@TheLivirus That's very scientific of you...but that doesn't change the fact that it's a great lyric. I still feel the same way about it as I did. When you get technical like that, you lose the meaning he is trying to get across. Whether or not a lyric is scientifically relevant or not, does not matter. I encourage you to stop over analyzing everything.
As an emcee with hope of finding a way to the message out in a powerful, smart, and inspiring way Saul is one of my guides really powerful man of word.
Just saw him at Reading Festival this year in the UK. I had heard nothing of him before and wandered into the tent to kill some time until a band I wanted to see were on.
I was not expecting something this incredible and left that tent in awe!!
the people in the audience are fucking stupid they dont even understand they here something about slaves and start cheering but the rest of his messages are just blown off.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
If it wasnt for Hip Hop this fewl wouldnt have any content to whine about. This dude is not that dope. I rather read Faulkner if I want something "deep."
@ThatDudeDevin hip hop is a representation of the current state of mind of the african american community. if there was no hip hop then the mindset would be in another form. the mindset is more than hip hop. the mindset is the culture of poverty, the mindset is discrimination, the mindset is worth shouting about, until it can one day be transcended.
@ThatDudeDevin well mr. devin the dude..we can try to go back in time and say "if it wasnt for" all day and all night.like .if it wasnt for the spanish and english and other europeans we wouldnt have the united states.and NO New Albany,Mississipi.thus no faulkner..but guess what budd..we have it...so we have Faulkner..i am not complaining about having him..dont even know his work.. it appears that u dont relate to the culture of hip hop
From a white, metal head from South Africa, This give me goose bumps when I hear it. Pure genius, talent...saw him here a few years back and his poetry blew us all away.
This is the reason I'm tired of hip-hop and moved onto other forms of music and underground hip-hop, not this poem it's self but what he expresses in the poem is pretty deep, and relevant even though he made this years before the hip-hop really got shit, and started to just be marketing to suburban white kids who were seen as the driving force behind the album sales. Now I'm not racist, but yeah. Inner city 20 year old black dude, and I'm tired of hip-hop.
@CyberSpectrumND ya i feel ya on that..but i think it happens with all music at some point..whatever goes to the top will eventually fall..not saying that it has or will ..but the fads fade and when it comes down to it the true blue artist stay around forever..hip-hop or grunge, or metal,,pop rock ect;
that guy yelling in the background the whole time is so fuckin annoying. saul is one of a kind and deserves unrelenting respect, ESPECIALLY while performing
fuck seriously if i was anywhere close to that guy id tell him to shut the fuck up goddamn no fucking respect and the guy thinks hes giving respect fuckin iiiiidiot
"Perhaps you should not have allowed them to use cordless microphones, because they have walked too far from the source and are emitting a lesser frequency."
@LucidDream Not wanna break it to ya, but the frequency does not fade with distance, the amplitude does. The frequency fades with their velocity relative to the source, an effect casually called "doppler effect".
Also it's the reciever (source) that feel a reduced amplitude with distance, the cordless microphone's emission is still the same.
Wow what crap.... Have no idea why the author sent this to me UNSOLICITED I never asked for it... Guess he's just trying to foist his shit on everybody!
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
"Wow what crap.... Have no idea why the author sent this to me UNSOLICITED I never asked for it... Guess he's just trying to foist his shit on everybody!" -c bullshit right there - manifested & all.
pretty much. a ,lot of his work is political and he colaberates with Trent Rezner a lot...would recomend Black Stacey and List of Demands as a starting point :D
He explained the current state of Hip Hop so beautifully.
Talk about genius.
I'm not a Mainstream Hater or Underground Pole Rider. Just a fan of good music and an emcee. I can only continue to practice and hope to reach this skill level.
Stop..I was going to say something stupid here..but I ...Stopped. It would be so cool if he went on tour with NIN this summer to promote that album that no one seems to know about. BTW Thanks Amanda Palmer for recognizing Mr Williams on your page.
Aint that the truth..Confiscate the bling and make 'em sing, take away the guns from their sons, put aside the weed for the seed!!!!!! Ahhhhh this guys good.
funny how videos like this you ONLY see on youtube but if you wanna see a chain flyin all over the place dumbing down brothas and sistas its ALL over TV?
The sad thing is that half the people in the audience shouting after every line have NO IDEA of what he is talking about. They are the ones he's addressing in part. "the Ghetto is dancing off beat"...The uproar over catchy lines is proof positive they missed the pudding. They were silent and unmoved over some of the deepest points. Incredible piece.
If they came to see Saul Williams, I'm sure they're not the average hip hop fan, so I'm not sure that they don't get it or that they're the people he's reffering to. But who knows? It's not like I know who they are, so... whatever.
