Bilal released his debut album “1st Born Second” 25 years ago, blending jazz, hip-hop, and neo-soul into a sound that felt new and remains relevant. The album’s leading single “Soul Sista” included vocals from Common and Yasiin Bey and production from Dr. Dre, Raphael Saadiq, the Soulquarians, and J. Dilla. Bilal marked the anniversary with four sold-out shows at the Blue Note in Hollywood, performing music from his first album. He described the experience as nostalgic, revisiting the songs while preparing the show. He said he was 21 at release and was an ambitious young musician influenced by jazz school concepts, describing himself as a rebellious, challenging presence in learning environments.
"When I released that album I was just a wild young kid who wanted to change music or bring my approach to the music. I had a lot of concepts coming from jazz school. I was like a college rebel kid. I hated everything. I was like a musical snob. I wouldn’t say a musical snob, but yeah, I was."
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