumentalist D'Angelo, drummer and producer Ahmir "Questlove" Th ...
, an experimental
black music
Black music is a sound created, produced, or inspired by black people, people of African descent, including African music traditions and African popular music as well as the music genres of the African diaspora, including Caribbean music, Lati ...
collective active from the late 1990s to early 2000s.
He has been well received, both nationally and internationally, with an extensive list of collaborations including
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his Progressive rap, progressive musical styles and Social consciousness, socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most infl ...
,
Common
Common may refer to:
Places
* Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
* Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts
* Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts
* Clapham Common, originally com ...
,
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu (), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the ...
,
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
,
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
,
Guru
Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...
,
Kimbra
Kimbra Lee Johnson (born 27 March 1990), known mononymously as Kimbra, is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. Known for mixing pop with R&B, jazz and rock musical elements, her accolades include four ARIA Music Awards, two Grammy Awards and se ...
,
J Dilla
J, or j, is the tenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its usual name in English is ''jay'' (pronounced ), with a now-uncommon varia ...
,
Robert Glasper
Robert Andre Glasper (born April 6, 1978) is an American pianist, record producer, songwriter, and musical arranger with a career that bridges several different musical and artistic genres, mostly centered on jazz. To date, Glasper has won fou ...
, and
The Roots
The Roots are an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy F ...
.
In August 2020, during the
COVID-19 lockdown
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of non-pharmaceutical interventions colloquially known as lockdowns (encompassing stay-at-home orders, curfews, quarantines, and similar societal restrictions) have been implemented in numerous countrie ...
, Bilal wrote and recorded his first EP, ''
Voyage-19'', over the course of three days and in collaboration with various musicians in
remote experimental sessions, which were
streamed live on YouTube. The resulting three-track EP was released digitally the following month, with revenues of its sale and accompanying donations given to the participating artists, many of whom had been struggling financially due to the
pandemic
A pandemic () is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has spread across a large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of individuals. A widespread endemic (epidemiology), endemic disease wi ...
.
Early life
![Ridgeway Library Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts from north](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Ridgeway_Library_Philadelphia_High_School_for_Creative_and_Performing_Arts_from_north.jpg)
Bilal was born Bilal Sayeed Oliver in
Germantown, Philadelphia
Germantown (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Deitscheschteddel'') is an area in Northwest Philadelphia. Founded by German, Quaker, and Mennonite families in 1683 as an independent borough, it was absorbed into Philadelphia in 1854. The area, which is about ...
, Pennsylvania. He grew up in a religiously mixed household, his mother being Christian and his father Muslim. When he was 11 he became choir director at his mother's church, and at 14 he formed a group and performed gigs at the Blue Moon Cafe in Philadelphia. As a formative experience, he cites his father taking him to the city's jazz clubs. "I used to have to sit in the back where the cigarette machine was. They had a curtain they could put over me just in case the police came", he recalls to ''Beat'' magazine:
Bilal graduated from the
Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts
The Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts, commonly known as CAPA, is a magnet school in South Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the edge of the Christian Street Historic District. It is a part of the School Distri ...
and then attended New York City's
The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music
School of Jazz and Contemporary Music is the second conservatory of The New School. It is located on West 13th Street in New York City's Greenwich Village neighborhood. It was known as The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music before it wa ...
, where he met the pianist
Robert Glasper
Robert Andre Glasper (born April 6, 1978) is an American pianist, record producer, songwriter, and musical arranger with a career that bridges several different musical and artistic genres, mostly centered on jazz. To date, Glasper has won fou ...
on his first day. With Glasper, he frequented a number of jazz clubs in the city and eventually the
Wetlands Preserve
Wetlands Preserve, commonly referred to as Wetlands, was a nightclub in New York City that opened in 1989 and closed in 2001. It was located at 161 Hudson Street in Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood.
Wetlands has been called "ground zero for po ...
nightclub, where he connected with musicians of the
Soulquarians
The Soulquarians were a rotating collective of experimental Black music artists active during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Members of the collective included singer and multi-instrumentalist D'Angelo, drummer and producer Ahmir "Questlove" Th ...
collective:
the Roots
The Roots are an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy F ...
,
Common
Common may refer to:
Places
* Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
* Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts
* Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts
* Clapham Common, originally com ...
,
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu (), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the ...
, and
Mos Def
Yasiin Bey (; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), previously and more commonly known by his stage name Mos Def (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. His hip hop career began in 1994, alongside his siblings in the s ...
. Concurrently, Bilal frequented
jam session
A jam session is a relatively informal musical event, process, or activity where musicians, typically instrumentalists, play improvised solos and vamp over tunes, drones, songs, and chord progressions. To "jam" is to improvise music without exte ...
s set up by New School professors and students. At one such event, he met
Aaron Comess
Spin Doctors are an American alternative rock band from New York City, best known for their early 1990s hits "Two Princes" and "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong", which peaked on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart at No. 7 and No. 17, respec ...
, a musician from the pop-rock band
Spin Doctors
Spin Doctors are an American alternative rock band from New York City, best known for their early 1990s hits "Two Princes" and "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong", which peaked on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart at No. 7 and N ...
. The two went on to improvise together at Comess's home and produced a
demo
Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to:
Music and film
*Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release
* ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes
* ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...
that was later heard by
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mus ...
, who signed Bilal to a record contract.
