Bilal

Bilal is a Philadelphia-born American singer-songwriter whose path through R&B has never settled into convention. After arriving on a major label with the popular single “Soul Sista” in 2000, he turned toward jazz venues and progressive soul, building a career as an independent artist. His unreleased but widely leaked second album, Love for Sale, developed a serious following among critics and listeners without receiving a proper commercial release.

His catalogue shows unusual range. He has commercially released four albums—with Airtight’s Revenge and A Love Surreal standing out as dense, emotionally specific projects—and his live performances are known for intensity. As a member of the Soulquarians, he belonged to an experimental collective that shaped an influential stretch of black music at the turn of the century. A long list of collaborators, including Kendrick Lamar, Common, Erykah Badu, Jay-Z, J Dilla, and Robert Glasper, speaks to the breadth of his reach.

In August 2020, during COVID-19 lockdown, Bilal wrote and recorded his first EP, Voyage-19, in three days. Built through remote sessions streamed live on YouTube, the three-track EP was released the following month, with revenues and donations directed to participating artists facing pandemic hardship.