1st Born Second
| 1st Born Second | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Bilal | ||||
| Released | July 17, 2001 | |||
| Genre | Neo soul, soul, R&B, funk | |||
| Length | 75:55 | |||
| Label | Interscope | |||
| Producer | Bilal, Mike City, Aaron Comess, Dahoud Darien, Megahertz, Dr. Dre, Dre & Vidal, J Dilla, Andres Levin, Mel-Man, James Poyser, Questlove, Raphael Saadiq, Soulquarians | |||
| Bilal chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Blender | |
| Chicago Sun-Times | |
| Entertainment Weekly | A− |
| Los Angeles Times | |
| NME | 8/10 |
| Q | |
| Rolling Stone |  |
| Spin | 7/10 |
| USA Today | |
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. Bilal's stage name also serves as an acronym for "Beloved, Intelligent, Lustful and Livin' It". Bilal was trained in jazz and classical music before recording and joining the Soulquarians collective, which contributed in producing the album.1st Born Second features an eclectic sound incorporates musical elements of jazz, hip hop, scat, reggae, and rock music.
The album attained moderate sales, but received acclaim from music critics upon its release. The album is now out of print.
Bilal began to familiarize himself with the music scene in New York City, meeting big talents such as Common, The Roots, and Erykah Badu. Eventually, he was discovered by Aaron Comess from the Spin Doctors during an after-school jam session. It was with him that Bilal recorded his demo that landed him a record deal with Interscope.
The album peaked at number 31 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, and it has sold 319,000 copies.1st Born Second received universal acclaim from music critics; it holds a score of 82 out of 100 at Metacritic. The album earned rave reviews from publications, including The Village Voice, Chicago Sun-Times, and USA Today, and it also received comparisons to the music of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Sly & the Family Stone, Prince, and Curtis Mayfield. 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".Vibe's Tamika Andeson called it "one of the best R&B albums of the year".
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