On his debut, Bilal, the young, uncategorizable music world from Philadelphia, blends together some of the most beautiful riffs and rhythms of several musical genres. The twenty one-year-old has been categorized as rock, contemporary R&B, soul, urban, and jazz. Drawing on an extensive background in all these areas, his debut album, 1st born second is a true collection of some of the great sounds of urban music.

Despite his young age, the self-confessed “jazz-junkie” has several years of formal musical experience beneath his belt. Growing up in Philadelphia, he was enrolled in the prestigious Mannes Music Conservatory, where he gained a solid background in the classics, even learning to sing opera in seven languages. Raised on the sounds of Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, and Prince, the young musician used this wide range of styles to develop his own soulful urban flow.

Picked up by the founders of Moyo Music in a Philly barbershop, Bilal was signed and moved to New York to play gigs and further develop his style. Singer/songwriter Erykah Badu soon picked up word of the upcoming young star and quickly began using his writing and vocal power for several of her own recordings. With his foot in the door, Bilal was signed by Interscope Records and released his debut album earlier this year.

Although the LP is most easily characterized as soul or R&B, Bilal incorporates other styles of contemporary music, blended with his own unique creations. One of the highlight tracks, “Reminisce,” calls upon the skills of hip-hop contemporaries Mos Def and Common (Bilal’s work can also be found on Common’s Like Water for Chocolate).

Bilal’s soothing verses and a jazzy backbeat are wonderfully overdubbed with the flowing rhymes of these hip-hop giants. One of the most beautiful, unassuming cuts is the harmonic ballad “All That I Am,” which combines Bilal’s cooing verses with an addictive chorus sung by a harem of talented jazz singers. One of the more popular songs on the album, “Soul Sister” is a purely soulful track already released on the Love and Basketball soundtrack. The second to last track, “Slyde” departs from the usual soul feel of the album by introducing a reggae rhythm and beat and background vocals reminiscent of the golden days of Motown. Other highlights are “Love It,” “Fast Lane,” and the mainly instrumental “C’Mere.”

A truly eclectic record and work of a quality that is often lacking in contemporary R&B-soul fusion, Bilal is still an up-and-coming force who has much time and experimentation ahead. A member of the Soul Aquarians, Bilal joins the ranks of Erykah Badu, Mos Def, and D’Angelo among the hybrid artists who are breathing new life and creativity into the music industry.

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Popularity: unranked [?]

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