1st Born Second [Explicit Lyrics]

Amazon.com's Best of 2001
Riding in on a D'Angelo-spawned wave of shivery voodoo groove, 22-year-old Bilal Oliver tries to flip the neo-soul script on his long-awaited, oft-delayed debut. It's an ambitious effort, a collection of 17 tracks on which this latest inductee into the Soulquarians collective (who's made appearances on Common's Like Water for Chocolate and Guru's Streetsoul, and produced tracks on Erykah Badu's Mama's Gun) proves he's worth his salt in hype. A host of A-list producers--Mike City, James Poyser, Dr. Dre (who rolls out a fine slice of funk on "Fast Lane"), and the ubiquitous Raphael Saadiq (behind the slinky "Soul Sista," which first appeared on the Love and Basketball soundtrack)--provide backing tracks that show off the young singer-songwriter's depth and range. Equally at home in reggae riddims ("Home"), anguished balladry ("When Will You Call"), and carnivalesque, Busta Rhymes-style sardonics ("Sally"), Bilal wants to show us he can do it all, and winds up spreading himself a bit thin at times. The best moments on the album happen when the classically trained vocalist lands on solid, soulful hooks (as on the sweetly aching melody of "All That I Am" or the haunting hum of "Love Poems") that allow his limber pipes to swoop gorgeously from gravelly basso to full-bodied falsetto, evoking shades of Prince and Marvin Gaye along the way. --Sylvia W. Chan

1st Born Second,Bilal,Interscope Records,Contemporary R&B,Pop,R&B,Soul/R & B,Soul/Reggae/Rhythm & Blues,Urban

Average customer rating:

Not Bad
WOW
1st Born Second
Slept On
With a Voice Like Fine Wine

1st Born Second
Bilal
Manufacturer: Interscope Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

Contemporary R&B | R&B | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

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ASIN: B00005ABN4
Release Date: 2001-07-31

Tracks:

Intro
For You
Fast Lane
Reminisce
All That I Am (Somethin' For The People)
Sally
Sometimes
Love It
C'Mere
Soul Sista
When Will You Call
Queen Of Sanity
Love Poems
You Are
Home
Slyde
Second Child

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

Riding in on a D'Angelo-spawned wave of shivery voodoo groove, 22-year-old Bilal Oliver tries to flip the neo-soul script on his long-awaited, oft-delayed debut. It's an ambitious effort, a collection of 17 tracks on which this latest inductee into the Soulquarians collective (who's made appearances on Common's Like Water for Chocolate and Guru's Streetsoul, and produced tracks on Erykah Badu's Mama's Gun) proves he's worth his salt in hype. A host of A-list producers--Mike City, James Poyser, Dr. Dre (who rolls out a fine slice of funk on "Fast Lane"), and the ubiquitous Raphael Saadiq (behind the slinky "Soul Sista," which first appeared on the Love and Basketball soundtrack)--provide backing tracks that show off the young singer-songwriter's depth and range. Equally at home in reggae riddims ("Home"), anguished balladry ("When Will You Call"), and carnivalesque, Busta Rhymes-style sardonics ("Sally"), Bilal wants to show us he can do it all, and winds up spreading himself a bit thin at times. The best moments on the album happen when the classically trained vocalist lands on solid, soulful hooks (as on the sweetly aching melody of "All That I Am" or the haunting hum of "Love Poems") that allow his limber pipes to swoop gorgeously from gravelly basso to full-bodied falsetto, evoking shades of Prince and Marvin Gaye along the way. --Sylvia W. Chan

Customer Reviews:

Not Bad.......2007-06-30

Don't let the 3 stars put you off as this cd is not that bad...its just not as good as others in Neo- soul. The song writing is ok..but the album only gets going half way down from the song, Love It...so I say, try and listen to it some place...for more than the 30 seconds given.

WOW.......2006-11-04

I have had this CD for a long time and everytime I listen to it I long for another release from him!! Bilal is very talented, this album is amazing, and every song tells a story. Highly recommended!!!

1st Born Second.......2006-07-27

At his best, Bilal is a very talented neo-soul artist. But, there are parts of this album that are simply lackluster. This young man has a very nice voice and showcases some raw talent with his debut CD, "1st Born Second". This album title, along with his name, intrigued me even before I listened to him. I said to myself, "Bilal, what a unique name", then I heard the name of his CD, and I just had to purchase it to see what he was about.

