Bilal

Born and raised in Phily, the home of the hugely influential Philadelphia Sound characterized by its soulfully dynamic lush arrangements (Gamble & Huff, MSFB, The O'Jays, Billy Paul, The Spinners and many, many more), Bilal like many youths in urban Black America began his musical genesis at the neighborhood church. Moving to New York City to study jazz, Bilal was accepted by the New School for Social Research, one of the cities preeminent avant-garde universities. Immersing himself in the cities nightlife and culture, the exposure of living in a cosmopolitan city like New York with its underground music scene and equally creative milieu was to become a very fruitful experience. Frequenting the famed lower Manhattan nightclub Wetland's, Bilah started his acquaintanceship with a veritable who's-who of hip-hop which included The Roots (who hosted their weekly BlackLily party there), Q Tip, Common, Erykah Badu and Mos Def. A fortuitousness encounter would further open another door for Bilal when he hit it off with Aaron Comess, percussionist from the alternative rock band the Spin Doctors. After numerous jam sessions together, Bilal produced a demo that ultimately landed him a deal with Interscope Records.