In 2001, Bilal released his debut album "1st Born Second", which featured contributions from the Soulquarians as well as high-profile producers such as Dr. Dre and J Dilla. The album peaked at number 31 on the U.S. "Billboard" 200 chart, and it has sold 319,000 copies. "1st Born Second" received universal acclaim from music critics; and holds a score of 82 out of 100 at Metacritic. The album earned rave reviews from publications including "The Village Voice", "Chicago Sun-Times", and "USA Today", and it also received comparisons to the music of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Sly & the Family Stone, Prince, and Curtis Mayfield.