Wednesday night, Sept. 8 was charged with the type of energy that makes aspiring young African Americans re-commit to doing more with their lives, and established older heads long for the days when they felt more like those young turks. Twenty- and thirty-something year-old black professionals convened in one of Chicago’s chicest restaurants and lounges to pay homage to Philadelphia-born neo soul singer and Grammy-nominated artist Bilal on that balmy evening. Rolling out staff maneuvered our way through the freshman class of aristocrats to an elegant VIP dining room for an exclusive interview with the popular artist.
The scene: Chicago’s lavish Rumba Room restaurant and lounge.
The event: Official listening party for Bilal’s latest release Air-tight’s Revenge.
The vibe: Great ambience, cool crowd of polished professionals dotted with pockets of more avant garde supporters.
What Bilal had to say:
The album:
Air tight’s Revenge is a genre bending record mixed with a little bit of soul, a little bit of hip-hop, a little bit of rock, a little electronic music, a little bit of jazz, it’s a mixture. This officially my second album after [1st Born Second], but it’s more like my third album since I had one [Love for Sale] that was bootlegged, and everybody liked that one — although it was free.
The inspiration:
My inspiration behind this album was really life, life in America as a young black male. I’m a new father so I really wrote about everything on this record. My ups, my downs, my love life, my life as a father … life in America.
Fatherhood:
Being a father is dope to me. It’s a learning experience everyday. It’s inspiring and I enjoy it. My kids teach me as much as I teach them. Being a father makes me feel like I’m on this planet for something.
Future projects:
I plan to continually make music and stretch myself and push myself to the highest level that I can possibly go. At the end of the day when people write the book of history, I want my name to be in there. So, I’m really just trying to push the envelope to carve my own name in this thing, you know.
Sustainability:
I sustain myself by being grounded. I have a lot of cool people around me that give it to me straight.
Advice to new artists:
Don’t make boundaries for yourself. Be free and find those things that you fceel our yours and cultivate that.
