1st Born Second
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Albums:
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1st Born Second
- Artist: Bilal
- Rating:
- Release Date: July 17, 2001
- Total Time: 76:35
- Type: Contains explicit content
- Genre: Rhythm & Blues
Review
Though Philly crooner Bilal (Beloved, Intelligent, Lustful and Living It) cut his teeth working with D'Angelo and Erykah Badu, many hip-hop heads will recognize him from his appearances on Common's Like Water for Chocolate ("The 6th Sense") and Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 3 ("Certified"). While the title, 1st Born Second, of Bilal's debut bristles with oxymoronic implications, it is really a nod to the Soulquarian family that Bilal calls home. Though 1st Born Second is replete with a very discernible Soulquarian vibe, Bilal's piercing voice (imagine Prince on ecstasy) and soul-searching ballads prove that he is a deserving inductee to this musically advanced collective. He is bestowed with a dream team production ensemble (Dr. Dre, ?uestlove, Jay Dee, James Poyser, Rapheal Saadiq, Mike City, and Vidal Davis), but it is his voice, itself an instrument, that is the main attraction here. These vocal gifts are eminently displayed on the sugary, WNBA adopted anthem "Soul Sista," "All That I Am," and the introspective "Sometimes," where the artist does some self-reflecting over ?uestlove's minimalist percussion snares and James Poyser's subtle keyboard riffs: "I wish I wasn't me sometimes/I wish I was drug free sometimes." Granted, Bilal occasionally falls prey to the moody musings and pleading romanticism ("For You") that marks the efforts of fellow neo-soul constituents like Maxwell. However, Bilal's ambidextrous nature, experimental inklings, and shape-shifting falsetto's foster a more diverse atmosphere, as he comfortably graces the funky Dr. Dre and Scott Storch-produced "Fast Lane" featuring Jadakiss, and waxes poetically about lost love on the Jay Dee-produced "Reminisce" featuring Common and Mos Def. ~ Matt Conaway, Rovi| 1st Born (2000 Album by Caponiac) | |
| 1st Born Second [Clean] (2001 Album by Bilal) |
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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1st Born Second
| 1st Born Second | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Bilal | ||||
| Released | July 17, 2001 | |||
| Recorded | 2001 | |||
| Genre | Neo soul, soul, R&B, funk | |||
| Length | 75:55 | |||
| Label | Interscope | |||
| Producer | Bilal, Mike City, Aaron Comess, Dahoud Darien, Dr. Dre, Dre & Vidal, J Dilla, Andres Levin, Megahertz, Mel-Man, James Poyser, Questlove, Raphael Saadiq, Soulquarians | |||
| Bilal chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Chicago Sun-Times | [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A−[3] |
| Los Angeles Times | [4] |
| NME | (8/10)[5] |
| PopMatters | favorable[6] |
| Rolling Stone |  [7] |
| Spin | (7/10)[8] |
| USA Today | [9] |
| The Village Voice | favorable[10] |
1st Born Second is the debut album of American neo soul musician Bilal, released July 17, 2001 on Interscope Records. Production for the album was handled primarily by Bilal and Aaron Comess.[11] Bilal's mononymous stage name also serves as an acronym for "Beloved, Intelligent, Lustful and Livin' It".[12] Bilal was trained in jazz and classical music before recording and joining the Soulquarians collective, which contributed in producing the album.[13] 1st Born Second features an eclectic sound incorporates musical elements of jazz, hip hop, scat, reggae, and rock music.[14][15][16]
The album attained moderate sales, but received general acclaim from music critics upon its release.
