Saul Williams creeps up into the mainstream with latest release

Saul Williams is a gem in a genre that has had its fair share of criticism for using tired, overused formulas to create songs. Instead of ascribing to the common themes in popular hip-hop, such as ultra-masculinity, braggadocios meanderings or the recently popular so-called "conscious" lyrics (Kanye West, anyone?) in order to sell records, Saul Williams just goes out there and creates. In fact, due to the diversity of his work, it would be presumptuous to place him in any particular musical category. He is just an artist, in a very pure and exciting sense.

While listening to Saul's music (or watching him perform his spoken word pieces), one gets the sense that he is expressing something genuine. There exists no boundaries in his music, nor is he even constricted by the medium of music at all - he is also an actor and published poet.

His most recent album, The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!, further establishes Williams as an interesting and genre-defying artist. The album was produced by Trent Reznor, leader of industrial rock group Nine Inch Nails. As far as content, Williams' moves through a plethora of ideas that may leave the unambitious or unprepared listener overwhelmed, and perhaps scared.

Williams based most of the lyrics for the 15 tracks (excluding the cover of U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday") on his 2006 book, The Dead Emcee Scrolls: The Lost Teachings of Hip-Hop. In addition, the album title is a reference to David Bowie's 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. How cool is that? Throughout the album, Williams ostensibly raps, speaks and sings under the pseudonym of NiggyTardust.

Saul Williams has surprised the world and solidified himself as a musician for the sake of creating and expression, rather than for the sake of accumulating cash. Firstly, it should be noted that although Williams is certainly well-respected, he is not as well-known. His second album brought in approximately $30,000, which is respectable but by no means mainstream. However, Saul seems content with this. Indeed, The Rise and Fall of NiggyTardust, similar to Radiohead's In Rainbows, was released online for free or a $5 donation to the artist (the album was no longer free after 100,000 downloads). The difference between Williams and Radiohead, though, is important to consider. Namely, Radiohead is one of the biggest bands and would have made money regardless of how they sold their album. The same cannot be said for Saul Williams.

Williams' latest disc will leave even the most pompous of hip-hop lovers, music critics and literary geeks scrambling to decode the lyrics and instrumentals. Williams' blend of precocious content, lyricism and instrumentals makes for an interesting and exciting album. The Rise and Fall of NiggyTardust is a breath of fresh air. I recommend this album for anyone who desires something new. And, at $5 a pop, it is certainly cheaper than a bottle of whiskey, a roll of quarters and a list of promiscuous late-night phone numbers (Side note: The Strand apologizes if such activities are not new to you).