Tag Archives: bilal

#ThrowBackThursday “Reminisce” With Bilal (For Dilla)

11 Thursday Jul 2013

Posted by in Throwback Thursday

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This one is for Dilla.

Yesterday’s DC Loves Dilla show was nothing short of amazing. Shamefully it was my first one but certainly won’t be my last. Each and every artist that graced that stage brought their “A” game for Dilla, one of the most prolific producers of our generation. If you’re not familiar, please check the resume.

Bilal has much history with Dilla and I was thrilled when he was added to the show at the 11th hour, maybe right around the time that Black Thought decided he had better shit to do.

For this edition of #ThrowBackThursday* on the blog I decided to go with a classic from 1st Born Second, the Dilla produced “Reminisce.” I recorded this one at a show back in 2007.

Last night, D.C.reminisced on the career of a great man. Of 10 years since the release of Ruff Draft (yes, I turned ALL the way up for Crushin). It was a great night for D.C. music lovers.

*Yes, I know #ThrowBackThursday is a photo meme. But I do what I want!

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Gearing Up For Bilal Oliver’s A Love Surreal

14 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by in Feeding The Music Jones, New Flava In My Ear

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bilal_backtolove

It was fitting that the last post on this blog before I went on hiatus was an announcement of the official date that Bilal Oliver’s first “official” album in eight years would see the light of day. It was quite a celebration, bitches!

Airtights Revenge was released in 2010 to stellar reviews. Now, just over two years later, your boy is back with A Love Surreal, coming to an ITunes near you on February 12. Yes, I am plotting on how to get to his album release concert in Philly at my favorite venue, although he is coming this way a couple days later. I’m just that kinda stan!

To get us geared up for the release of the first single for the album, Bilal recently released a mixtape(on his Facebook page!), appropriately titled Retrospection. Curated by fellow Philly artist, Vikter Duplaix, Retrospection —much like 2009’s The Return of Mr. Wonderful— takes you on a journey through some of his greatest hits and unreleased recordings that should have seen the light of day like his rendition of Stevie’s “Too High.”

Grab your FREE download of Bilal Oliver’s Retrospection.

bilal_mixtape

I was excited to see Vikter Duplaix involved in this project, having just been blessed to be at one of his body-rocking Kiss N Grind parties when the Fall tour rolled through DC recently. We danced, we shouted, and shook out bodies down to the ground as Vikter spun the hottest soul, house, classic r&b, funk and Afrobeat. Want to get an idea of what you missed? Feast your ears on this.

Bilal and Vikter also sat down  for a chat —surrounded by some very lovely works of art at the Norm Maxwell Gallery in LA — to talk about Bilal’s evolution as an artist. He talks about defining his sound and what it means as an artist to hail from Philadelphia. I’ve already schooled you about the hotness that has come out of Philly. 

So while he had all our attention, Bilal released his first single, “Back To Love,” on Essence.com. The theme for A Love Surreal is that Bilal is a love doctor teaching people how to find their way back to each other.

Are you as excited about this project as I am, fellow B_Ollowers? Let me know what you think of the first single.

Be sure to connect with Bilal on Facebook and Twitter.

Spread the word about good music using the share buttons below.

B-Day: September 14, 2010

21 Wednesday Jul 2010

Posted by in Music News, Upcoming Album Releases

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Bilal, if you’re listening, we need this image on a t-shirt.

I know you think my throwback is cute and all.


But this B-ollower, as he likes to call his tweeple, is ready for an upgrade just in time for the new album.

This has been covered all over the innanets, but judging from some of the comments I’m seeing on my YouTube videos, some of ya’ll are still not woke.

Bilal fans and stans, you’ve waited not so patiently for nine years for an official project and the time has finally come. It’s official, Airtight’s Revenge will in fact see the light of day.  September 14, it will be in stores and online everywhere for your purchasing pleasure.

Here is the tracklisting:

1. Cake & Eat It Too – Produced by Bilal / Steve Mckie [watch it live]
2. Restart – Produced by Bilal / Steve Mckie
3. All Matter – Produced by Bilal / Steve Mckie
4. Flying – Produced by Bilal / Nottz
5. Levels – Produced by Bilal  / Shafiq Husayn [watch it live]
6. Little One – Produced by Conley “Tone” Whitfield
7. Move On – Produced by Bilal  & Steve Mckie
8. Robots – Produced by Bilal  [watch it live]
9. The Dollar – Produced by Bilal  / Steve Mckie
10. Who Are You – Produced by Bilal  / Steve Mckie
11. Think It Over – Produced by 88 Keys

There were snippets from the entire album posted on the internets a few weeks ago but most outlets have removed them. Completely understandable. Bilal and Plug Research aren’t taking any chances with this one. I don’t think the fans can take another Love for Sale debacle.

