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SPEAKER: People were asking me what to expect today, and I
was like, he's a vocalist, he's a
performer, he's an artist.
Just come.
You won't regret it.
So if had to introduce yourself to people who don't
know you as a musician, and also as a person,
what would you say?
How would you do that?
BILAL: I would do it just as you said it.
I'm a musician.
Pretty much it.
Musician, singer.
SPEAKER: How about as an aside for music, how
would introduce yourself?
BILAL: Bilal.
SPEAKER: I notice you have a lot of nicknames.
BILAL: Oh yeah.
Airtight Willie.
Pillow.
In the studio I come out with a lot of different names just
to get me out of a certain mindset.
SPEAKER: Mr. Wonderful?
BILAL: Mr. Wonderful.
I bring a lot of people in to help me with ideas.
SPEAKER: Cool.
And how did Mr. Wonderful come about?
BILAL: Mr. Wonderful, that's a nickname of my pop's.
That was his old nickname.
So I'm actually Mr. Wonderful Junior.
SPEAKER: I have a similar nickname.
Mr. Slightly-Above-Average.
OK, so, tell me about high school.
You went to the performing arts high school coming up.
Was that a rigorous, or was it just something that was right
in tune with what you needed and wanted at the time?
BILAL: It was cool.
I wanted to go there.
I grew up singing in the church on a choir.
Since I was four years old I'm into music.
So when I found out that there was a performing art school, I
just went there and tried out.
It was cool, I liked it.
It was almost like fame.
We had a dance department, art department, drama department,
music department.
SPEAKER: Was there anything you did in high school that
was rebellious?
BILAL: Everything.
They voted me the weirdest cat in the school.
I didn't understand that ***.
SPEAKER: There's a category--
BILAL: What the hell?
But I guess in school you're weird.
But I used to go to school with my pajamas on.
With the buttons.
The awesome button-up ones with the pants?
SPEAKER: The onesie?
BILAL: Not the onesie.
It's a twosie.
It's like grandad pajamas.
It's got the pants, it's got the awesome prints, and then
the shirt with the big buttons.
I thought that was cool.
SPEAKER: That's really cool.
Cool.
So then after high school you went to The New
School, in New York.
Can you talk about how that changed or modified or
whatever your career trajectory, and how that
supported you going forward?
BILAL: It helped me a great deal.
Like I got to see other people my age that could play on a
really high level.
You know what I'm saying?
So it was inspiring.
SPEAKER: Cool.
And who do you meet during those years that you still
work with or are in touch with today?
BILAL: Well, there is Robert Glasper.
Robert--
I met him--
we came in school at the same time.
He pretty much at the same kind of musical
upbringing is me.
Like, he started out playing in church, his mom's a
musician, and she had him playing at a young age.
I had the same concept.
So our musical understandings kind of meshed.
SPEAKER: This is just a personal story, but my
favorite live show I think I've ever seen was you,
Robert, Chris Dave, and Tone at Yoshi's Oakland.
BILAL: Oh, awesome.
SPEAKER: That's a good set.
Did you plan to work together?
Or were you all just available during the same time?
And then is there plans that--
do you guys all want to come back together
at a certain point?
BILAL: That was just-- it was--
everybody is like--
has their own thing going.
That was a time, a cool period, where--
Robert actually played on all my records.
I played on all his records.
But he helped me write some of my early tunes.
Like When Will You Call?
We wrote that at school in a practice room.
SPEAKER: Really?
So that was--
you were real young when that happened.
That's a deep song for-- when I was 19--
BILAL: Actually it wasn't, I was like a hopeless romantic,
so at that period I was writing a lot from high
school, and I got played a lot in high school.
SPEAKER: Speaking of that-- me too.
How do you deal with heartbreak?
That's a deep question, but I tend to crawl into some hole
or something.
It seems like you're able to write your way out of it.
BILAL: Yeah, that's been my therapy through the years.
SPEAKER: That's cool.
So let's talk about D'Angelo.
I didn't know that Bilal sang background for
D'Angelo for a period.
Can you tell me about that experience?
BILAL: It only lasted one gig.
It only lasted one gig, but I used to hang
out at Ahmir's house.
He used to have jam sessions in his living room.
And through hanging out with Ahmir, I got a gig to sing
background for D. And we only did one gig, but he rehearses
so vigorously that the rehearsals were like two
months long.
So I felt like I was in a band for a long time.
But actually I only did one gig.
And by then I had gotten signed so I started to work
[INAUDIBLE].
SPEAKER: Another relationship I wanted to talk about was you
and J Dilla.
How did that come about?
When did you all meet, and how quickly did you guys start
working together after you met?
BILAL: I met Dilla when I was working on 1st Born Second.
And at that time Dilla, Common, Ahmir, The Roots,
everybody, they kind of was hitting at the same time,
jamming with each other.