This album begins with some pretty weird songs. In some of them, Bilal is singing/rapping, and it is very hard to interpret what he is saying. His CD definitely picks up mid way through, and he finishes off with a bang! Typcially with albums, artists put their best songs at the beginning and end, usually not in the middle. He beings his album with "For You". It is beyond me why he opened his CD with such a bad song. The lyrics aren't good and neither is the production. The album progresses with the Dr. Dre produced "Fast Lane". This definitely sounds the work of him too because it incorporates some sounds he used on songs he produced previously to this one. "When Will You Call" and "Queen of Sanity" are album mentionables. These ballds showcase Bilal's lyrical and vocal ability. In "When Will You Call", Bilal has broken up with his lady, but he still wants her to call because he hopes these is still something there between them. "Queen of Sanity" is lyrically the best song on this piece of work. In the song, he says, "I forget life when I hold you tight" and "How do you run this race and never lose your place". Those are some profound lyrics!

Overall, after a couple of listens to Bilal's first album, his talent will all but jump out at you. He has a great knack for music and could be one of neo souls best if he uses discretion with choosing which songs to put on his final product. I recommend this album to neo soul fans.

Mikeisha's Top 5
1.When Will You Call?
2. Queen of Sanity
3. Sometimes
4. You Are
5. Love Poems

Slept On.......2006-07-15

Is about all I can say about Bilal Oliver.....Slept on and talented. Preacher's son out of Philly who has been doing it and doing it well. If you do not have it, my advice is go out and get it! Well worth the buy. You will be spinning this one for a while to come...

With a Voice Like Fine Wine.......2006-01-07

I just saw Bilal perform at S.O.B.'s about a week and a half ago. He gave a great performance and has obviously created a nice following for himself judging from the amount of people that came. I absolutely love this man's voice. His album was definetly slept on. I must even admit when it was passed to me in 2001, I put it on the back burner for a few months. He is working on a new album though so, watch out for that. He is defintely a voice that deserves the utmost recognition. If you ever get a chance, go to one of his shows.

Average customer rating:

Gritty, Raw, Real, FRESH
Feelin' the Vibe
Bilal - First Born Second
A Real Artist
1st born second

1st Born Second
Bilal
Manufacturer: Interscope Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

Contemporary R&B | R&B | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Soul Sista
Infinite Possibilities
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ASIN: B00005NBV0
Release Date: 2001-07-31

Tracks:

Intro
For You
Fast Lane
Reminisce
All That I Am (Something For The People)
Sally
Sometimes
Love It
C'mere
Soul Sista
When Will You Call
Queen Of Sanity
Love Poems
You Are
Home
Slyde
Second Child

Customer Reviews:

Gritty, Raw, Real, FRESH.......2007-05-04

I had to type this review because I was disappointed by the 4-star ratings. If I could give this album (1st Born Second) 7 stars, I would. Bilal gave breath to a neo-soul movement that has been stuck on the same-sound, same-tempo, and same coffeehouse poetry messages for a decade. He was definitely the most underrated artist of 2001---regardless of music genre. The radio-released "Soul Sista" and "Fast Lane" do not do justice to the remaining material which is far superior. However, if you are the type of neo-soul fan who enjoys elevator music soul (often used a backdrop to sipping wine by candlelight, pedicures, and getting your hair "did"), then probably this album will not satisfy.

Feelin' the Vibe.......2006-12-15

Bilal is so talented and eccentric and I love it. This CD is a great project and I await more from him.

Bilal - First Born Second.......2006-01-13

Bilal is definately a talented man. This album however I don't think does him justice. There are a few cuts that seem out of place, mainly because of the beat selection. Both of the Dr. Dre beats ("Fast Lane", "Sally") stick out like sore thumbs on this album. Bilal sounds unnatural over them. He is more suited for the more soulful production and live intrumentation found on "Soul Sista" (Raphael Saadiq) or "Sometimes" (SoulQuarians). Bilal shows off his vocal flexibility on this album and at times it's breathtaking (Queen of Sanity). Other songs such as like the Marley-esque "Home", and the fervent "Slyde" prove that Bilal shouldn't be overlooked. It's a shame that Bilal has gone AWOL since this album. I think if he got with the right label he could work wonders. While this album has it's share of missteps it also has some great music.

A Real Artist.......2001-11-16

"1st Born" gives us what is missing from a lot of new music today: SUBSTANCE! This is the kind of album that you like 2 or 3 cuts of when you first listen to it, but the more you play it, every cut is the best thing you've heard in a long time! Bilal is a true artist in the neo-soul class with D'Angelo, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu Maxwell. You will not be disappointed with this one!

1st born second.......2001-09-22

Like D'Angelo's Brown Sugar CD, Bilal comes out of nowhere and drops a classic album the first time around.

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