Mohammed Bilal
| Mohammed Bilal | |
|---|---|
| Born | United States |
| Occupation | Musician, reality television personality |
Mohammed Bilal is an African-American musician known as a castmate on The Real World: San Francisco, the third season of MTV's long-running reality television show, which aired in 1994. He is the lead singer and songwriter for Midnight Voices, a band from the San Francisco Bay area.
The Real World
On The Real World: San Francisco, Mohammed is the 24-year-old, self admitted talentless, lead singer and songwriter for Midnight Voices, a band from the San Francisco Bay area, he supports himself doing makeovers at The Body Shop and working at his father's dance club, The Upper Room.[1] He also tries to balance this with his schoolwork, and his girlfriend of six months, a ballerina named Stephanie.[2] Mohammed, whom MTV describes as "a mellow, spiritual guy",[1] is a practicing Muslim.[3] He also "cleanses" the house of negative energy by burning sage and comfrey after Puck moves out of the house.[4]
Bilal was immediately accepting of cast mate Pedro Zamora's homosexuality because, according to him, this is necessary in San Francisco.[citation needed] Although he did not participate in much of the conflict between house mate David "Puck" Rainey and the other cast mates, he got into an argument with Rainey about gangster rap,[citation needed] Bilal, a rap musician himself, perceived Rainey’s comments as being directed toward the entire genre, but Rainey later attended a performance by Bilal, and complimented him on his performance, stating that his brand of rap was more positive than those to which he had earlier referred.[citation needed]
Bilal and Rainey experienced a tense moment during the 1995 reunion show, The Real World Reunion, when Bilal assertively told Rainey that the persona he adopted was a fictional character, calling him "schizophrenic," and claiming that being a twenty-seven year old bicycle messenger, contrary to Rainey’s assertions, was "not cool". Rainey responded that he was retired from that occupation, addressing Bilal as "bitch". Bilal then flipped the cap Rainey was wearing off of his head; Rainey moved to the other side of the stage. Bila later apologized to Rainey and admitted his long struggles with addiction.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Biography page for Mohammed Bilal at mtv.com
- ↑ Stephanie first appears in Episode 3. Her occupation, the duration of their relationship, and his schoolwork is established in Episode 16.
- ↑ The Real World Diaries; Pocket Books; 1996; Pages 129 & 133.
- ↑ He does this in "Rebel, Rebel", the 12th episode of the season.
- ↑ The Real World: Reunion, MTV, 1995