Bilal's classical training at the Mannes Music Conservatory in New York was instrumental to his conversance with Jazz, voice, and big band arrangements. It has also been reported that he is capable of performing opera in seven languages and writes both music and lyrics.
In 1995, Bilal encountered Faulu Mtume, and his brother, Damu Mtume (sons to James Mtume and founders of Moyo Entertainment) at a barber's shop in Philadelphia. His plans to produce film scores was shelved after he handed the brothers a demo recording; they were so impressed that they successfully convinced him to record commercially.
Bilal has also frequently collaborated and performed with several neo-soul and alternative hip hop artists, including Common, Erykah Badu, Talib Kweli, and The Roots. He also covered Radiohead's "High & Dry" for the 2006 Radiohead tribute, Exit Music: Songs With Radio Heads. Bilal appears in Dave Chappelle's Block Party.
His sophomore full-length recording, Love for Sale is rumored to have been shelved after being leaked on the internet. Despite no official release as of yet, Love for Sale has become an underground classic.
In 2010, Bilal released his sophomore album, Airtight's Revenge, 9 years after his debut album. The album was well-received, critics praised his lyrical substance and experimental sound.
Bilal is set to release his 3rd album, A Love Surreal, on February 26, 2013. Bilal explains that the album has a warmer, more acoustic sound compared to his previous works. He released a mixtape leading up to the release in late 2012 called Retrospective of the Man Called Bilal. 6 days after the mixtape was released, he took the wraps off his first single for A Love Surreal, "Back To Love". A video was released the next month. So far, reviews for A Love Surreal are positive, praising Bilal's natural singing talent and lyrics.
Reminisce
Bilal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yo
Just when I think that I've forgot you
I hear that thug that we used to rock to
Just When I think I'm gettin' on without you
Somebody Passed and asked me about you
Was in the back of the cab the other day
My heart rushed, my face flushed
Tell the driver hit the breaks slow the pace up
Wait up, It wasn't you
Realized it's a mirage I was running to
Damn, can the affects of Love and time
Cause the mind to trick the eye?
I wonder how you gettin' by
And all the stars still in your eyes
But you still just get the five
You break the bank to spend the time
I reminisce of shifting time, to when you was mine
[Bilal]
Years ago, in a mist of hallways and sliding doors
Missing links of family very obscure
Vision of you shine
But only for a short time
My mistake I didn't pick up on it till years down the
Line
Here now as I (reminisce) reminisce, will I ever see
Your face again?
(In-fect-ion)
Baby as I lay back (reminisce) will I ever see your
Face again.
(In-fect-ion)
As I reminisce (fect-ion)
As I reminisce (In-fect-ion)
[Bilal] (Common)
Hold still (uh)
The divine has placed us
In a small world (yes)
And thankfully so (Thank God)
Our paths cross once more
And to whose surprise but mine
Was 14th and 6th was the placed where we combine once
More
There at the front door of the cornor store you stood.
(reminisce)
I reminisce Infection
(In-fect-ion)
As I lay back (reminisce) will I ever see our face
Again
(In-fect-ion)
As I reminisce (In-fect-ion)
As I reminisce (In-fect-ion)
A happy story always ends
As it starts
But with few exceptions involved
We became an item
(Me For You)
Me for you and
(You For Me)
You for me
(Through Good Times and Bad Times)
Good times
(Sickness And Health)
Sickness and health
(Broke ass and richness)
Broke ass, and richness, baby we made it work
[Common]
Yes Sir
Yo I reminisce over this chick
Colder than a soda
Princess a soldier
Raised in Islamic culture
Sexy as the girl on the Jamaica poster
Men are over seas where there really don't be no
Sistas
Brought her on stage as Bilal sang "Soul Sista"
In body parts the blood was thicker
Sweet only tryna make sure it ain't the liquor
She was with a nigga come to find out
She and Sista backstage, conversation kissed her
Made me forget to remember that I pimp the dime
Put the pimpin' aside I see Kenya in her eye
Our connection lies in a life before
For us to meet again was devine law
So I can't describe how deep I dug her
Now only in memory can I hug her
I reminisce why'all
Oh my God
The song "Reminisce" by Bilal featuring Mos Def and Common is a reflection on past relationships and memories. The lyrics are about thinking of an ex-lover and how memories of that person can bring up feelings of nostalgia and longing. Mos Def speaks of his experience, where the mere sound of a certain song can bring up memories of the past. Bilal touches on how he missed an opportunity in the past, while Common reminisces about a past relationship where he felt a strong connection to the person.
The song starts with Mos Def's verse, where he speaks about experiencing a momentary illusion of seeing his past lover walking by. He wonders if time and love can deceive one's mind, and how she might be doing now. Bilal continues the theme of reflection, mentioning how he missed seeing the opportunity of being with someone when he had the chance. He questions whether he will ever get to see that person again. Common's verse is about his past relationship with a woman he deeply loved, but no longer has a connection with. He speaks of how memories of her bring up emotions within him and how he longs to see her again.
"Reminisce" is a soulful R&B song that features smooth vocals, slow and sensual rhythms with minimal instrumentation, and a chorus that repeats the word "Infection." The song has a melancholic feel that reflects the reflective lyrics. The three artists complement each other well, each bringing their unique style and flow to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Just when I think that I've forgot you
Even when I think I have forgotten about you, something brings back memories of you.
