Bilal Hits DC, Brings the Deep & Shallow Out + Talks Timeless Music & the Most Under-Rated Emcee

On Friday, I had the opportunity to meet and interview the talented Bilal Oliver. We met at the well-known DC Park at Fourteenth for their Park Unplugged series. Besides his very popular hit, “Soul Sista” and “Sometimes” I was really trying to figure out what all of the fuss was about. Musically, people put him into the neo-soul box which is fine, just not my thing–until I saw him perform. But hold dice on the performance.

I met Mr. Oliver and expected some sort of deep, low-talking, Prince-esque type dude (don’t judge me). Instead I met a decent man, one we already probably know in our very own personal lives, a Philly dude–humble, sincere about his music, with a few tats, a funky hair cut, some freckles and a helluva sense of humor. If that description sounds corny…it shouldn’t. Bilal is very comfortable in his skin and energy-wise what he gives off is very calming. It commands attention, but not in a loud, obnoxious way.

Bilal Chest-Naked Backstage

We talked the creative process, having writers (or a musical block) and who he considers the most under-rated emcee. Peep the interview below:

• On the part of the musical process that he enjoys the most (creating or performing): I like both; it just depends on the mood. Sometimes I feel like recording, and sometimes I feel like playing. It all feels the same because I play with live instruments….And the way the music is, its kinda like improvised–it always feel like we’re doing that same type of thing; whether we are recording or not.

• On if there’s part of the musical process that he doesn’t enjoy and how he handles a musical block: I guess when you get into a part in making music, you can get to a place where you may have a block.Yes it’s happened to me (having a musical block). I stop. It turns into a long process. I don’t like to force anything and if that’s what I feel like I’m doing, I’ll just stop all together.

• Similar to lots of artists, one of Bilal’s albums leaked. On moving forward, how he prevents or limits his music from leaking: I’m more protective over my music. I don’t record in a lot of studios. I narrow the places where I put stuff down to like one or two spots. And I don’t make a lot of copies and sh*t like that. [[ I interject and ask exactly how do people have access to even leak music ]]. It could be an engineer; somebody extra in the studio, a lot of people steal your sh*t, steal your lap-top. It could happen a lot of different ways.
• On who is one of the more under-rated emcees right now: Kid Cudi. (I interject clearly surprised like, “You don’t think people know or are appreciate Kid Cudi like that?”) He had that one song, his second album, it had a little bit of buzz. I think he’s pretty dope.
• On if there’s anyone new that he would like to collaborate with: I don’t know. They all just kinda come to me and I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, he’s dope. I’d work with him.’
• On what type of musical legacy that he would like to leave behind: Sh*t I don’t know. I wanna make music that I guess capitalizes on the time. I want to make music that’s timeless. [[ I interject and ask if he has a particular project or song that really does this ]]. I feel like all of my sh*t is timeless. As an artist, I can’t really say what it is that Im going to do. That’s what the people are here to decide. I just do the best that I can musically.

Before we talk the actual performance, let’s discuss the crowd demographics. He brought out the fly earthy folk, the shallow Gucci toting women (raises hand), a few conservatives (in suits that clearly came fresh from their good government jobs–no shade included) and what I peg as the randoms, who appreciate good music. The floor was packed with all sorts of people, along with people on the floor above peering down trying to “experience” Bilal.

In terms of Bilal’s performance–this was my first time hearing him live. One word–magnetic. His energy was unbelievable and sorta surreal. It was like dude caught the holy ghost, holy spirit, but like musically. Wherever that place is where an artist goes where it’s just them and the music, that’s where the fuck he was. But what was dope about his performance, was “we” were all there with him. He took us, the crowd, to that special place. He made us feel every-single-word.

Peep the footage that sorta captures it:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlyLz12czKI&hd=1[/youtube]

Beny Blaq Entertainment

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