-- by Alexandra Phanor, BET.com Staff Writer

NEW YORK ÷ It's 2:30 p.m. and a fatigued Bilal is sluggishly trying to make his way up the steps to sit for an interview. Once in the conference room, Bilal drops his lifeless body into an office chair and lets out a long sigh of relief, as if he has just plopped onto the bed at his Brooklyn apartment. Mustering up every last bit of energy left in his body, he announces, "I've been up all day shooting a video for my next single, 'Love It.' I need some sleep."

If you've ever witnessed Bilal Sayeed Oliver's onstage theatrics ÷ which include him gyrating as if he were possessed and channeling the spirits of such soul legends as James Brown ÷ then the subdued 22-year-old in that chair would surprise you. His ability to turn it on and off while performing won him a number of fans before he even had a record deal. But some perceived his Jekyll and Hyde act as laying it on too thick. "When I perform, I live the music. I'm expressing whatever emotion lies in the song," he says. "I can't help that, 'cause I'm living it."

His uninhibitedness onstage cooked up a strong buzz for his recently released debut, 1st Born Second. Unfortunately, the album was repeatedly pushed back, frustrating fans. Now that the record is finally out, though, Bilal thinks those fans will find it ... and like it. "I think the momentum is growing," he says. "I feel like I have a very good album."

Record sales aside, this Philly youth is packing a tremendous amount of talent, exposing a provocative old soul that shines through. Whether it's singing about keeping his pimp hand strong on "Certified" from Guru's Jazzmatazz: Street Soul or delivering a black-girls-rule ode on his album's first single, "Soul Sista," Bilal's nostalgic vocal gymnastics touch the listener in a deep place and ignite some booty shaking. Similar to D'Angelo, Bilal's old-school, hip-hop-tinged approach to music has critics comparing him to the usual suspects: Al Green, Prince and Marvin Gaye.