Roots used to do a little jam session at this place,
Wetlands, I think, and everybody used
to come down there.
Working with Dilla--
he was part of that whole situation.
Working with him is amazing.
Cause he was just such a naturally talented cat.
The stuff he did, it was a lot of it was self-taught.
So he had a certain understanding that was crazy,
but at the same time, he knew the intricacies of the music
because his pops was a jazz musician.
His pops actually played on a lot of jazz records.
I didn't even know that.
But his understanding was so deep, because he was around it
at such a young age.
SPEAKER: That's cool.
I didn't know that about is dad.
So did you--
when he passed, that was a loss for music.
But as a friend, I'm sure that was just very
hard to cope with?
How did you cope through that period when a good friend of
yours and--
BILAL: It was shocking.
It was like one of the only friends of mine that I knew,
and then they passed away so.
It was kind of--
it was weird.
SPEAKER: Yeah, that's definitely--
BILAL: I still think about it.
SPEAKER: Yeah.
I mean it's not natural when it's that young.
But I mean it's just incredible, the amount that
he's been able to--
in such a short time--
contribute to music,
BILAL: Yeah, it was like he was on a mission.
Dilla could do 50 beats a day if he wanted to.
He did Reminisce, my song, in 10 minutes.
SPEAKER: Wow.
OK.
BILAL: From scratch.
From sampling the record, to finding what record he wanted
to use, to chopping up the drum sounds, all of that.
10 minutes.
SPEAKER: Wow.
That's incredible.
I've never done anything in 10 minutes.
Cool, so let's talk about-- you've collaborated-- one of
the things I like, you collaborated with J Dilla, you
collaborated with a lot of people.
From really independent folks to people
that everybody knows.
Can you tell me about one of your most memorable
collaborations that you remember, like, whoa, that
happened just there?
Or like just a weird kind of story around a
collaboration you did.
BILAL: I have so many, you know, so
many memorable moments.
I've worked with so many awesome people.
Like Dilla.
Watching him put together a beat was just amazing.
But first time I met Dr. Dre was crazy.
Because of the way he records, he records just so loud, he
likes it be so loud in the studio.
And this was before he had the headphones.
Oh my goodness.
The first time I walked into the studio to work with Dre,
he wasn't in the room yet.
And I noticed that--
normal studios, they have two gigantic speakers that you
could turn up and listen to music [INAUDIBLE].
This cat had six of those.
Three big ones at the top and then three
sub-woofers at the bottom.
And when I saw that, I noticed everybody in the studio had on
earplugs in their ear.
Then Dre walks in place, like, yeah, hell yeah.
Want to play you this track.
Sits down and turns it all the way up.
I couldn't even--
First off, I thought that the thing was going to explode.
But nothing fed back, nothing went crunchy.
Nothing.
It was just a wall of pain.
I'll never forget that.
Crazy.
SPEAKER: That's cool.
I did not expect that to come out.
That's cool.
So you've worked with a wide range of people.
You're also one of the most creative people that
I've seen and heard.
Creativity--
I'm going to do the Google tie-in right now.
So creativity is really important at Google and
innovation.
How do you write, and is that process the same?
Do you create conditions that you can be creative in, or
does it just pop up, or--
BILAL: I try to be as open and optimistic as I
can when I'm creating.
I write different shapes and then I just
wait until the moment--
the moment of actually putting it down to really bring
everything and allow myself to think of it
is a complete thought.
SPEAKER: Yeah.
So for non-musicians, does that transfer?
Do you think that would be the advice you'd give people?
Be open?
What other advice would you give to people about
creativity and that whole area?
BILAL: I don't really have a set way.
I try not to put so much on myself, like I have to do
this, this is going to save my life and make me feel a whole
lot better about myself.
I just try to remain as natural and inquisitive as I
can, like when I first started, when I was a kid.
SPEAKER: Yeah.
That's really cool.
We talk about that here, actually.
We have these classes and we talk about how sometimes you
lose that kid as you grow up.
So I think that's cool you're able to hold on to that.
So let's talk about technology a little bit.
Do you use any Google products?
BILAL: I Google a lot.
SPEAKER: Yeah?
That's our main one.
So I think we're doing well.
And how do you discover new music?
Do you just have word of mouth from friends, or do you use
any of the stuff that's out there on the net?
BILAL: Yeah, I mean, I got a Twitter page, Facebook,
[INAUDIBLE], Instagram thing, I guess.
SPEAKER: Yeah.
BILAL: You have to be.
SPEAKER: Has it changed the way you think about creating
records, or is it just kind of once things are done, that's
going to happen?
BILAL: No, it's just something that's happening while we're
doing what we do.
Because a lot of is just like a little comment or--
I don't leave that many comments, though.
But I try to take pictures and stuff.
