First Listen: Saul Williams - MartyrLoserKing
January 20, 2016 10:09 PM Subscribe
Spoken word artist Saul Williams comes forth with a new album, MartyrLoserKing, available for first listen via NPR, produced by Justin Warfield. Williams first made his name on the slam poetry circuit and has been recording rap (hard to call them hip-hop) albums for several years.
Williams' previous albums include the Trent Reznor-produced The Inevitable Rise And Liberation Of Niggy Tardust, a personal favorite of mine.
Williams' previous albums include the Trent Reznor-produced The Inevitable Rise And Liberation Of Niggy Tardust, a personal favorite of mine.
I've seen him perform live in Dallas over 12 years ago. Sophisticated, mysterious (to me), intriguing, kind of serious, and overall just brilliant. Great to see him mentioned on MeFi; I would highly recommend checking out his work.
posted by TreeHugger at 12:48 AM on January 21, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by TreeHugger at 12:48 AM on January 21, 2016 [1 favorite]
Blackalicious's "Release" is where I first came across Saul Williams, and it's an incredible track. I tried to dive into some of his other work and found it...difficult. What should I be listening to?
posted by Jimbob at 2:58 AM on January 21, 2016
posted by Jimbob at 2:58 AM on January 21, 2016
Damn, this is good. Ever since I heard Coded Language, an almost unbearably intense track, I've loved most that I've come across. But unfortunately haven't been a very regular follower so I see that I've missed a few albums even. Thanks for the reminder! Time to fill some gaps.
I see there's also a few videos already on youtube: Coltan as Cotton, Burundi, Horn of the Clock-Bike.
posted by sapagan at 3:48 AM on January 21, 2016
I see there's also a few videos already on youtube: Coltan as Cotton, Burundi, Horn of the Clock-Bike.
posted by sapagan at 3:48 AM on January 21, 2016
What should I be listening to?
'Amethyst Rock Star' isn't a bad starting point.
posted by box at 4:41 AM on January 21, 2016
'Amethyst Rock Star' isn't a bad starting point.
posted by box at 4:41 AM on January 21, 2016
I will not rhyme over tracks
Niggas on a chain gang used to do that
Waaaay back
posted by FatherDagon at 5:32 AM on January 21, 2016 [1 favorite]
Niggas on a chain gang used to do that
Waaaay back
posted by FatherDagon at 5:32 AM on January 21, 2016 [1 favorite]
(hard to call them hip-hop)
Nope. Saul Williams is a hip-hop artist -- it's there in the subtitle of one of his books. It's just that he's a hip-hop artist in open revolt against what hip-hop has become. His project is a very deliberate effort to expand the range of the genre -- to say that this, too, is hip-hop. So if it's hard to call them hip-hop that's deliberate, and probably the most interesting way to think about his work.
posted by spindle at 6:52 AM on January 21, 2016
Nope. Saul Williams is a hip-hop artist -- it's there in the subtitle of one of his books. It's just that he's a hip-hop artist in open revolt against what hip-hop has become. His project is a very deliberate effort to expand the range of the genre -- to say that this, too, is hip-hop. So if it's hard to call them hip-hop that's deliberate, and probably the most interesting way to think about his work.
posted by spindle at 6:52 AM on January 21, 2016
These lyrics from Coded Language, for example, are addressed directly to hip-hop:
Statements, such as, "keep it real", especially when punctuating orposted by spindle at 6:57 AM on January 21, 2016
Anticipating modes of ultra-violence inflicted psychologically or physically
Or depicting an unchanging rule of events will hence forth be seen as
Retro-active and not representative of the individually determined is
I've seen him perform live in Dallas over 12 years ago. Sophisticated, mysterious (to me), intriguing, kind of serious, and overall just brilliant. Great to see him mentioned on MeFi; I would highly recommend checking out his work.
posted by TreeHugger at 2:48 AM on January 21 [+] [!]
Was that by chance on the Plea for Peace tour (at Trees)? If so, I was volunteering at the Music For America table that night registering people to vote. I didn't get to hang out with him much, but Saul made a point to come over and thank me for being there and we chatted for about 2 minutes. He's a genuinely kind man (as was everyone I met that night, including Plea for Peace tour organizer Mike Park).
posted by Ufez Jones at 7:02 AM on January 21, 2016
posted by TreeHugger at 2:48 AM on January 21 [+] [!]
Was that by chance on the Plea for Peace tour (at Trees)? If so, I was volunteering at the Music For America table that night registering people to vote. I didn't get to hang out with him much, but Saul made a point to come over and thank me for being there and we chatted for about 2 minutes. He's a genuinely kind man (as was everyone I met that night, including Plea for Peace tour organizer Mike Park).
posted by Ufez Jones at 7:02 AM on January 21, 2016
Awesome! I knew he was coming out with the album, but it slipped off the radar for me. Really looking forward to listening to it when I get the chance.
posted by No One Ever Does at 11:02 AM on January 21, 2016
posted by No One Ever Does at 11:02 AM on January 21, 2016
Saul Williams interview on Weekend Edition from this morning, talking about the album. No transcript link available at this time.
posted by hippybear at 10:56 AM on January 31, 2016
posted by hippybear at 10:56 AM on January 31, 2016
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