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Bilal Salaam

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Bilal Salaam
Background information
Birth nameBilal Salaam
BornNewark, New Jersey, United States
GenresExperimental
Occupation(s)professor, historiographer, composer, arranger, educator, singer-songwriter, record producer, rapper
Instrument(s)piano, digital audio workstations, keyboards, vocals, synthesizers, trumpet, sequencers
Years active2006–present
LabelsUnsigned
Websitewww.instagram.com/bilalsalaam/

Bilal Salaam is an American professor, art historiographer and independent, experimental composer. He is currently a lecturer at Istanbul Ticaret University.

Musical career

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As a graduate of Rutgers University's Music Historiography Master of Arts program,[1] and under the program's chair Lewis Porter, Bilal Salaam's thesis, American Ventriloquism framed vocalese through a theoretical lens of cultural appropriation.

Salaam's musical 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.

Salaam's Swordlord series is inspired by Muhammad's swords.

Discography

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Albums

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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

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  • Ruff Drafts Volume 1 (track: 8) – JapaNUBIA Musik 2006
  • Langue De Rasoir (tracks: 1, 3, 5 & 6) – Noohustle 2008
  • Peau Noire, Masques Blancs (all tracks) – Noohustle 2008
  • Dirty Soul Electric (track: 5) – BBE 2008
  • The Awakening (track: 5) – JapaNUBIA Musik 2008
  • Border Breaker (all tracks (vocal production)) – Ghetto Falsetto 2009
  • Before Taxes (track: 5) – Mello Music 2010
  • the Earn (track: 10 (vocal production)) – Mello Music 2011
  • Pedagogia Do Oprimido (all tracks) – Noohustle 2011
  • Bilal's Boulder (all tracks) – Noohustle 2012

Guest appearances

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  • 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]

References

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  1. ^ "Jazz MA Alumni Newsletter" (PDF). Jazzma.newark.rutgers.edu. March 1, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 28, 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  2. ^ "MODERN DAY SLAVERY: Bilal Salaam Interview". Soulculture.co.uk. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  3. ^ Moore, Marcus J. (August 10, 2011). "DMV Filter: Pro'Verb, Javier Starks, Bilal Salaam – Arts Desk". Washingtoncitypaper.com. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  4. ^ "Artists | HiPNOTT Records". Kevinnottingham.com. Archived from the original on November 2, 2014. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  5. ^ "Raheem DeVaughn Live Performance of "Guess Who Loves You More" & "Until"". YouTube. December 16, 2010. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  6. ^ "I'm The Bridge You Must Burn (feat. Bilal Salaam) [Bonus track], by Quelle Chris". Quellechris360.bandcamp.com. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  7. ^ "Being You Is Great, I Wish I Could Be You More Often, by Quelle Chris". Quellechris360.bandcamp.com. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  8. ^ [1] [dead link]
  9. ^ "Straight Shot (feat Cavalier, Bilal Salaam, Eldar Djangirov, & James Acaster), by Quelle Chris". Quellechris360.bandcamp.com. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
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