Career
1999–2001: Beginnings with the Soulquarians and ''1st'' album
![Common-Mos Def-10-mika](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Common-Mos_Def-10-mika.jpg)
Bilal began to familiarize himself with the music scene in New York City, meeting prominent recording artists such as
Common
Common may refer to:
Places
* Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
* Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts
* Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts
* Clapham Common, originally com ...
,
The Roots
The Roots are an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy F ...
, and
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu (), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the ...
from the
Soulquarians
The Soulquarians were a rotating collective of experimental Black music artists active during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Members of the collective included singer and multi-instrumentalist D'Angelo, drummer and producer Ahmir "Questlove" Th ...
collective. Eventually, he was discovered by Aaron Comess from the
Spin Doctors
Spin Doctors are an American alternative rock band from New York City, best known for their early 1990s hits "Two Princes" and "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong", which peaked on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart at No. 7 and N ...
during an after-school jam session. It was with him that Bilal recorded his demo and eventually landed a record deal with
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mus ...
.
In 2001, Bilal released his debut album ''
1st Born Second
''1st Born Second'' is the debut album by the American singer-songwriter Bilal, released on July 27, 2001, by Interscope Records. Bilal recorded the album at Electric Lady Studios in New York with a host of record producers, including Aaron Comes ...
'', which featured contributions from the Soulquarians as well as high-profile producers such as
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and ...
and
J Dilla
J, or j, is the tenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its usual name in English is ''jay'' (pronounced ), with a now-uncommon varia ...
. The album peaked at number 31 on the U.S.
''Billboard'' 200 chart, and it has sold 319,000 copies. ''1st Born Second'' received universal acclaim from music critics; and holds a score of 82 out of 100 at
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
.
[''1st Born Second'' (2001): Reviews](_blank)
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
. Retrieved on August 12, 2009
Archived
2009-08-16. The album earned rave reviews from publications including ''
The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...
'', ''
Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...
'', and ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'',
[Columnist.]
Review: ''1st Born Second''
. ''Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...
'': August 12, 2001. Archived fro
the original
on August 12, 2009. (Transcription of original review at talk page
MediaWiki is a Free and open-source software, free and open-source wiki software. It is used on Wikipedia and almost all other Wikimedia movement, Wikimedia Website, websites, including Wiktionary, Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata; these sit ...
)[Jones, Steve.]
Review: ''1st Born Second''
. ''USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'': D.08. July 31, 2001.[Cepeda, Raquel]
Review: ''1st Born Second''
. ''The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...
''. Retrieved on August 12, 2009. and it also received comparisons to the music of
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...
,
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...
,
Sly & the Family Stone
Sly and the Family Stone was an American band from San Francisco. Active from 1966 to 1983, it was pivotal in the development of funk, soul, rock, and psychedelic music. Its core line-up was led by singer-songwriter, record producer, and multi-i ...
,
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
, and
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, and one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious African-American music. .
[Columnist]
Review: ''1st Born Second''
''The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
''. Retrieved on August 12, 2009.[Product Page: ''1st Born Second''](_blank)
Muze
Founded in 1991, Muze, Inc. was a business-to-business provider of media information, metadata, and digital preview samples that enable search, discovery, and purchase of digital entertainment content.
"Muze was founded by Zullo and Trev Huzley i ...
. Retrieved on August 26, 2009.[Caramanica, Jon]
Review: ''1st Born Second''
''Blender
A blender (sometimes called a mixer or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen appliance, kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsion, emulsify food and other substances. A stationary blender consists of a blender ...
''. Retrieved on March 29, 2010.
The album showcased a wide variety, from the emotionally charged fan-favorite "Soul Sista", which peaked at No.18 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts, to the political viewpoints of "Fast Lane" and "Second Child". Bilal managed to gain a sizable following and high attendance at his live shows,
as well as much acclaim and respect from his peers, many of whom noted his range and ability to sing in a freeform style, and his classically trained falsetto.
The soulful feel of the album caused Bilal to be labeled as "neo-soul". Bilal stresses that this term does not fit, and throughout his career, his expansion in music and pushing of boundaries proved his point.
2001–2011: ''Love for Sale'' saga and ''Airtight's Revenge''
![Bilal 2008](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Bilal_2008.jpg)
In the following years Bilal continued to appear on projects by other artists of both high profile and avant garde, while recording and developing his follow-up set to be released on
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mus ...
and featuring contributions primarily from producers
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and ...
and
J Dilla
J, or j, is the tenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its usual name in English is ''jay'' (pronounced ), with a now-uncommon varia ...
. These plans proved to be changeable and the final result, ''
Love for Sale'', was an album that appeared to be built around Bilal's own musicianship. Bilal switched it up on ''Love For Sale'', which includes live instrumentation and a vibe completely new and different from its predecessor.
Bilal's anticipation for the album was shot down, however, after receiving disapproval from Interscope. Unwilling to start from scratch, Bilal continued to push his LP. However, near the album's completion, the album was leaked in its entirety on the Internet.
Interscope shelved the album indefinitely, hinting that it saw little commercial potential in it. The event sent Bilal into a period of distress, and he was considering quitting music; however, ''Love for Sale'' received over half a million downloads on the Internet, and Bilal began touring, despite there not being a proper release of the album. His concerts were known for being intense and inspiring awe among audiences.
In 2008, Bilal began recording for his next album. After nine years without a properly released album, Bilal made a comeback on September 14, 2010, with ''
Airtight's Revenge
''Airtight's Revenge'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Bilal. It was released on September 6, 2010, by the independent record label Plug Research, his first album for the label.
Bilal began composing music for the album us ...
