A Conversation With: Amir Bilal
A Conversation With: Amir Bilal
Amir Bilal, a 17 year old rapper from Virginia, makes soulful, reflective rap music with a distinctly personal and introspective edge. Fresh from releasing his extremely promising debut project 'Brain On Fire' earlier this year, with great help from immensely talented producer Riley Lamarre amongst others, Amir displays wisdom beyond his years. His music demonstrates impressive lyrical dexterity, balancing calm confidence and potent vulnerability in his vocal delivery. I had the pleasure of interviewing him; discussing his creative process and how he assesses his talents, his future plans and his relationships with his frequent collaborators:
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| Photo by Christian Something, Twitter: @chrstnsmthng_ |
George: First off, thanks for this. This is a cool, relaxed first interview for me to do since I've interacted with you a lot already - I feel pretty confident about what you'll wanna talk about. How are you feeling today man?
Amir: I am feeling really good bro. I’m in New York with Bart (producer Bart Buurman) and Riley (Lamarre). We’ve been making music and this is the first time I’ve really traveled so I’m in good spirits and all.
George: That’s great man, this is the first time you’ve actually met in person with Riley right?
Amir: Yep first time I ever met him.
George: Thought so. Could you speak a little bit on your collaborative process and how things usually work with you making music together? And also how have you found it working together in person finally?
Amir: Sometimes Riley will send me a snippet of a beat and I’ll tell him what I think or I’ll just freak out and stuff haha. But sometimes I even give him constructive criticism and we rework beats together. For instance 1000 Winters has like 3 versions and we reworked it until I loved it. But sometimes them joints are just perfect and we go immediately into it. And for working together in person it’s been really fun bouncing ideas off each other and watching him cook everything in front of me. Plus cracking on him and stuff had been mad fun.
George: That’s really cool, especially in an era where you’ll have some people complaining about the lack of ‘real’ collaborations done in the studio together - there’s still so much interaction and bouncing off each other that can be done online, it’s not like you’re inaccessible to each other at all.
Amir: Exactly, it’s important to have that close relationship.
George: You mention 1000 winters, that’s actually probably my favourite track on Brain on Fire, I love how vulnerable it felt. Do you have a favourite and if so why?
Amir: Probably Doppelgänger. It was such a raw track and it was a last minute addition and I think it helps switch the feeling of the second half of the album crazy well. Plus I think it has one of Riley’s weirdest beats and it was a fun challenge while making. It’s just very raw and honest.
George: Definitely, man there are moments on that track where you sound like you’re about to tear up, that song is you on your ‘u’ shit. I also love the idea you presented of ‘feeling like your own doppelgänger’, not sure I’ve ever heard that in a song before...
Talking about this song leads me perfectly on to my next question -
Your music is very therapeutic I find, it has a quality where I feel like I’m listening to someone trying to work out their place in life and on the whole feeling very open to and positive about that journey of discovery, is that something you’re consciously trying to achieve or does it come naturally from just being yourself in your writing?
Amir: It’s kind of a mix of both. Sometimes I’m actively like “let me tall y’all what I’m thinking about” and sometimes it just kind of flows out very honestly with not much outer thought being put into it if that makes sense. I also think it comes with my age and where I’m at in my life right now. It’s a lot of figuring things out.
George: Yeah being 17 is definitely a very transitional age, it’s easy to forget you’re 4 or 5 years younger than a lot of artists dropping their very first work, do you find you’re often conscious of having time on your hands?
Amir: Yes of course. I have the luxury of time. I have to move fast like any other artist but I do know I have time due to my age.
George: Definitely man. What’s the plan for the next year or so? Can we look forward to some more music these next couple of months? Or is there not so much a plan and just throwing ideas out and seeing what sticks?
Amir: The goal is another album by the end of the year. Then after that is an album that’s gonna have a bunch of different people on it. And I just dropped a couple of loosies just so something is out for the moment. Plus developing the collective... (No Clue, a collective consisting of Amir, producers Riley and Bart, and fellow rappers Horus Ra Mindset and 98Preem.)
George: Wow, that’s a decent amount of stuff. The collective is a useful thing for you to have going on alongside your solo career I imagine. As well as just meaning you have more output to consider, it also means there are people to support you and even help with the direction and execution of your solo work, particularly Riley of course being your producer.
Amir: Yes exactly. Riley is a big part of my work and recently Bart has been a crucial piece of how these songs have been going and all.
George: You’re lucky to have such talented people surround you as you progress. A lot of artists don’t have that luxury.
Amir: Absolutely.
George: Is there are particular quality to your writing or music in general that you really want people to recognise? Like when someone compliments it in a certain way, you’re like ‘ahh I’m happy they noticed that I do that well.’
Amir: I think my lyricism as whole. People always talk about my voice and vocal presence on songs being the shining factor but I think my lyricism and “bars” is underrated. That’s why when people point out particular lines to me I get moved in a different way than someone just saying “the song was dope.”
George: Yeah I feel that, your pen definitely comes across to me like something you take pride in - I guess it’s important you get props for your vocal presence too though cause I always think people forget that like, not everyone’s supposed to rap - it’s actually really hard to sound natural and assured on a beat, let alone flow and present yourself well.
Amir: Facts. You get it.
George: So, as just a general fun last question not specific to you - and this is based on two things which you can answer separately - 1. Who’s total output, both group and solo do you prefer and 2. Who do you think have done more to shape the sound and style of hip hop today: Wu-Tang or Odd Future? Or with that second part rather, who do you think are reflected more in today’s hip hop landscape?
Amir: Wu tang for both. I see them both as extremely important but Wu is something that can’t ever be replicated and they changed the way even record deals for groups are done. Plus basically everything from the first round of Wu albums are classics in just music itself not just hip hop. OF was extremely important for me when I was younger but Wu tang overall is untouchable.
George: I hadn’t even thought of the record deal aspect man that’s a really good point. Wu Tang really revolutionised so much, plus almost as importantly they gave us Ghostface. His is a top 3 discography in the genre.
Amir: Facts.
George: Anyway, thanks bro, you were really good to interview and engaged with your responses, I’m glad we could get this done, best of luck with everything you’re working on at the moment.
Amir: No problem bro. If you ever want to do this again I’m super down.
Brain on Fire is available on Soundcloud (along with various other loose tracks and freestyles which are beyond worth your time) and for sale on Bandcamp:
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