He is known for being an acclaimed and phenomenal poet, but along with those accolades Saul Williams is also an up-and-coming actor, and Hip Hop artist. He first made noise in 2001 with the release of Amethyst Rockstar, which was co-produced by the legendary Rick Rubin. With this self-titled LP coming out as his second release, Williams displays a very unique style of Hip Hop in that he raps; yet his delivery is more in a spoken word form. Often given to the listener in a monotone, the lyrics still work well with the production and seduce the ears to really listen to what he is saying, which, of course, is very poetic and socially conscious in substance.
An example of the monotone, spoken word style he displays is found on the LP’s opening track “Talk To Strangers.” A very moving, poetic and politically charged lyrical barrage, this song captures your attention immediately with the way Williams’ delivery works with the production, which lacks the traditional Hip Hop beat, yet keeps a subtly energetic rhythm throughout the song. His tone would seem to take away from the lyrics in certain instances, but with the power of the words it supplants the idea that such incredible descriptions and events are not that shocking to a person who has lived and breathed all that is discussed. In that sense, his tone enhances the lyrics because of the shocking idea that these words represent the norm.
“Act III, Scene 2 (Shakespeare)” features the talents of a man known for his conscious lyrical genius in Zack De La Rocha. It is a very welcome surprise to hear De La Rocha contributing his charged voice along with Saul Williams’ intense lyrics throughout the song. Possibly the best track on the album, the chemistry between these two artists is undeniable, as both spit their lyrics with such passion that it makes you want to rewind the track to feel the intensity over and over. De La Rocha screams his lyrics four times during the last hook; escalating the emotion each time he starts it over then contributes a little bit of his own spoken word. The yelling flow of Williams is incredible on this song and he definitely changes up his tone to match the intensity of De La Rocha.
Saul Williams’ self-titled LP displays his many different talents, which includes poetry in spoken word and rapping, production, as the album is almost completely self-produced, ability to change up his delivery from monotone to yelling to singing, and of course overall songwriting ability. All of these skills are displayed on each one of the tracks that make up this LP. For those that are looking for artistic genius in the form of Hip Hop, this is definitely the type of album for you, as the originality and diversity of this release will blow your mind. |