Saul Williams: Poetic License
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Activist, musician, poet - Saul Williams has mastered so many artistic tags that its almost impossible to nail him down to just one. A truly talented genre chameleon of the highest order, his latest musical incarnation Niggy Tardust, a modern twist on Bowie's persona non grata, effortless slinks from hip-hop to rock, from beat-driven funk to guitar-heavy crunch. Interview by Justin Habersaat, photos by Donna Habersaat.
Altercation: I know you've opened for NIN before, and now your relationship with Trent Reznor has obviously taking a higher leap. How did you initially meet?
Saul: Trent and I met on the road when he asked me to tour with him in '05. He said he had seen my video for "List of Demands" and it had frightened him.
A: From the new album's title to its cover of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" there seems to be a healthy acknowledgment towards classic rock. Are you a fan of the genre?
S: I'm a fan of music. I think in terms of genre primarily when I'm in a music store. If I hear a song and it appeals to me, that's it. Sometimes I surprise myself and sometimes I surprise others. I heard "Sunday Bloody Sunday" for the first time in a club when I was 16 and I became an instant fan of the DJ. Bowie inspires me by the way he's been able to avoid pigeon-holing and pimp the media by raising the quality of the art. I'm a fan of that. I don't own an Eagles album, but I sing along when I hear it.
A: I've seen both your spoken word and "band" performances, and I'm curious how you differentiate written material for each? Do you write in different mindsets depending on the form?
S: I write in different mind states. Sometimes I write inspired by music and other times inspired by a thought. Every song on this album was inspired by the music, first. That's its main distinction from my previous joints. The only thing that was idea\intellectually based on this album was the title.
A: What led you to offer the new album for free? Do you have faith that your fanbase will choose to support the art with a $5 donation, or is simply getting the music into the fan's hands its own reward?
S: Trent and I discussed this long and hard during the time we were recording the album, the shifts in the industry, a need for better distribution models, the need for better music. When Radiohead signed on, that made it official. I have faith in much more than my fan base. I have faith in the music. Getting it into people's hands is no more important than being compensated for hard work. The two go hand in hand. Yet, in the words of George Clinton, "The Funk is its own reward".
