AGE: 27
D.O.B: 05/26/1979
Height: 61
Weight: 220
Birthplace: Jamaica
Genre: Reggae/Dancehall/Hip hop
Born in an island where music is the spice of life Linval McKnight, AKA, Billiblade, grew up loving music. His father owned a disco in the early 70s, but sold it before little blade was born. Nevertheless Billiblade inherit much more than the love of the music from his father. He inherited a talent for vocalizing as well. From as young as he can remember he was always at neighborhood birthday parties, dancing with the girls or without. He also liked to sneak out to attend local dancehalls around the community and began doing this at about age 8. As he grew it became apparent that music was to play an important role in his life. From his bathroom vocalizing sessions to singing with his friends on the street corner, to causing a riot while attending Wolmers Boys high. Where he and then classmate and friend, Wayne Mitchell aka Wayne Marshall during one lunch time hour, organized a lunchtime concert. Where Billiblade would emulate reggae/dancehalls artists such as Beenie man, Capleton and Spragga Benz and Wayne would always do his renditions of Bounty Killer songs. Billiblade grew up in the then quiet town of Portmore, Braeton Phase 3; where in late 1996 was terrorized with a rise of gang warfare and violence. Billiblade and friends were caught in the crossfire and a few of his friends lost their lives due to mistaken identity or stray bullets. Billiblade remembers burying one of his dear friends Joseph Beckford, aka, Bounty Joe. It was the first time I really felt sadness. Billiblade grew up in a family of five kids, in which he was the fourth. His father migrated and was living in the states trying to make ends meet. Billi remembers the nights he had to go to bed without anything but water and roam the streets bare feet. He came from a poor family of six, seven when his father would visit, in a two-bedroom home. Which meant Billi shared one bed with his three sisters and brother. Dont be disillusioned by the fact that Billis father was living in the states. He was struggling to find a job and place to stay and on many occasions when money was needed, and a call was made to his father. His father seems to be in a worst situation than billi and his mother and sisters and brother. Billi remembers the many days, while attending the Braeton All Age school, when he had to go to school in same suit of khaki uniform with very little or no lunch money at all. Nevertheless he was always a cool and humble child, as long as he can listen to music and sing he was quite content.
In the early 90s whilst listening to the radio, Billi heard the song of an R&B singer, Brian McKnight. Billi didnt know about him and his name yet, but he loved the song, One Last Cry. When he learned of the singers his name, which contained the surname, with the exact spelling and pronunciation, he was surprised. This was a spark of inspiration for Billi. He was about 13 at the time and it was then billi began to take his talent seriously. He began writing, not reggae, but R&B rather, for with the influence of Brian McKnight and the emergence of famous boy groups such as Shai and Boyz II Men, billi took to the R&B genre. He and his friends would hang out on the street corner signing or at least trying to, the songs of these groups at the time. Billi later felt that he was straying a bit too far from his roots and culture and then figure why not write his own music on which he grew up on. Hence he started to pen down words in the native language of his Jamaican heritage, Patois. He started writing reggae/dancehall.
Blade is not only gifted artistically in writing and as an artist but have also a very strong educational background. He attended the Braeton All Age School, in his early childhood to early teens. He then passed a standardized exam called the Common Entrance. In which Students who pass got to go to high school, in respect to their passing grades. He attended the Johnathan Grant High school, in Spanish town, for a year before transferring to one of the islands and Caribbean most accredited and oldest high school, Wolmers Boys High. His brother at the time was deputy head boy and well respected by all the teachers including principal and vice principal. Later, after migrating to the states in Christmas of 1996, Blade attended Miami-Dade Community College. He then Attended Keiser College at which he attained his AA degree in Business Administration. During this time Billi kind of lost track of his artistic ability and focused more on attaining a decent education. He continued writing whenever he got a chance nevertheless.
Finally in about late 2001 after coming in contact with a long time friend who also migrated, his interest and focus was back on track. His friend, Rayon Gordon, AKA Invincible. Invincible was also exploiting his talents for writing and vocalizing, and when he got in touch with Blade was excited that two old friends with a long time dream have found each other again and still seem to believe in and pursuing their dream. Blade then flew to Maryland where invincible lived, to visit and catch up. It was there in a basement at invincible uncles house where a makeshift studio was created, that Blade made his very first recording, Look War. Blade flew back to Miami, where once again he came in touch with another long time friend, TC, A radio disc jockey. Blade explained to him what he was doing musically and TC requested a few specials to test Blades talent. Tc gave Blade the phone number of some guy who had a studio where he could go make these recordings. Blade took the number, made the call and made an appointment for a recording session. When he got to the apartment, he met Chris Nelson, C. Roc, a young ambitious, aspiring producer. After a few recording sessions, C. Roc recognized that blade had a raw talent that needed some fine tuning and direction; hence he approached Blade with a plan. C. Roc was just about to start his own production company and wanted blade to sign on as his first major project. So he did and everything is history as we know from there
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