SPEAKER: OK, cool.
We're going to do--
I know a lot of people ask you what's your favorite this or
that, or the most--
I was not going to do that, but I'm
actually going to do that.
What's one of your most favorite jazz
spots in New York?
BILAL: In New York?
Fat Cat.
SPEAKER: OK.
Is that--
what part of town?
BILAL: That's on 7th Avenue.
It's actually like a ping-pong pool house, but on the side
they play jazz and it's real funky.
A lot is just real cool.
It's like a jazz cat spot.
Most of the cats in the audience are musicians too.
So cats go there to burn out.
They go there to like, out-play each other.
It's nice.
SPEAKER: How about one of your most favorite vocalist that
you've heard over the course of your life?
BILAL: My most favorite vocalist?
Is, I'd say, Betty Carter.
SPEAKER: Wow.
And what distinguishes her, in your mind?
Or what distinguishes a good vocalist, or a great vocalist
from just a good vocalist?
BILAL: Well I like a person's approach.
It was very open ended, but at the same time, high level.
SPEAKER: And you scat and things as well.
Is that--
BILAL: Yeah, definitely.
That got me into her, too.
SPEAKER: Cool.
BILAL: She really had an understanding of the music,
other than the surface things.
She really understood the chord changes, the rhythm.
So she was like a hardcore bandleader just as much as
like Miles Davis or anybody.
She really was known for finding killer musicians and
putting all those [INAUDIBLE]
things together.
SPEAKER: For those of you who haven't heard
her, check her out.
BILAL: She's ill.
SPEAKER: She's incredible.
So what-- let's switch gears a little bit.
What's one of the most--
one thing you're most proud that's non-musical?
BILAL: Oh man.
I have to say my kids.
SPEAKER: Your kids.
BILAL: Yeah.
SPEAKER: You have two kids?
BILAL: I got three kids.
SPEAKER: Three kids.
BILAL: Three boys.
SPEAKER: Oh wow.
And how old?
BILAL: I got a one-year-old, a 12-year-old, and a
seven-year-old.
SPEAKER: What's one of the things you learned most about
yourself, being a father?
BILAL: Patience and having fun.
I've learned to laugh with my kids.
SPEAKER: I think that's really important.
We have a lot of people becoming fathers at Google.
When you start at a young company, you get to kind to
see people grow and have babies.
OK, cool, so--
BILAL: Kids are cool.
Kids are cool.
I love kids.
SPEAKER: Let's talk about the album.
The new album, A Love Surreal, comes out February 26th?
BILAL: Yeah.
SPEAKER: Tell me how it's different from other work
you've done, or what went into it as something you haven't
done before?
BILAL: Well, this album was, for me, was a part of like
every creative section of it.
When before I would just really do the
music and be done.
But this time I thought about the visual side and how it
would relate to the musical.
SPEAKER: Cool.
So how did you get involved with the visual aspect?
BILAL: Well with the visual aspect, I just thought about
Salvador Dali.
While we were putting one of the songs together in the
studio, I was like man, this is almost like an art piece.
And then that kind of got me in a mindset of well, what
would I do visually?
And so what we winded up doing is using Salvador Dali as kind
of the muse for the project.
In trying to make the sound feel visual when
you listen to it.
Like almost 3D.
SPEAKER: OK, cool.
Is it--
the last album was, you talked about a lot
of different stuff.
Is that the case here, is it more about love?
I'm just basing that off the title.
BILAL: Yeah.
This is a more sensual record.
I always say as opposed to my last record.
My last record was, I would say, for me and for a mellow
experience in this world.
And this one is more for the females, and for a
relationship, and the journey through that.
SPEAKER: Cool.
Well I'm looking forward to hearing that.
So any goals going forward that are--
you do albums, you do music, you do live shows.
Do you have any other goals that you want to accomplish?
BILAL: I'd like to do film.
SPEAKER: Oh, cool.
BILAL: Landscaping in music in the films.
I would love to do that.
Making this record really got my mind to
thinking about it more.
SPEAKER: Yeah.
Yeah, I think the way that you seem to think that would be a
really good fit, just based on the performances and the music
that I've heard.
Cool.
All right, well, thanks a lot for being here.
I'm really excited, Bilal's about the play some tunes.
Thanks for being here, thanks for what you do for music, as
an independent music fan then a music fan in general.
We'll be all passing that onto our kids for a long time to
come, I'm sure.
So you ready?
BILAL: Yes.
SPEAKER: Everybody welcome Bilal.
[MUSIC PLAYING - "BACK TO LOVE"]
[MUSIC PLAYING - "LONGING AND WAITING"]
BILAL: I should've ended with a sexier face, sorry.
[MUSIC PLAYING - "NEVER BE THE SAME"]
[MUSIC PLAYING - "ALL MATTER"]
BILAL: Thank you.