By Taylor Long
What is it, exactly, that we’re looking for in music nowadays? We want music that is new, exciting and different, but we don’t want something that strays too far from the classics. We want bands that don’t sound exactly the same-we want originality! But we also like a lot of similar things. We want to be able to relate to our favorite musicians; which is hard to do when we’re funding their sixth home. Intelligence is great, too, but even a catchy beat can sometimes top that. Oh, the dilemmas! Have no fear ladies and gentlemen, for Brooklyn’s Saul Williams knows just what we’re looking for-at least as far as spoken word and hip-hop goes.
Williams’ self-titled album begins with “Talk To Strangers,” a spoken word piece that emphasizes talking to strangers, because you’ll understand where they’re coming from, and perhaps accept something you didn’t accept before. From this point on, the listener knows that Williams has a message. This shifts into “Grippo,” a song with a beat that could get the stiffest of bodies moving, over which he raps with a chorus of “I want to show you what the stars are made of.”
We see more of Williams’ message in “Telegram,” where he sings “this system ain’t for us / it’s for rich people / and you ain’t rich, dog / you just got money / but you can’t buy shit / to not get hungry.”
In fact, just about every song on this album has an intelligent, politically or socially motivated point behind it (titles include “List Of Demands (Reparations)” and “African Student Movement”), but Williams presents his issues cleverly and shamelessly, yet without sounding preachy or repetitive, or as though he’s shoving it down your throat.
His voice is haunting and versatile. He uses it to speak softly, to scream, to rap and also to rap in more of a hurried-spoken word.
The music is impressive; even the most staunch fans of Top 40 rap veterans like Usher, Kanye West or Jay-Z should be able to get behind some of the work on Saul Williams. True, this album is not made of Escalades and Cristal as many of the radio hits today, but that’s part of its credibility.
With this release, Williams rounds out his circle of talents, which range from poet and award-winning screenwriter/actor to now a political hip-hop MC. Saul Williams might be crying for help, but with his work, he’s answered a few pleas.