'', a sophomore LP released under independent record label
Plug Research
Plug Research is an independent record label, based in Los Angeles, California, US.
Created by Allen Avanessian in 1994, the label specialized in IDM, folktronica and experimental music.
The label began with young artists that have made its rep ...
. Bilal describes it as a retrospective: an album that explores his experiences and things he has learned since his last release. An experimental album, ''Airtight's Revenge'' blends jazz, hip-hop, electronic, rock, soul, and blues into one raw, genuine collection of music. The album's single, "Little One", earned Bilal a nomination a 2011
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
nomination in the category of
Best Urban/Alternative Performance. That year, he also contributed as a guest performer to the Roots' Grammy-nominated album ''
Undun
''Undun'' is the tenth studio album by American hip hop band The Roots. It was released on December 6, 2011, by Def Jam Recordings.
The album was recorded in sessions at several studios in Philadelphia and New York City. Production was handled ...
'' (2011) and the
Robert Glasper Experiment's Grammy-winning ''
Black Radio
''Black Radio'' is the fifth studio album by American jazz pianist/hip hop producer Robert Glasper, recorded with his electric quartet, the Robert Glasper Experiment. Released on February 28, 2012, on the Blue Note label, the album won Best R&B Al ...
'' (2012).
2012–2019: Further independent albums and guest projects
![Bilal - Stockholm 2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Bilal_-_Stockholm_2011.jpg)
In 2012, Bilal revealed plans for a new album under a new label,
eOne Music
MNRK Music Group (pronounced "monarch", formerly known as Koch Records and eOne Music) is a New York City-based independent record label and music management company. It was formed in 2009 from the music assets of Koch Entertainment, which had b ...
. During several interviews, he described the new project as "a lot warmer and
ore
Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically containing metals, that can be mined, treated and sold at a profit.Encyclopædia Britannica. "Ore". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 7 April 2 ...
sensual" than its conceptual predecessor. The new album, titled ''
A Love Surreal'', has a more acoustic sound, as Bilal worked closely with his entire band. To set up the album's release, on December 5, 2012, he released a mixtape titled ''The Retrospection'' via
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
and then the album's lead single "Back to Love" six days later. The song's music video was released on January 8, 2013, telling the story of a drug-addicted love doctor who ironically uses the advice he gives to his patients to help his own relationship. The song sets the tone for the album, which Bilal says embodies "the whole process
f love meeting, the break-up,
ndthe get-back-together". ''A Love Surreal'' was released on February 26, 2013.
With the release of ''A Love Surreal'', Bilal immediately achieved commercial success, debuting at No.1 on iTunes' R&B Chart. On ''Billboard'', the album debuted at No.17 on the Independent Albums Chart, No.19 on the R&B Albums Chart, and No.103 on the ''Billboard'' 200, ranking higher than its predecessor, ''Airtight's Revenge''. The album also received numerous high reviews, including an 8/10 from ''SPIN'' magazine, 4.5/5 stars from
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 ...
, and 4/4 stars from ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
''.
In between albums, Bilal appeared on albums by a variety of recording artists, including
Kimbra
Kimbra Lee Johnson (born 27 March 1990), known mononymously as Kimbra, is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. Known for mixing pop with R&B, jazz and rock musical elements, her accolades include four ARIA Music Awards, two Grammy Awards and se ...
, Otis Brown III,
Kat Dahlia
Katriana Sandra Huguet (born July 29, 1990), better known by her stage name Kat Dahlia (formerly Kat Hue), is a Cuban-American recording artist. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Dahlia is a singer, songwriter and rapper, known for her "razor ...
, and
Slum Village.
His guest contributions to
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his Progressive rap, progressive musical styles and Social consciousness, socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most infl ...
's third album ''
To Pimp a Butterfly
''To Pimp a Butterfly'' is the third studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on March 15, 2015, by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The album was recorded in studios throughout the Uni ...
'' (2015) helped create buzz for Bilal's fifth album, ''
In Another Life'',
released in 2015 to critical success.
In an essay on the Soulquarians published that year, Michael A. Gonzales traces the collective's impact to Bilal's contemporary contributions: "Listening to Kendrick Lamar's newest album ''
To Pimp a Butterfly
''To Pimp a Butterfly'' is the third studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on March 15, 2015, by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The album was recorded in studios throughout the Uni ...
'', Bilal has transformed himself into an arty
Nate Dogg
Nathaniel Dwayne Hale (August 19, 1969 – March 15, 2011), known professionally as Nate Dogg, was an American singer and rapper. He gained recognition for providing guest vocals for a multitude of hit rap songs between 1992 and 2007, earning the ...
for the post-Soulquarian generation that includes
Robert Glasper
Robert Andre Glasper (born April 6, 1978) is an American pianist, record producer, songwriter, and musical arranger with a career that bridges several different musical and artistic genres, mostly centered on jazz. To date, Glasper has won fou ...
,
Esperanza Spalding
Esperanza Emily Spalding (born October 18, 1984) is an American bassist, singer, songwriter, and composer. Her accolades include five Grammy Awards, a Boston Music Award, and a Soul Train Music Award.
A native of Portland, Oregon, Spalding be ...
and, now, Kendrick.
Also writing that year, ''
Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
'' journalist Kevin Jones said, "Bilal's years spent in career limbo feel like a relatively minor blip in the wake of the many artistically ambitious personal releases and guest projects the uncompromising singer has managed to string together in recent years."
