1st Born Second

by Bilal

Overview

Though Philly crooner Bilal (Beloved, Intelligent, Lustful and Living It) cut his teeth working with D'Angelo and Erykah Badu, many hip-hop heads will recognize him from his appearances on Common's Like Water for Chocolate ("The 6th Sense") and Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 3 ("Certified"). While the title, 1st Born Second, of Bilal's debut bristles with oxymoronic implications, it is really a nod to the Soulquarian family that Bilal calls home. Though 1st Born Second is replete with a very discernible Soulquarian vibe, Bilal's piercing voice (imagine Prince on ecstasy) and soul-searching ballads prove that he is a deserving inductee to this musically advanced collective. He is bestowed with a dream team production ensemble (Dr. Dre, ?uestlove, Jay Dee, James Poyser, Rapheal Saadiq, Mike City, and Vidal Davis), but it is his voice, itself an instrument, that is the main attraction here. These vocal gifts are eminently displayed on the sugary, WNBA adopted anthem "Soul Sista," "All That I Am," and the introspective "Sometimes," where the artist does some self-reflecting over ?uestlove's minimalist percussion snares and James Poyser's subtle keyboard riffs: "I wish I wasn't me sometimes/I wish I was drug free sometimes." Granted, Bilal occasionally falls prey to the moody musings and pleading romanticism ("For You") that marks the efforts of fellow neo-soul constituents like Maxwell. However, Bilal's ambidextrous nature, experimental inklings, and shape-shifting falsetto's foster a more diverse atmosphere, as he comfortably graces the funky Dr. Dre and Scott Storch-produced "Fast Lane" featuring Jadakiss, and waxes poetically about lost love on the Jay Dee-produced "Reminisce" featuring Common and Mos Def. ~ Matt Conaway

Product Details

Release Date:	05/19/2023
Label:	Music On Vinyl
UPC:	0600753974148
Rank:	727

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Bilal   Primary Artist,Drums,Clavier
Jadakiss   Primary Artist
Dr. Dre   Primary Artist
Common   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Guest Artist
Mos Def   Guest Artist,Featured Artist,Rap
Serban Ghenea   Guitar
Mike Moreno   Guitar
James Poyser   Organ,Fender Rhodes
Robert Glasper   Keyboards,Keyboard Accordian
Mel-Man   Keyboards
Mike Elizondo   Guitar,Keyboards
Mike Starr   Guitar
Tom Coster, Jr.   Keyboards
Aaron Comess   Bass,Drums
Mike City   Multi Instruments
Elie Katz   African Percussion

Technical Credits

Serban Ghenea   Mixing
Andres Levin   Mixing,Engineer
Sid McCoy   Narrator
Bilal   Producer
Kendal Stubbs   Engineer
James Mtume   Composer
Russell Elevado   Mixing
Vidal Davis   Engineer,Producer
James Poyser   Composer,Producer
Lonnie Lynn   Composer
John Tyree   Mixing,Assistant Engineer
Jim Danis   Mixing,Assistant Engineer
Raphael Saadiq   Composer,Producer
Mel-Man   Producer
Marsha Ambrosius   Composer
Dahoud Darien   Composer,Producer
Aaron Comess   Engineer,Producer,Mixing Engineer
Steve Mandel   Mixing
James Hurt   String Arrangements
Jay Dee   Producer
Jon Smeltz   Engineer
Peter Mokran   Mixing Engineer
Mike City   Composer,Producer
Neil Pogue   Mixing Engineer
Richie Rich   Composer
Bilal Oliver   Composer
Dante Smith   Composer
Soulquarians   Producer
Todd Farrell   Assistant Engineer
Drew FitzGerald   Art Direction
Damu Mtume   Executive Producer
Larry Chatman   Project Coordinator
Greg Burns   Mixing,Assistant Engineer
Alan Mason   Mixing
Artemio Villeda Martin   Executive Producer
Ahmir Thompson   Composer