Saul Williams is a Renaissance man in every sense of the word. As a poet, Saul Williams has gained worldwide fame, authoring three critically acclaimed collections of work and appearing in several anthologies and periodicals such as Catch The Fire and the New York Times, respectfully. As a screenwriter and actor, Saul was awarded the Sundance Grand Prize (among others) in ’98 for his film Slam. As a musician, which is most relevant to most of you, Saul Williams released Amethyst Rockstar in 2001, which was co-produced by Rick Rubin. Again, he was lauded with praise from the critics. His new release, simply titled Saul Williams seems to be destined for similar success. An amalgamation of cool hip-hop (the cool kind, not the bling bling, chicks with thongs jiggling their asses kind), angst-ridden rock & roll and politically-charged punk, Saul Williams is an album that transcends genres and is a true reflection of the man who created it. The first single, “List Of Demands (Reparations)” is hands down one of the coolest songs I’ve heard all year and it’s just the tip of the iceberg. “Grippo”, “Control Freak” and others are genre-bending gems that will impact listeners on a variety of different levels. As America’s cultural landscape continues to grow more diverse and inclusive, music fans of all backgrounds are looking for artists who draw from influences as wide-ranging as their every-expanding music libraries. Constantly pushing the envelope and expanding the perceptions of how music, literature and media can make a positive impact in society by uniting people on an individual and cultural level, Saul Williams is that artist.