In 2019, Bilal contributed to
Philip Bailey
Philip James Bailey (born May 8, 1951) is an American R&B, soul, gospel and funk singer, songwriter and percussionist, best known as an early member and one of the two lead singers (along with group founder Maurice White) of the band Earth, Wi ...
's single "We're a Winner", a recording of
the Impressions
The Impressions were an American music group originally formed in 1958. Their repertoire includes gospel, doo-wop, R&B, and soul.
The group was founded as the Roosters by Chattanooga, Tennessee natives Sam Gooden, Richard Brooks and Arthur Bro ...
'
1967 song of the same name. Bailey said of Bilal, who sang guest vocals and appeared in the music video: "Bilal was one of those singers who uses his
oicelike an instrument. And he's very explorative with his vocal
ange
Ange (English: Angel) is a French progressive rock band formed in September 1969 by the Décamps brothers, Francis (keyboards) and Christian (vocals, accordion, acoustic guitar and keyboards).
Since its inception the band's music has been inspi ...
He's played and he sang on things with more jazzy guys, too. I thought that our voices — obviously having those falsettos — would complement one another. And with that one, we actually sent him the files. I wasn't even in the studio with Bilal when he did his stuff."
2020: Live-streamed EP amid pandemic
In August 2020, over the course of a three-day weekend, Bilal
live stream
Livestreaming is streaming media simultaneously recorded and broadcast in real-time over the internet. It is often referred to simply as streaming. Non-live media such as video-on-demand, vlogs, and YouTube videos are technically streamed, but no ...
ed his creation of an experimental three-song EP for HighBreedMusic, a Brooklyn recording studio and digital music channel. He wrote, recorded, and produced one song each day, totaling 54 hours, in collaboration with producer Tariq Khan and 30 other musicians, including Erykah Badu, Robert Glasper, Tone Whitfield, Khemist, Simon Mavin (of
Hiatus Kaiyote
Hiatus Kaiyote () is an Australian jazz/funk band formed in Melbourne in 2011, made up of singer/guitarist Nai Palm, bassist Paul Bender, keyboardist Simon Mavin, and drummer Perrin Moss.
History 2011–2013: Formation and ''Tawk Tomahawk''
In ...
),
Keyon Harrold
Keyon Karim Harrold (born November 18, 1980) is an American jazz trumpeter, vocalist, songwriter, and producer.
Early life and family
Keyon Harrold was born and raised in Ferguson, Missouri, United States, one of 16 children in a family of music ...
, Madison McFerrin,
Marcus Strickland
Marcus Strickland (born February 24, 1979) is an American jazz soprano, alto, and tenor saxophonist. He was born in Gainesville, Florida, and grew up in Miami. ''Down Beat'' magazine's Critics' Poll named him 'Rising Star on Tenor Saxophone' in 2 ...
, Yahzarah Sinclair,
Raymond Angry,
Ben Williams,
Brandee Younger
Brandee Younger (born July 1, 1983) is an American harpist. Younger infuses classical, jazz, soul, and funk influences to the harp tradition pioneered by her predecessors and idols Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane. Younger leads her own ensemble ...
, Big Yuki, Melanie Charles,
Marcus Gilmore
Marcus Gilmore (born October 10, 1986) is an American drummer. In 2009, ''New York Times'' critic Ben Ratliff included Gilmore in his list of drummers who are "finding new ways to look at the drum set, and at jazz itself", saying, "he created th ...
, and
Louis Cato
Louis Cato is the bandleader for The Late Show Band, the house band for ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert''. Cato is a multi-instrumentalist who plays bass, guitar, percussion, low brass, and others, in addition to vocals. He is also a song ...
. Each participant worked
remotely due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. The stream simultaneously showed the EP's artwork being made, with a group of three visual artists enlisted for each song, including Angelbert Metoyer and Shanina Dionna.
The EP was available to be pre-ordered during the weekend of the live stream, with sales and optional donations given to the participating artists, a number of whom were in financial difficulties because of the pandemic. On September 6, it was released on
Bandcamp
Bandcamp is an American online audio distribution platform founded in 2007 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with headquarters in Oakland, California, US. On March 2, 2022, Bandcamp ...
as a three-track digital download titled ''
Voyage-19'', for a price of $6.99, the profits of which were also distributed among the participants.
Discography
Studio albums
*''
1st Born Second
''1st Born Second'' is the debut album by the American singer-songwriter Bilal, released on July 27, 2001, by Interscope Records. Bilal recorded the album at Electric Lady Studios in New York with a host of record producers, including Aaron Comes ...
'' (2001)
*''
Love for Sale'' (2001–2003; leaked 2006)
*''
Airtight's Revenge
''Airtight's Revenge'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Bilal. It was released on September 6, 2010, by the independent record label Plug Research, his first album for the label.
Bilal began composing music for the album us ...
'' (2010)
*''
A Love Surreal'' (2013)
*''
In Another Life'' (2015)
EPs
*''
Voyage-19'' (2020)
Mixtapes
*''The Return of Mr. Wonderful'' (2007)
*''The Retrospection'' (2012)
Singles
*"
Love It"; No. 61 R&B
*"
Soul Sista
''Soul Sista'' is the debut studio album by American R&B singer KeKe Wyatt. It was released on November 13, 2001, by MCA Records. The album's writing and production was entirely credited to Steve Huff. The album debuted at number 33 on the US ...
