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Williams is a vocal critic of the [[George W. Bush|Bush administration]], the [[War on Terrorism]], and the [[Iraq War]]; among his more well-known works are the anti-war anthems "Not In My Name" and "Act III Scene 2 (Shakespeare)".
Williams is a vocal critic of the [[George W. Bush|Bush administration]], the [[War on Terrorism]], and the [[Iraq War]]; among his more well-known works are the anti-war anthems "Not In My Name" and "Act III Scene 2 (Shakespeare)".


In early 2008, a Nike Sparq Training commercial featured Williams's song "List of Demands (Reparations)."
In early 2008, a [[Nike]] Sparq Training commercial featured Williams's song "List of Demands (Reparations)."


==Discography==
==Discography==

Revision as of 16:47, 1 May 2008

Saul Williams

Saul Stacey Williams (born February 29, 1972) is an American writer, actor and musician known for his blend of poetry and hip-hop and for his leading role in the independent film Slam. He has had a significant place in the movement of DRM-free music.

Biography

Early life

He was born in Newburgh, New York. Williams is the youngest of 3 children; his two older siblings are sisters. After graduating from Morehouse College with a B.A. in philosophy, Williams moved to New York City to earn a Master's Degree at New York University in acting. Here he found himself at the center of the New York cafe poetry scene.

Career

By 1995 he had become a talented open mic poet and in 1996 he won the title of Nuyorican Poets Cafe's Grand Slam Champion. Fame on the spoken-word circuit led him to the lead role in the 1998 feature film Slam, which won both the Sundance Festival Grand Jury Prize and the Cannes Camera D'Or, introducing Williams to international audiences.

Williams was at this time breaking into music. He had performed with such artists as The Fugees, Christian Alvarez, Blackalicious, Erykah Badu, KRS-One, Zack De La Rocha, De La Soul, and DJ Krust, as well as legendary poets Allen Ginsberg and Sonia Sanchez. After releasing a string of EPs, in 2001 he released the much-hyped Amethyst Rock Star with producer Rick Rubin and in September 2004 his self-titled album to much acclaim. He played several shows supporting Nine Inch Nails on their European tour in summer 2005, and has also supported The Mars Volta. Williams was also invited to the Lollapalooza music festival in Summer 2005. The Chicago stage allowed Williams to attract a wider audience. He also appeared on NIN's album Year Zero, and supported the group on their 2006 North American tour, during which Williams announced that Trent Reznor would co-produce his next album.[1] This collaboration resulted in 2007's The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!. This album is available only at the website niggytardust.com. Users can pay $5 to support the artist directly and be given the choice of downloading the MP3 version or the lossless FLAC version. The material has been produced by Trent Reznor and mixed by Alan Moulder. It was Reznor who said that after his own recent dealings with record labels that they should release it directly.[2]

As a writer, Williams has been published in The New York Times, Esquire, Bomb Magazine and African Voices, as well as having released four collections of poetry. He has toured and lectured across the world, appearing at many universities and colleges. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

Williams is a vocal critic of the Bush administration, the War on Terrorism, and the Iraq War; among his more well-known works are the anti-war anthems "Not In My Name" and "Act III Scene 2 (Shakespeare)".

In early 2008, a Nike Sparq Training commercial featured Williams's song "List of Demands (Reparations)."

Discography

Albums/EPs

Guest and compilation appearances

Bibliography

  • The Seventh Octave, 1998, Moore Black Press ISBN 0-9658308-1-0
  • She, 1999, MTV/Pocketbooks ISBN 0-671-03977-6
  • ,said the shotgun to the head, 2003, MTV/Pocketbooks ISBN 0-7434-7079-6
  • The Dead Emcee Scrolls, 2006, MTV/Pocketbooks ISBN 1-4165-1632-8

Filmography

Television

References

  1. ^ "Saul Williams recording with Trent/Atticus". The NIN Hotline. 2006-03-13. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
  2. ^ Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) produced album by Saul Williams yours for zero dollar
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