Bilal Salaam Explained
| Bilal Salaam |
| Birth Name: | Bilal Salaam |
| Birth Place: | Newark, New Jersey, United States |
| Instrument: | piano, digital audio workstations, keyboards, vocals, synthesizers, trumpet, sequencers, |
| Genre: | Experimental |
| Occupation: | historiographer, educator, journalist, composer, arranger, educator, singer-songwriter, record producer, rapper |
| Years Active: | 2006–present |
| Label: | Unsigned |
| Associated Acts: | Quelle, Oddisee, Muhsinah, Kev Brown, Raheem DeVaughn, Wes Felton, yU, Op Swamp 81, Sy Smith, Denmark Vessey |
Bilal Salaam is an American historiographer, educator, journalist and independent, experimental composer.
Musical career
A graduate of Rutgers University,[1] Bilal Salaam's sound was described by Soul Culture[2] magazine as "a left of centre, soulful Kid A".
Washington D.C.'s City Paper[3] characterized "Heart Alarm", the single from Salaam's third album, Pedagogia Do Oprimido, as "calm", "quirky", and "acquired".
Kevin Nottingham[4] called Bilal's Boulder, a 2012 release, "seven tracks of sheer aural orgasms".
Prior to recording as a solo artist, Bilal Salaam toured[5] internationally with the Morgan State University Choir, and Raheem DeVaughn.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album Title | Label |
|---|
| 2007 | Blah/Time Between Asleep & Awake | Ultravybe Inc. |
| 2008 | Langue De Rasoir | Noohustle |
| 2011 | Pedagogia Do Oprimido | Noohustle |
| 2012 | Bilal's Boulder | Noohustle |
| 2021 | Swordlord: Swordz | Independent |
| 2021 | Swordlord: V.J. Sweengz Birdie, Eagle & Albatross | Independent |
| 2021 | Swordlord: Baqallah | Independent |
| 2021 | Swordlord: D'awegawd | Independent |
| 2021 | Swordlord: Fiver Zaydi | Independent |
| 2021 | Swordlord: Swordz II Zakat | Independent |
| 2021 | Swordlord: Sevener Ismaili | Independent | |
Production
- Ruff Drafts Volume 1 (Track: 8) – JapaNUBIA Musik 2006
- Langue De Rasoir (Tracks: 1, 3, 5 & 6) – Noohustle 2008
- Peau Noire, Masques Blancs (Tracks: All) – Noohustle 2008
- Dirty Soul Electric (Track: 5) – BBE 2008
- The Awakening (Track: 5) – JapaNUBIA Musik 2008
- Border Breaker (Tracks: All(Vocal Production)) – Ghetto Falsetto 2009
- Before Taxes (Track: 5) – Mello Music 2010
- the Earn (Track: 10(Vocal Production)) – Mello Music 2011
- Pedagogia Do Oprimido (Tracks: All) – Noohustle 2011
- Bilal's Boulder (Tracks: All) – Noohustle 2012
Guest appearances
- Thinking Back, Looking Forward (Track: 5) – Neosonic Productions 2004
- Ruff Drafts Volume 1 (Track: 4) – JapaNUBIA Musik 2006
- Artifact Hearts Volume One (Track: 15) – Ankh Ba 2006
- 93 Million Miles & Rising (Track: 1) – Ankh Ba 2006
- Cuba After Market (Tracks: 1 & 12) – Humble Monarch Music/Rawkus 50 2007
- Develop (Track: 2A) – Soul Step 2007
- Zen Badism (Track: 9) – Freedom School 2008
- Dirty Soul Electric (Track: 5) – BBE 2008
- Distraction City (Track: 13) – Tasteful Licks 2008
- Conflict (Track: 4) – Sy Smith 2008
- Mental Liberation (Track: 3) – Mello Music 2009
- Random Joints (Track: 3) – Low Budget 2009
- Before Taxes (Tracks: 5 & 16) – Mello Music 2010
- the Earn (Track: 5) – Mello Music 2011
- Oakwood Grain (Track: 2–10) – Humble Monarch Music 2012
- The Many Districts Of Soulful Shanghai (Tracks: 3, 10 & 14) – Kindred Spirits 2012
- "Fleeting Physical" – (Produced by Ya'koob of Sons of Yusuf) The Base Productions 2012
- (Vibe)Rations (Track: 11) – Iman Omari Music 2013
- The Booth Shall Set You Free (Track: 12) – Soul Spazm 2014
- Persona (Track: 16) – Mello Music 2015
- Odds & Ends (Track: 5) – Mello Music 2015
- I'm The Bridge You Must Burn (Track: 18) – Mello Music 2016 [6]
- Being You Is Great, I Wish I Could Be You More Often (Track: 14) – Mello Music 2017 [7]
- Sunday Mass (Track: 9) – Mello Music 2019 [8]
- Straight Shot (Track: 10) – Mello Music 2019 [9]
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Jazz MA Alumni Newsletter . March 1, 2012 . Jazzma.newark.rutgers.edu . September 5, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151028021832/http://jazzma.newark.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Jazz-MA-Alumni-newsletter-March-2012.pdf . October 28, 2015 . dead .
- Web site: MODERN DAY SLAVERY: Bilal Salaam Interview . Soulculture.co.uk . September 5, 2015.
- Web site: Moore . Marcus J. . DMV Filter: Pro'Verb, Javier Starks, Bilal Salaam – Arts Desk . Washingtoncitypaper.com . August 10, 2011 . September 5, 2015.
- Web site: Artists | HiPNOTT Records . Kevinnottingham.com . September 5, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141102001402/http://www.kevinnottingham.com/2012/09/02/bilal-salaam-bilals-boulder/# . November 2, 2014 . dead .
- Web site: Raheem DeVaughn Live Performance of "Guess Who Loves You More" & "Until" . YouTube . December 16, 2010 . September 5, 2015.
- Web site: I'm The Bridge You Must Burn (feat. Bilal Salaam) [Bonus Track], by Quelle Chris]. Quellechris360.bandcamp.com. January 28, 2021.
- Web site: Being You Is Great, I Wish I Could Be You More Often, by Quelle Chris. Quellechris360.bandcamp.com. January 28, 2021.
- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NC3YZLT/ref=ap_ws_tlw_trk5
- Web site: Straight Shot (feat Cavalier, Bilal Salaam, Eldar Djangirov, & James Acaster), by Quelle Chris. Quellechris360.bandcamp.com. January 28, 2021.