"; No. 71 US, No. 18 R&B
*"
Fast Lane; No. 41 R&B
*"Something To Hold On To"
*"Restart"
*"
Little One"
*"Levels"
*"Back To Love"
*"West Side Girl"
Appearances
;Songs:
1999
*Grenique on "Let Go", "You Say" and "Love Within" from ''Black Butterfly''
2000
*
Guru
Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...
and
J Dilla
J, or j, is the tenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its usual name in English is ''jay'' (pronounced ), with a now-uncommon varia ...
, on "Certified" from ''
Jazzmatazz, Vol. 3: Streetsoul''
2001
*
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and DJ.
Early life
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born on September 23, 1972, the son of Tina (Mosley) and Michael ...
on "Supafly" from ''Instructions''
*"Bring 2" on ''
The Wash (soundtrack)
''The Wash (The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' is the soundtrack to DJ Pooh's 2001 comedy film ''The Wash''. It was released on November 6, 2001 by Aftermath Entertainment, Doggy Style Records, and Interscope Records. Composed of seventee ...
''
2002
*
Scratch, on "Square One" from ''The Embodiment of Instrumentation''
*
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene (; born October 3, 1975) is an American rapper. He earned recognition early on through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's musical career continued with ...
on "Waitin' for the DJ" & "Talkin' to You" from ''
Quality
Quality may refer to:
Concepts
*Quality (business), the ''non-inferiority'' or ''superiority'' of something
*Quality (philosophy), an attribute or a property
*Quality (physics), in response theory
*Energy quality, used in various science discipli ...
''
*Da Ranjahz &
Ras Kass
John R. Austin II (born September 26, 1973), better known by his stage name Ras Kass, is an American rapper. He is a member of the hip hop Supergroup (music), supergroup The HRSMN, along with Canibus, Killah Priest, and Kurupt in 2014. He is als ...
on "Da Dopest"
*
Jaguar Wright
Jacquelyn Suzette Wright-Johnson (born May 17, 1977), better known by her stage name, Jaguar Wright, is an American R&B and neo soul singer, songwriter and narrator. She is part of the Okayplayer collective. Wright has performed and collaborate ...
on "I Can't Wait" from ''Denials Delusions and Decisions''
*
Tweet on "Best Friend" from ''
Southern Hummingbird
''Southern Hummingbird'' is the debut studio album by American singer Tweet, released on April 2, 2002, by The Goldmind Inc. and Elektra Records. The album features production by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, Timbaland, Craig Brockman, Nisan St ...
''
*Cherokee, on "A Woman Knows" from ''Soul Parade''
*John Ellis, on "John Brown's Gun", "Nowny Dreams" and "The Lonely Jesus" from ''Roots, Branches & Leaves''
2003
*
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
on "Everything I Do", from the soundtrack of ''
The Fighting Temptations
''The Fighting Temptations'' is a 2003 American musical comedy film directed by Jonathan Lynn, written by Elizabeth Hunter and Saladin K. Patterson, and distributed by Paramount Pictures and MTV Films. The main plot revolves around Darrin Hill (C ...
''
*
Musiq
Taalib Hassan Johnson (born September 16, 1977), better known by the stage name Musiq Soulchild or simply Musiq (pronounced "music") is an American singer and songwriter whose style blends R&B, funk, blues, jazz, and gospel influences fused w ...
on "Dontstop/Her" from ''
Soulstar''
2004
*Boney James's "Better With Time", from ''Pure''
*
Robert Glasper
Robert Andre Glasper (born April 6, 1978) is an American pianist, record producer, songwriter, and musical arranger with a career that bridges several different musical and artistic genres, mostly centered on jazz. To date, Glasper has won fou ...
on "Maiden Voyage" and "Don't Close Your Eyes" from ''Mood''
*
Max Herre
Maximilian Herre (born 22 April 1973) is a German rapper, singer-songwriter and music producer who rose to fame as a member of the group Freundeskreis. He is also A&R for the record label Nesola, a joint venture with his wife Joy Denalane, amon ...
on "Playground" from ''Max Herre''
2005
*
Robert Glasper
Robert Andre Glasper (born April 6, 1978) is an American pianist, record producer, songwriter, and musical arranger with a career that bridges several different musical and artistic genres, mostly centered on jazz. To date, Glasper has won fou ...
on "Chant" from ''Canvas''
*Luvpark on "Fade Away" and "Luvtheme" from ''Luvpark''
2006
*Pete Kuzma on "High and Dry" from ''Exit Music:
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass) ...
Tribute''
*
Clipse
Clipse, also known as The Clipse, is an American hip hop duo, chiefly active from 1994 to 2010. It consists of brothers Gene "No Malice" and Terrence "Pusha T" Thornton. Pusha T was known as Terrar during the group's early years, while No Mal ...
and
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he ...
, on "Nightmares" from ''
Hell Hath No Fury
Hell Hath No Fury may refer to:
Literature
* "Hell hath no fury", an interpreted line based on a quotation from the 1697 play ''The Mourning Bride'' by William Congreve
* ''Hell Hath No Fury'', a 1951 novel by Sydney James Bounds, writing as Re ...
''
*A-Alikes on "What You Give" from ''I Eat You Eat''
2007
*
Hezekiah
Hezekiah (; hbo, , Ḥīzqīyyahū), or Ezekias); grc, Ἐζεκίας 'Ezekías; la, Ezechias; also transliterated as or ; meaning "Yahweh, Yah shall strengthen" (born , sole ruler ), was the son of Ahaz and the 13th king of Kingdom of Jud ...
on "Looking Up" from ''I Predict a Riot''
*
Timbo King
Timbo may refer to:
* Timbó, a municipality in Brazil
* Timbo, Arkansas, a town in the United States
* Timbo, Guinea, a town in Guinea
* Timbo blanco or ''Albizia inundata'', a tropical tree with light wood
* Timbo King (born 1973)
See also
* Th ...