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Contents
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Reception
The album peaked at number 31 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, and it has sold 319,000 copies.[17] 1st Born Second received general acclaim from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 82/100 from Metacritic.[18] The album earned rave reviews from publications, including The Village Voice, Chicago Sun-Times, and USA Today,[2][9][10] and it also received comparisons to the music of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Sly & the Family Stone, Prince, and Curtis Mayfield.[18][19][20][21] Music writer Mark Anthony Neal of PopMatters cited the album as "one of the most significant debuts in black pop during the past 25 years".[6] Vibe's Tamika Andeson gave it 4½ out of 5 stars and cited it as "one of the best R&B albums of the year".[22]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" | Dubble, Richie Rich | Bilal | 1:47 |
| 2. | "For You" | Bilal Oliver | Megahertz | 3:47 |
| 3. | "Fast Lane" | Oliver, Damu Mtume, Fa Mtume, Michael Flowers | Dr. Dre | 4:37 |
| 4. | "Reminisce" (feat. Mos Def & Common) | Oliver, Dante Smith, James Yancey, Lonnie Lynn | J Dilla | 4:35 |
| 5. | "All That I Am (Somethin' for the People)" | Oliver, Dahoud Darien, Lynn | Dahoud Darien | 3:56 |
| 6. | "Sally" | Oliver, Ronald Shannon Jackson, Richard Serrell | Dr. Dre | 3:41 |
| 7. | "Sometimes" | Ahmir Khalib Thompson, Oliver, James Poyser | James Poyser | 7:12 |
| 8. | "Love It" | Mike City | Mike City | 3:48 |
| 9. | "C'mere (Skit)" | Andres Levin | 2:12 | |
| 10. | "Soul Sista" | Oliver, James Mtume | Raphael Saadiq | 5:21 |
| 11. | "When Will You Call" | Oliver | Aaron Comess | 4:47 |
| 12. | "Queen Sanity" | Oliver | Aaron Comess | 5:21 |
| 13. | "Love Poems" | Oliver, Keisha Whatley | Aaron Comess | 5:25 |
| 14. | "You Are" | Marsha Ambrosius, Nisan Stewart | Dre & Vidal | 4:17 |
| 15. | "Home" | Oliver | Bilal | 5:23 |
| 16. | "Slyde" | Oliver, Darien | Dahoud Darien | 4:07 |
| 17. | "Second Child" | Oliver | Bilal | 6:49 |
Charts
| Charts (2001) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[23] | 31 |
| US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[24] | 10 |
Personnel
Credits for 1st Born Second adapted from Allmusic.[25]
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References
- ^ Conaway, Matt. Review: 1st Born Second. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2009-08-12.
- ^ a b Columnist. "Review: 1st Born Second". Chicago Sun-Times: August 12, 2001. Archived from the original on 2009-08-12. (Transcription of original review at talk page)
- ^ Sinclair, Tom. Review: 1st Born Second. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 2009-08-12.
- ^ Nichols, Natalie. Review: 1st Born Second. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2009-08-12.
- ^ Odell, Michael. "Review: 1st Born Second". NME: July 25, 2001. Archived from the original on 2010-08-22.
- ^ a b Neal, Mark Anthony. Review: 1st Born Second. PopMatters. Retrieved on 2009-08-12.
- ^ DeCurtis, Anthony. "Review: 1st Born Second". Rolling Stone: 64. August 2, 2001. Note: Rating archived
- ^ Green, Tony. "Review: 1st Born Second". Spin: 158. September 2001.
- ^ a b Jones, Steve. "Review: 1st Born Second". USA Today: D.08. July 31, 2001.
- ^ a b Cepeda, Raquel. Review: 1st Born Second. The Village Voice. Retrieved on 2009-08-12.
- ^ Track listing and credits as per liner notes for 1st Born Second album
- ^ Needham, Alex. Review: 1st Born Second. NME. Retrieved on 2009-08-12.
- ^ Columnist. "Review: 1st Born Second". The Washington Post: T.14. October 12, 2001.
- ^ Kot, Greg. "Review: 1st Born Second". Chicago Tribune: 23. September 28, 2001.
- ^ Farley, Christopher John. Review: 1st Born Second. Time. Retrieved on 2009-08-12.
- ^ Phipps, Keith. Review: 1st Born Second. The A.V. Club. Retrieved on 2009-08-26. Archived 2009-09-04.
- ^ Herrera, Monica. Bilal To Release Electro-Jazz Rock Album In 2010. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-01-03.
- ^ a b 1st Born Second (2001): Reviews. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2009-08-12. Archived 2009-08-16.
- ^ Columnist. Review: 1st Born Second. The Independent. Retrieved on 2009-08-12.
- ^ Product Page: 1st Born Second. Muze. Retrieved on 2009-08-26.
- ^ Caramanica, Jon. Review: 1st Born Second. Blender. Retrieved on 2010-03-29.
- ^ Anderson, Tamika. "Review: 1st Born Second". Vibe: 242. September 2001.
- ^ 1st Born Second - Bilal Billboard.com, August 18, 2001
- ^ Songs In A Minor, Alicia Keys Billboard.com
- ^ Credits: 1st Born Second. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2010-03-28.
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