I hear that thug that we used to rock to
I listen to the same music that we used to enjoy together and remember the good old days.
Just when I think I'm gettin' on without you
There are times I feel like I have moved on from the relationship, but memories of us together bring me back.
Somebody Passed and asked me about you
Someone I met recently mentioned you, and it made me reminisce about our time together.
Was in the back of the cab the other day
I was in a taxi just a few days ago.
Swear to God I saw you walking passed the other way
I thought I saw you walking in my direction.
My heart rushed, my face flushed
I felt a sudden rush of emotions and my face turned red.
Tell the driver hit the breaks slow the pace up
I asked the driver to slow down the cab so that I could have a better look at who I thought was you.
Wait up, It wasn't you
Finally, I realized that it was not really you, but someone who looked like you.
Realized it's a mirage I was running to
I understood that it was an illusion I was chasing.
Damn, can the affects of Love and time
I wondered if it was love and the passage of time that caused me to see things that were not there.
Cause the mind to trick the eye?
I questioned if my mind was playing tricks on my eyes.
I wonder how you getting' by
I am curious to know how you are doing these days.
And all the stars still in your eyes
I still picture the stars in your eyes, even after all this time.
But you still just get the five
But we do not seem to be a priority to each other anymore.
You break the bank to spend the time
You spend a lot of money to have a good time.
I reminisce of shifting time, to when you was mine
I fondly recall the times when we were together.
Years ago, in a mist of hallways and sliding doors
A long time ago, I was lost and indecisive.
Missing links of family very obscure
There were gaps in my family history that were hard to explain or understand.
Vision of you shine
I remember how bright and vivid you were to me.
But only for a short time
Unfortunately, the good times did not last.
My mistake I didn't pick up on it till years down the Line
I did not realize my mistakes until several years had passed.
Here now as I (reminisce) reminisce, will I ever see Your face again?
As I reminisce, I wonder if I will ever see you again.
(In-fect-ion)
An infection, a strong force that is hard to shake off.
Baby as I lay back (reminisce) will I ever see your Face again.
I lie down and think back to our time together, wondering if there is any chance of us ever seeing each other again.
As I reminisce (fect-ion)
As I look back on our relationship, I realize how we were infected with each other.
Hold still (uh)
Wait for a moment, please.
The divine has placed us
It was fate that brought us together again.
In a small world (yes)
We live in a small world where anything can happen.
And thankfully so (Thank God)
Fortunately, we were able to meet again.
Our paths cross once more
Our paths meet again after many years apart.
And to whose surprise but mine
Interestingly, it was only surprising to me to see you again.
Was 14th and 6th was the placed where we combine once More
We met at the corner of 14th Street and 6th Avenue one more time.
There at the front door of the cornor store you stood.
I was surprised to see you standing there in front of the store.
I reminisce Infection
I look back on our past with an infectious and lasting feeling.
As I lay back (reminisce) will I ever see our face Again
As I lie down, I keep thinking back to the possibility of seeing your face again someday.
(In-fect-ion)
There is still that infectious feeling that ties us together.
A happy story always ends
Even happy stories come to an end.
As it starts
As with any story, we must start at the beginning.
But with few exceptions involved
Except for a few exceptions or special cases.
We became an item
We were together romantically.
(Me For You)
I was for you and you were for me.
You For Me
We stood by each other through good and bad times.
(Through Good Times and Bad Times)
We were there for each other through thick and thin.
Good times
When things were going well.
(Sickness And Health)
We took care of each other through sickness and poor health.
Broke ass, and richness, baby we made it work
Despite times of financial hardship and success, we made our relationship work.
Yes Sir
I understand completely.
Colder than a soda
You were as cool and collected as a can of soda.
Princess a soldier
You were like a princess, but also a strong and independent warrior.
Raised in Islamic culture
You were brought up in a culture with strict Islamic traditions.
Sexy as the girl on the Jamaica poster
You were as attractive as the models in posters in Jamaica.
Men are over seas where there really don't be no Sistas
There are not many black women in other countries for black men to date.
Brought her on stage as Bilal sang 'Soul Sista'
I brought you on stage while Bilal performed the song 'Soul Sista'.
In body parts the blood was thicker
Our physical connection was strong.
Sweet only tryna make sure it ain't the liquor
We were sweet and had a connection that went beyond just drinking alcohol.
She was with a nigga come to find out
You were with another guy, and I found out later.
She and Sista backstage, conversation kissed her
You and another woman were talking backstage, and you shared a kiss.
Made me forget to remember that I pimp the dime
You made me forget my role as a player and focus on you.
Put the pimpin' aside I see Kenya in her eye
I let go of my promiscuous ways to see your true self and inner beauty.
Our connection lies in a life before
We were connected in a past life.
For us to meet again was divine law
It was fate that brought us together again.
So I can't describe how deep I dug her
I cannot describe how much I was into you.
Now only in memory can I hug her
Now, I can only hold onto the memory of you in my mind.
I reminisce ya'll
I look back and enjoy the memories of you.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, O/B/O DistroKid, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RASHID LONNIE LYNN, BILAL S OLIVER, DANTE SMITH, JAMES DEWITT YANCEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind