Niggy What? Niggy Who?

I know, I know, I’m three months late and a dollar short. But still Saul Williams is back! My favorite emcee who wraps his rhymes in clever poetry supported by a hard rock/hip hop beats presents the “Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust.” I’m a sucker for good, complex titles. If I could sing, or rap, I have a million album titles stories in my head(Confessions of an Overactive Mind is my first album title). Saul Williams has starred in films, written albums, performed spoken word, and released books and still stayed true to himself – and the craft. He’s got a bigger understanding of hip hop than some of these artists lumped into hip hop categories today, but still uses producers who use rock sounds, drum beats, and guitar rhythms.

Clever, a bit eccentric, but always with a good verse or two, Saul Williams is one of the biggest underrated cats in the music industry (which may be a good thing). He's no stranger to the spotlight and is known for his role in the acclaimed movie, Slam, playing the celibate boyfriend of sex crazed bohemian-esq Lynn of Girlfriends, jamming alongside industry names like the Fugees, KRS-One, and De La Soul to name a few, and reoccurring appearances on HBO's Def Poetry Jam. Oh and did I forget, he's a published writer as well having articles appear African Voices, and the New York Times to name a few? No, he's no stranger to recognition, but still remains low key touring the nation and world to put on some good old fashioned spoken word to college campuses. Nice.

Who is Niggy Tardust? And sure I may be curious as to why he is going by a name which obviously has a hint of the dreaded ‘N’ word? Obviously, it’s symbolic and seems to offer a glimmer of explanation on the niggytardust promotion site where he writes, “Most people aren't aware of the world of art and commerce where exploitation strips each artist down to nigger. Each label, like apartheid, multiplies us by our divide and whips us 'til we conform to lesser figures. What falls between the cracks is a pile of records stacked to the heights of talents hidden from the sun.” I’m assuming he does tackle some racial topics with tracks like “(Tr)(n)igger”, and “Black History Month”. And perhaps with Track 6 “Niggy Tardust” we’ll actually get to find out who this alter-ego is.

After a few years playing his last album to death, I took a little break from Saul waiting for some new material. Let's say I have come a long way from a few years ago, where I was like, who is this guy? He is THAT guy who is unapologetically bit unpredictable, but always on point. I have no idea what to expect on his latest release – except innovative genius. The album is produced by Trent Reznor and mixed by Alan Moulder. My review of the album will be posted in a few days.