Since my interests these days are taking me in the direction of the fusion of new media and music promotion, I’m excited at the way he using social media to promote the album and interact with his fan base. He joined Twitter earlier this year and already has 10K followers. I expect that to grow exponentially once the album is released and he reclaims his spot as one of THE best to touch the mike.

He actually talks to his fans and doesn’t just use the tool as a one way  “buymyshitcometomyshow” broadcast medium.  He shows that he actually reads what people are saying to him by retweeting.  He crowdsources by asking questions such as what we think about him touring with a particular artist.  He shares photo and video from shows. He’s planning tweetups in cities where he is touring. It’s all very authentic. In short, he’s doing it right.

Bravo, B. Bravo.

Mark your calendars for September 14.

DC area tweeps, you’ll be happy to know that an album release show has already been set for September 19th at the Birchmere. Tickets will be on sale via Ticketmaster on July 23rd. It will sell out.

Meanwhile, take a listen to this great conversation between Bilal and Gilles Peterson.  As Giles plays tracks from the new album, which Bilal says he took the Frank Zappa approach in creating, they talk about the new music; what he’s been up to these past nine years; the lost album; record industry rule 4080; what’s poppin in his iPod; and how DC is the bestest fan base ever.

And for goodness sakes, get on Twitter already. Follow Bilal….and me.

image credit: SoulBounce

New Music from Bilal Oliver: Will We Actually Get ‘Airtights Revenge’ in 2010?

08 Tuesday Dec 2009

Posted by in Let's Rock: Concert Reviews, Music News, Upcoming Album Releases

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You already know this is another artist on the short list that can bring me out of retirement.

I’d be remiss as queen bee of the Bilal Stan Association if I didn’t share with the one or two of you that still stop by (thank you!) new tracks that Mr. Oliver performed during his set here in DC over the weekend.

I have to admit I was a bit nervous about this show. Last couple of times he rolled through DC, I had to take him to task on Twitter for lackluster, “i don’t give a fuck, cut the check,”  performances. It was like watching this right here. I derive no pleasure from standing on the side of the road and watch a ten-car pileup.

I am happy to say at this show he acted like the Grammy-nominated artist I know who could blow all of these R&B cats off the stage using  only10% of his vocals. Mr. Oliver put on an amazing set that included a preview of three tracks I expect we’ll see on his upcoming album, Airtights Revenge. Check out “Levels,” “Robots,” and “Cake & Eat It Too” and let me know what you think in the comments.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about “Levels” when I first heard it and was curious about the direction of the album. However, after seeing it live, I can dig it. “Cake & Eat It Too” will definitely be popular with the fans. The beat knocks.

Levels

Cake and Eat It Too

Robots

“Since I Been Loving You” is of course a Led Zepplin cover and I don’t believe it will be on the album. However, if you don’t watch any other video, watch this one. I attribute his antics to my fly ass Bilal tee I was rocking in the front row. He saw that and knew I had been down for a minute!

So seems like 2010 will be a damn good year musically. We’ll be holding a vigil for Airtights Revenge. His manager says he only a couple tracks left to record. Look out for an interview soon over at SoulBounce where I’m sure Butta will get to the bottom of this. We’ll also be checking hard for:

Be sure to follow these artists on Twitter and via their official websites and blogs to keep up with the latest on release dates. Who knows when I’ll write here again.

Rewind Selector: Raheem Devaughn Performing at Bilal Show

15 Wednesday Apr 2009

Posted by in Feeding The Music Jones, Let's Rock: Concert Reviews

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You’ll be seeing a lot of “rewind selectors” here in the coming weeks as I’ve discovered a ton of concert videos that I never uploaded to the You Tube channel and shared with you.

As you know, I spent Valentine’s night stanning for Bilal. He rolled solo that night, sans his back up singers. Raheem Devaughnwas in the house and all too happy to rock with “one of the most talented muhfuckers in the game.”

He helped Bilalout on backing vocals for a few songs and then took the stage and freestyled over “White Turns to Grey,” the panty-dropper on his lost album, Love for Sale.

Rah, you’re doing it right here. Cut the crap and get back on task. And did I hear mention of he and Bilal on tour? Well, we would need to get an album from Bilal first of course. Imagine that. 0_O

I wasn’t in the mood to play Mata Hari that night so I actually obeyed the no recording rule for the most part. Besides, I’m a lover not a fighter at heart. Other than capturing Raheem, I only pulled the camera out to get the end of what turned out to be the last song. Sound problems on the venue’s janky system brought about an abrupt end to “Make Me Over,” which Bilal soulfully mixed with “Planet Rock.”

Stay tuned for a mini-review with video of Omar in concert. If you’re in DC and missed this one for no good reason, I don’t really get you.

Also get ready to go inside the artist’s studio with Erik Rico. You don’t want to miss this cat preaching the gospel of industry rule number 4080.