If you know me you know I love Bilal.  He is my leprechaun at the end of the rainbow. I have all of his albums including the unreleased one and nearly everything he’s been featured in. Most people who know of Bilal remember him from his début album 1st Born Second. His first album had the singles Fast Lane, Love It and Soul Sister, which was also on the Love and Basketball soundtrack.  The entire album was critically acclaimed and even though it was never released as a single, Sometimes was a standout piece. So, when I came across the story of how Sometimes came about on  hypnagogics.com I was geeked. I’ve told people about it ever since.

According to Questlove, who along with Bilal and James Poyser are credit for writing the song, it was created from an impromptu session.  After hours of being in a creative void the musicians saw Carmen: A Hip Hopera (don’t ask) starring Beyonce,  Mekhi Phifer and Mos Def come up on the t.v. This lead to a comedy roast of Common, who apparently had it in his mind that he was going to “come up in ghostwriting” off the movie and maybe have a chance with the star.  Of course Mos Def ended up in the film and supposedly had a few dates with Beyonce.  They called Common on the phone, clowned him for a while,  then Questlove started playing Mos Def’s “Umi Says”, and James started playing Destiny’s Child’s “Bills Bills Bills”, and Bilal started singing about how Mos Def stole Common’s fire, role and girl.  They started recording 7 minutes into the song, and except for about 4 lines the entire thing was off the top of Bilal’s head.

Every since I’ve known about this, I can’t hear the drums at of Umi Says or Sometimes without combining the two, nor can I hear  the Sometimes without singing  “I don’t think you do” from Bills Bills Bills.  Can you hear it?

Sometimes by Bilal

 

Bills Bills Bills by Destiny’s Child

 

Umi Says by Mos Def