&
The Last Poets
The Last Poets are several groups of poets and musicians who arose from the late 1960s African-American civil rights movement's black nationalism. The name is taken from a poem by the South African revolutionary poet Keorapetse Kgositsile, who bel ...
on "Trust Factor" from ''Spookz Who Kicked Down The Door''
*
Sa-Ra
Sa-Ra is an American musical group based in Los Angeles, California, also known by its full name, The Sa-Ra Creative Partners. The group is composed of Om'Mas Keith, Taz Arnold, and Shafiq Husayn. The name translates roughly to "the children of G ...
on "Sweet Sour You" from ''
The Hollywood Recordings
''The Hollywood Recordings'' is the first studio album by American hip hop group Sa-Ra Creative Partners. It was released on Babygrande Records
Babygrande Records is an American independent record label based in New York City, founded by Chu ...
''
*
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
on "Fallin'" from ''
American Gangster''
*The Randy Watson Experience on "Can't Hide Love" from ''
Interpretations: Celebrating the Music of Earth, Wind & Fire''
*
Common
Common may refer to:
Places
* Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
* Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts
* Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts
* Clapham Common, originally com ...
on "Play Your Cards Right" from ''
Smokin' Aces
''Smokin' Aces'' is a 2006 American action comedy film written and directed by Joe Carnahan. The film centers on the chase for Las Vegas magician turned mafia informant Robert 'Buddy Aces' Israel (Jeremy Piven), on whom a one-million-dollar bounty ...
'' soundtrack.
2008
*
Ghostface Killah
Dennis Coles (born May 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and a member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of ''Enter the Wu-Tang (36 C ...
& Prodigy of
Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep was an American hip hop duo from New York City. The duo consisted of rappers Prodigy and Havoc. They are considered to be among the principal progenitors of hardcore East Coast hip hopEdwards, Paul, 2009, ''How to Rap: The Art & Scien ...
on "Trials of Life" off an unknown
DJ Green Lantern
James Christopher D'Agostino (born July 7, 1975), professionally known as DJ Green Lantern, is an American hip hop DJ and producer from Rochester, New York. In 2002, D'Agostino was signed by American rapper Eminem, to become the official DJ for S ...
mixtape.
*
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu (), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the ...
on "The Healer", "My People", "Soldier", "Twinkle" & "Master Teacher" from ''
New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)
''New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)'' is the fourth studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Erykah Badu. It was released on February 26, 2008, by Universal Motown following Badu's hiatus from recording music due to writer's block. I ...
''
*
The Game (rapper)
Jayceon Terrell Taylor (born November 29, 1979), better known by his stage name the Game or simply Game, is an American rapper. Born in Compton, California, he initially released a series of mixtapes under the wing of fellow West Coast rapper J ...
on "Cali Sunshine" from ''
LAX
Los Angeles International Airport , commonly referred to as LAX (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles, California and its surrounding metropolitan area. LAX is located in the W ...
''
*
Solange
Solange (died 10 May, c. 880) was a Frankish shepherdess and a locally venerated Christian saint and cephalophore, whose cult is restricted to Sainte-Solange, Cher. Saint Solange was the patron of the traditional Province of Berry, of which Che ...
on "Cosmic Journey" from ''
Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams
''Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams'' is the second studio album by American R&B singer and songwriter Solange. It was released on August 26, 2008, by Geffen Records. Solange was heavily influenced by the "Motown Sound" of the 1960s and 1970s ...
''
*
M.O.P.
M.O.P. (short for Mash Out Posse) is an American hip hop duo composed of East Coast rappers Billy Danze and Lil' Fame. The song " Ante Up", was released on their ''Warriorz'' album in 2000. The group has frequently collaborated with DJ Premi ...
on "Get Rich"
*
88-Keys
Charles Misodi Njapa (born March 5, 1976), better known by his stage name 88-Keys, is an American record producer and rapper from New York City.
Biography
Born in New York City to West African parents from Cameroon, he was raised in the Eastches ...
on "M.I.L.F." from ''
The Death of Adam
''The Death of Adam'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop producer and rapper 88-Keys. Released on November 11, 2008, the album features guest appearances by Kanye West, Kid Cudi, J*Davey, Redman, Bilal, Phonte of Little Brother, an ...
''
*
Scarface on "Can't Get It Right" from ''
Emeritus
''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...
''
*
J Dilla
J, or j, is the tenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its usual name in English is ''jay'' (pronounced ), with a now-uncommon varia ...
on "Remember"
2009
*
Zap Mama
Zap Mama is the music act of Belgian artist Marie Daulne. Zap Mama sings polyphonic and afro-pop music, a harmonic music with a mixture of infused African vocal techniques, urban, hip hop with emphasis on voice. The worldwide success of Zap Mam ...
on "The Way You Are", from ''ReCreation''
*Shafiq Husayn on "Cheeba" from ''En' A-Free-Ka'' (
Plug Research
Plug Research is an independent record label, based in Los Angeles, California, US.
Created by Allen Avanessian in 1994, the label specialized in IDM, folktronica and experimental music.
The label began with young artists that have made its rep ...
