For Bilal Sayeed Oliver, dreams started falling into place quite rapidly. A self-confessed jazz junkie from Philadelphia, PA, Bilal started out by singing in small clubs until he began training in jazz and big band arrangements at the Mannes Music Conservatory in New York. With this formal training, the young singer/songwriter learned to sing opera in seven languages.
His debut album, 1st Born Second (Moyo Music/Interscope, 2001), is a collection of songs entirely by the artist himself, right down to the music, lyric, and note. His single "Soul Sista" appears on the Love and Basketball movie soundtrack. In addition, Bilal sang the hook on Common's "The 6th Sense" with neo-soul singer Jill Scott. He also scats and plays keyboards. Bilal has appeared on Common's Like Water for Chocolate, Guru's Jazzmatazz Street Soul, and has written and produced for the likes of Erykah Badu.
Bilal, the same musician who has called jazz "the original booty shake," is also known for heaping truth in his music. Talks of record contracts came about when Bilal met brothers Fa and Damu Mtume, creators of Moyo Entertainment in 1995 at a Philly barbershop. After hearing his demo, the Mtumes asked Bilal if he was interested in becoming a recording artist. Eventually Bilal moved to Brooklyn, New York, and began gigging around the city until his tape landed in the hands of Erykah Badu, for whom he appears and produces on her Mama's Gun album (UNI/Motown, 2000).
Bilal is a member of the Soul Aquarians collective, along with Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, Q-Tip, and D'Angelo. |
