Čeprav se njegova dejavnost razpenja čez razne žanre – od novega soula do rocka -, pa Bilal zase pravi, da »čuti, da je najprej jazzovski glasbenik«. Da pridemo do te ugotovitve sami, je dovolj, da doživimo enega njegovih nastopov – ti so vedno delno improvizirani in vsakič drugačni, kar pri izvajalcih vokalistih ni ravno pogosta praksa.
At the core of his artistic expression lies a very concrete foundation – he studied jazz at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York. More important than the studies themselves, which he did not complete, is the fact that he met Robert Glasper there. They went on to collaborate extensively, and through Glasper he connected with artists such as Q-Tip and Mos Def.
A singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, he is regarded as one of the most distinctive musicians at the intersection of contemporary R&B, neo-soul, and jazz in the United States, and as one of the key innovators of modern African American music. He is admired for his wide vocal range and improvisational skill, as well as for his ability to seamlessly blend and move between genres – and above all for being a unique performer known for unforgettable live shows.
He released his debut album 1st Born Second in 2001, collaborating with producers such as Dr. Dre, James Poyser, and J Dilla. Listing all the artists he has worked with would hardly make sense, but it is worth noting that in the pivotal period of the late 1990s, he was deeply embedded in the exceptionally vibrant and influential rap and neo-soul community in New York.
His remarkable engagement earned him a place in the exploratory collective Soulquarians – a group of creators blending jazz, soul, and hip-hop influences (including figures such as D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Questlove, Talib Kweli, and Raphael Saadiq). It was a truly unique—if not revolutionary—circle that redefined Black American popular music, and whose innovations continue to resonate today.
As a featured artist on the song “These Walls” by Kendrick Lamar, he received a Grammy Award (he also contributed to several tracks on the album To Pimp a Butterfly). His performance with The Roots is often cited as one of the most compelling in the entire Tiny Desk Concerts series, and last year he released his latest album Adjust Brightness. Still, all of this represents only fragments of the remarkable credentials of an extraordinary performer.
- Bilal – vocals
- Randy Runyon – guitar
- Conley “Tone” Whitfield – bass
- Joseph Grissett aka Joe Blaxx – drums