)
*
Robert Glasper
Robert Andre Glasper (born April 6, 1978) is an American pianist, record producer, songwriter, and musical arranger with a career that bridges several different musical and artistic genres, mostly centered on jazz. To date, Glasper has won fou ...
's "All Matter" and "Open Mind" from ''
Double-Booked
''Double Booked'' is an album by jazz pianist and composer Robert Glasper, released on the Blue Note Records, Blue Note label on August 25, 2009. The album is Glasper's third for Blue Note.
Track listing
All songs composed by Robert Glasper exc ...
''
*The
Terence Blanchard
Terence Oliver Blanchard (born March 13, 1962) is an American trumpeter and composer. He started his career in 1982 as a member of the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, then The Jazz Messengers. He has composed more than forty film scores and performed ...
Group's "Journey" and "When Will You Call" from ''
Choices
A choice is the range of different things from which a being can choose. The arrival at a choice may incorporate motivators and models. For example, a traveler might choose a route for a journey based on the preference of arriving at a given ...
''
*Marvwon on "Need To Know" from ''
Way Of The Won
Marvin O'Neal, professionally known by his stage name Marv Won, is an American rapper and record producer from east side Detroit, Michigan. He is a member of underground hip hop group the Fat Killahz (with Fatt Father, Bang Belushi and King Go ...
''
2010
*
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu (), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the ...
on "Jump in the Air & Stay There" from ''
New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)
''New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)'' is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Erykah Badu, first released on March 30, 2010, through Universal Motown. Collaborating with several hip hop producers over the Internet, Badu co ...
''
*
Little Brother and
Darien Brockington
Little Brother is an American hip hop duo from Durham, North Carolina that consists of rappers Phonte and Big Pooh. DJ and producer 9th Wonder was an original member of the group but departed in 2007. The group has produced five acclaimed studio ...
on "Second Chances" from ''The Leftback''
*
Reflection Eternal
Reflection Eternal is an American hip hop duo composed of emcee Talib Kweli and producer Hi-Tek. They released their first album, ''Train of Thought'', in 2000. They have since released a mixtape, ''The RE: Union'', in late December 2009, and t ...
on "End" from ''
Revolutions per Minute
Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines.
Standards
ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...
''
*
Nottz
Dominick J. Lamb, (born February 21, 1977) better known by his stage name Nottz (or Nottz Raw), is an American hip hop record producer and rapper from Norfolk, Virginia. Nottz has produced for some of the biggest names in hip hop, including Bu ...
on "Right Here" from ''You Need This Music''
*
Diddy – Dirty Money
Diddy – Dirty Money was a musical duo consisting of singer-songwriters and dancers Dawn Richard and Kalenna Harper in 2009; both artists having been signed to Bad Boy Entertainment.Sherwin, Adam (2010)Preview: Hello, Good Morning from Diddy a ...
on "Shades feat.
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
,
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...
, James Fauntleroy" from ''
Last Train to Paris
''Last Train to Paris'' is a 2010 studio album by American rapper and record producer Diddy and American R&B and hip hop duo Dirty Money, billed collectively as "Diddy – Dirty Money". It was released on December 14, 2010, by Bad Boy Records an ...
''
2011
*
Daedelus on "Overwhelmed" from ''
Bespoke
The word ''bespoke'' () has evolved from a verb meaning 'to speak for something', to its contemporary usage as an adjective. Originally, the adjective ''bespoke'' described tailor-made suits and shoes. Later, it described anything commissioned t ...
''
*
Kindred the Family Soul
Kindred the Family Soul, also referred to as simply Kindred, is an American neo soul duo consisting of married couple Fatin Dantzler (born in 1973 in Camden, New Jersey) and Aja Graydon (born September 25, 1978 in Los Angeles, California). Signed ...
on "Take a Look Around" from ''
Love Has No Recession
''Love Has No Recession'' is the fourth studio album by American neo soul group Kindred the Family Soul. It was released on July 26, 2011 by Shanachie Records.
Singles
*"Magic Happens" was the first single from ''Love Has No Recession'', and was ...
''
*Stimulus & Chris 'Daddy' Dave on "Full Grown" from ''3rd 1st Impression''
*
Georgia Anne Muldrow
Georgia Anne Muldrow (born 1983) is an American musician from Los Angeles, California. In 2008, she co-founded the SomeOthaShip Connect record label with fellow artist and former husband Dudley Perkins.
Life and career
Georgia Anne Muldrow grew ...
on "More & More" from ''Owed to Mama Rickie''
*
The Roots
The Roots are an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy F ...
on "The OtherSide" from ''
Undun
''Undun'' is the tenth studio album by American hip hop band The Roots. It was released on December 6, 2011, by Def Jam Recordings.
The album was recorded in sessions at several studios in Philadelphia and New York City. Production was handled ...
''
2012
*
Robert Glasper
Robert Andre Glasper (born April 6, 1978) is an American pianist, record producer, songwriter, and musical arranger with a career that bridges several different musical and artistic genres, mostly centered on jazz. To date, Glasper has won fou ...
on "Always Shine Ft.
Lupe Fiasco
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco ( ), is an American rapper, singer, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his debut album, ''Lupe Fiasco's ...
" & "Letter to Hermione" from ''
Black Radio
''Black Radio'' is the fifth studio album by American jazz pianist/hip hop producer Robert Glasper, recorded with his electric quartet, the Robert Glasper Experiment. Released on February 28, 2012, on the Blue Note label, the album won Best R&B Al ...
