Last night, I was blessed with a show from the most guerrilla artist in the game today. Bilal has not released an album since his debut, 1st Born Second, which came out in 2001. How can he still sell out venues and have the audience singing along vehemently to songs that have never seen an official release? Ponder on that for a second. We have had a two-term president serve his tenure and leave office before having heard another Bilal album, and he can still sell out places and headline. how is this possible you ask?
1st Born Second dropped during the Soulquarian era, which coincided with releases such as D'Angelo's Voodoo, The Roots's Things Fall Apart, Common's Like Water For Chocolate, Badu's Mama's Gun and the like. Black music was very well represented at that time. Every album under the Soulquarian umbrella had deep roots in soul music: music for the soul. When that period ended, it left a large void in the music scene. Common's creative career died and went to the Mainstream Afterlife. Erykah's music always dabbled around the soul moniker but she began her electronic movement afterwards. The Roots kept evolving their brand of hip-hop and one of the backbones of the Soulquarians, J Dilla, succumbed to a bout with Lupus in '06. D'Angelo pretty much faded into obscurity after Voodoo with thinly spread cameos...which leads me to Bilal.
Bilal's music has always had a unique hold on its listeners. His first album was a collage of styles and Bilal shined on Dr. Dre production with a Jadakiss cameo just as well as he did with Jay Dee, Mos Def & Common. He was truly a raw talent that hadn't quite yet been focused. That focus came on 2006's Love For Sale, which was shelved by his record label after being bootlegged heavily. He performs songs from this album and is often accompanied verbatim by the fans at shows.
Love For Sale was the album that fans of soul music have been waiting for ever since it was apparent that Badu, D'Angelo, nor Lauryn Hill was ever going to travel that route again, and is more than likely the reason that he remains as relevant as he is today to the scene. His music is beyond genre, but above all it is something you feel. Something that speaks to your soul. He is the last of a dying breed and is the sole filler of a large void left by the Soulquarian family. That is how he can sell out crowds without an album.
Plus...who else do you know can rock a show without background singers?
The destiny of soul music rests on the vocal chords of Bilal. get familiar.
make me over
all for love
(both from the unreleased: Love For Sale)
antoine is an aspiring human and unlearns his limitations daily. 0.5 of hip-hop group DTMD, yet can often be a whole ass, sports philosopher, self-labeled music snob and part time nerd. if you love bilal, you've got a friend in he (shoutouts to randy newman). he be 
Dana is nearly 21 and has no idea what she's doing in college. She is a Journalism major and an all-around amazing Eurasian. She enjoys books, puppies, pomegranates, autumn leaves, and other trifles of life. Most of all, she enjoys 
Last of a dying breed? I don't know. There will always be talented people making soul music...they just might not receive the respect and acclaim they deserve. /MsMichelleDA
ReplyDeleteword, that was a bit heavy. i just really feel like bilal is slept on and is probably the best male singer in the game. i say best, because he's still young and i feel like his music will go through more stages than most other artists. although the statement "last of a dying breed" was a small stretch. i'll give you that
ReplyDeleteawwwww my mans antoine went hard to make up for his (unintentional) posting hiatus...
ReplyDeletethat's a mark of true talent, though... the fact that after 8 years, bilal still sells out venues. don't hate me, but i haven't yet been hipped to bilal (aside from your adoring rants)... i promise to get up on it asappity.