Saul Williams is the spoken word master. Hes a poet-come-rapper, an activist-come-preacher and a prophet-come-martyr. He speaks, you listen, those are the rules. Williams started out as an open mic poet and slam champion before setting his spoken words to music and began performing alongside established names like The Fugees, KRS-One and Erykah Badu. Hes a man who tracks his own path through the music industries woodlands emerging eyes aflame as a beatnik messiah intent on changing the world around him. Yes, hes pretentious, but thats because hes a goddamn preacher on a parapet. Every track hes ever had is chock full of heady words and messages piled on top of driving African beats, tribal chanting and riveting electronic hooks. Williams uses his words to cause blunt force trauma. He smacks you round the head repeatedly, clamoring for you understand his politically and racially charged lyrics like hip hops lone warrior against social injustice. He could easily be a character straight out of Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man. Williams released his latest musical mortar bomb earlier this year in the shape of MartyrLoserKing and if the title doesnt tell you all need to know, then Williams will quite happily help you fill in the blanks. This is Def Poetry man. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdrgACZ_YBU
