Bilal Sayeed Oliver (born August 21, 1979), better known by his stage name Bilal, is an American neo soul/jazz singer-songwriter, musician and producer. He is also a core member of the loose collective, the Soulquarians. Bilal started out by singing in small clubs until he began classical training in jazz and big-band arrangements at the Mannes Music Conservatory in New York. With this formal training, the singer/songwriter learned to sing opera in seven languages. Bilal is a member of the Soulquarians collective, along with Common, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Q Tip, and D’Angelo.