''
*
Lupe Fiasco
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco ( ), is an American rapper, singer, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his debut album, ''Lupe Fiasco's ...
on "How Dare You" from ''
Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1''
*
Chrisette Michele
Chrisette Michele Payne (born December 8, 1982) is an American R&B and soul singer. She won a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in 2009 for her song " Be OK" (featuring will.i.am).
She was previously signed to Motown Record ...
on "Can the Cool Be Loved?" from ''Better''
2014
*
Kimbra
Kimbra Lee Johnson (born 27 March 1990), known mononymously as Kimbra, is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. Known for mixing pop with R&B, jazz and rock musical elements, her accolades include four ARIA Music Awards, two Grammy Awards and se ...
on "Everlovin' Ya" from ''
The Golden Echo
''The Golden Echo'' is the second studio album by New Zealand recording artist Kimbra, released by Warner Bros. Records in the United States on 19 August 2014.
Background
Kimbra was inspired by Greek mythology for the album and spent time in a s ...
''
2015
*
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his Progressive rap, progressive musical styles and Social consciousness, socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most infl ...
on "Institutionalized" and "These Walls" from ''
To Pimp A Butterfly
''To Pimp a Butterfly'' is the third studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on March 15, 2015, by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The album was recorded in studios throughout the Uni ...
''
2016
*Kendrick Lamar on "untitled 01 , 8.19.2014." from ''
untitled unmastered.''
*
J Dilla
J, or j, is the tenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its usual name in English is ''jay'' (pronounced ), with a now-uncommon varia ...
on "The Ex" from ''
The Diary''
*
Mac Miller
Malcolm James McCormick (January 19, 1992 – September 7, 2018), known professionally as Mac Miller, was an American rapper and record producer. Miller began his career in Pittsburgh's hip hop scene in 2007, at the age of fifteen. In 2010, h ...
on "Congratulations" from ''
The Divine Feminine
''The Divine Feminine'' is the fourth studio album by American rapper Mac Miller. It was released on September 16, 2016, by REMember Music and Warner Bros. Records. The album features guest appearances from Kendrick Lamar, Anderson .Paak, Ty Dol ...
''
2017
*
The Roots
The Roots are an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy F ...
on "It Ain't Fair" from "
Detroit (film)
''Detroit'' is a 2017 American period crime drama film directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by Mark Boal. Based on the Algiers Motel incident during Detroit's 1967 12th Street Riot, the film's release commemorated the 50th anniversary of the e ...
" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack/Audio
*
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene (; born October 3, 1975) is an American rapper. He earned recognition early on through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's musical career continued with ...
, Datcha,
Robert Glasper
Robert Andre Glasper (born April 6, 1978) is an American pianist, record producer, songwriter, and musical arranger with a career that bridges several different musical and artistic genres, mostly centered on jazz. To date, Glasper has won fou ...
on "Write At Home" from
Radio Silence
In telecommunications, radio silence or Emissions Control (EMCON) is a status in which all fixed or mobile radio stations in an area are asked to stop transmitting for safety or security reasons.
The term "radio station" may include anything cap ...
2018
*The Putbacks on "The Ways" from ''The Putbacks'' (
HopeStreet Recordings)
2020
*
Salaam Remi
Salaam Remi Gibbs (born May 14, 1972) is a Grammy winning American record producer known for his association with Nas, Amy Winehouse, Robby, Fugees, Fergie, Estelle, Black Thought, and Miguel, and for his reggae-tinged (often referred to as ...
on "Comin' Outta The Rain"
;with
Common
Common may refer to:
Places
* Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
* Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts
* Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts
* Clapham Common, originally com ...
*"Funky For You" (Common &
Jill Scott) from ''
Like Water for Chocolate''
*"Nag Champa (Afrodesiac for the World)" from ''Like Water for Chocolate''
*"
The 6th Sense" from ''Like Water for Chocolate''
*"Heaven Somewhere" from ''
Electric Circus
''Electric Circus '' (also known as ''EC'') was a Canadian live dance music television program that aired on MuchMusic and Citytv from September 16, 1988 to December 12, 2003. The name originated from a nightclub that once existed at Citytv's fir ...
''
*"Aquarius" from ''Electric Circus''
*"Star69 (PS With Love)" from ''Electric Circus''
*"Faithful" (Common &
John Legend
John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Ever ...
) from ''
Be''
*"It's Your World/Pop's Reprise" from ''Be''
*"U, Black Maybe" from ''
Finding Forever
''Finding Forever'' is the seventh studio album by Common, released on July 31, 2007, on GOOD Music and Geffen Records. Like Common's previous album, '' Be'' (2005), ''Finding Forever'' is primarily produced by Kanye West. The album debuted at th ...
''
*"Misunderstood" from ''Finding Forever''
*"Play Your Cards Right" from ''Finding Forever''
*"Joy and Peace" from
Black America Again
''Black America Again'' is the eleventh studio album by American rapper Common. It was released on November 4, 2016, by ARTium Recordings and Def Jam Recordings.
''Black America Again'' was supported by two singles: "Love Star" and "Black America ...
*"Home" from "Black America Again"
*"A Bigger Picture Called Free" from "Black America Again"
*"Letter To The Free" from "Black America Again"
Awards and nominations
Tours
Little One Tour (2011)
References
External links
Official site*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bilal
1979 births
Living people
Interscope Records artists
21st-century African-American male singers
Grammy Award winners for rap music
American neo soul singers
Musicians from Philadelphia
American hip hop singers
Singers from Pennsylvania
Soulquarians members
Plug Research artists
MNRK Music Group artists