Yea you may be right. I suppose I'm just biased. I go to alot of showcases for various poets and speakers and it frustrates me when people don't listen. It's a listening art and one that communicates alot rather quickly and shouting and hollering over the performer seems to defeat the purpose. but I could just be "hating" lol. Its all good either way, it was their experience to have as they chose.
Yeah, he says "right or wrong, i think hip hop is where it belongs"... so in this, he's probly saying hip hop is lost because it allowed itself to be lost.. so, it is where it belongs because of its own undoing...
I always took that line to mean, hip hop is where it belongs, its a great thing. He stands behind it, it doesn't mean that he supports its current direction or iteration, but rather that he supports the style, art form, and culture of it.
it's slam poetry fool. youre supposed to give the speaker instant gratification--it is not meant to be disconnected from the audience but instead WITH the audience. Plus, it gets the mc going aswell
yeah man, im making it my life long goal to go to one of these. hopefully one where saul williams will be performing. Like def poetry jam or somethin.
hahaha, imma be the one in the audience yellin the loudest
I agree with spoken and mashka ... i would have shut up just waiting to hear what he says next. but he did seem to be getting energy from them ... they were part of it, egging him on and not just yelling overtop.
Anyone know where I can find audio or video of Saul performing the full version of "Wind Song". There's shortened version in "Slam" but I'm looking for the full one.
if u're british, check out dreadlock aliens website. but if american or othersuch, then check out def poetry on wot i think is HBO, i'm not sure, the art-form is reffered to as spoken word or performance poetry, put it in wikipedia and der's alot of info, also check out Rives on youtube, but remember that saul williams is a God.
lol!!!---it's not just you! hiphop poetry has yet to get off the ground in many places... it's called "ostreperous" by the old school hardliners, but it's making a certain breakthrough into mainstream arts.
one of the reasons it's not widely accepted is because it sounds too much like hiphop without the music---or, in other words, "you can't teach the old dogs to like new tricks". but i wish people would just explain things before they flag a person---it's not fair.
Reading all the comments on this video - I congratulate trACEurace, eric144144 & no2mro2 for listening to each other, and explaining HipHop wih patience. For me, that's remarkable on YouTube.
Exactly. I got to see him do a spoken word that ended up becoming a Q&A session as well. Got to hear Saul speak his mind on a lot of issues. Was truly inspiring and amazing.
It seems to me that he occasionally throws in stuff that might mean something but it's basically a pretty face with pretty words and a lot of 'right on' vibes. Big assumptions are also taking place that he's trying to say something the audience would agree with. Hence the support.
Eric, why don't you tell us, specifically what you don't understand and we'll explain it to you. Also, give us a little insight into what you know about Hip-hop, Saul Williams and "American" "Culture". This will help us determine what to include and leave out in the description.
Roughly though, Saul is sending out an open plea to bring Hip-Hop (A culture originally rooted in love, peace, and knowledge) back to it roots.
I couldn't hear it at first but I've read the lyrics. In case anyone thinks I'm prejudiced against anything, I'm watching Robert Johnson videos when I got the email about this message.
I don't like rap / hip hop because it seems such an alien culture. My problem with this is that that it's didactic, arty and too serious. These aren't my problems and I've no idea what the black experience is.
You're striking me as denser than I assume you are. If you read your last sentence again and then listen to this piece one more time(?), you'll see that you and Mr. Williams have a lot in common.
But it is requisite that you understand what he's saying.
I heard it that time. STOP and cash and weed and "were once slaves" too .
The thing is that for a non American audience, all that shouting of approval from the audience is really horrible and off putting. I don't want to listen and can't hear. It's too much like Jerry Springer.
I read the lyrics but to be honest don't understand what they actually mean because I know almost nothing about the subject matter. I always thought hip hop was essentially the culture that arose from anti black politics cointelpro operations. Drugs, money and a divided black caucus which is what I guess he is saying.
A-ha - if you're not from North America it might make sense that it's so annoying.
You've got to understand - Saul Williams goes against many of the things in the U.S. that many sensitive, world-centric residents here don't like: namely our current government, literalist religion, the current mainstream culture in the U.S.
When so many of us detest this country (I'm sorry, how the hell did we elect this president twice - it's maddening), yet live and work here too, it's easy to feel passionate and let out a "woop!" when we see a hopeful person.
What you thought may not be true. You see black culture and even hip hop by what you hear and see in the news. What you see and hear may not necessarily be true black culture either correct? "I can't hear" You can always hear if you try. The message of this poem is elegant and simple. you heard "cash and weed" and "were once slaves" They are literal but metaphorical, put them in context. He's critiquing modern day hip hop. Go from there. Don't hate what you don't understand. Understand then hate
Hip-hop started in the early 1970's in a New York ghetto. Back then it was utilization and manipulation of borrowed music (usually soul) to uplift members of the impoverished city. Back then, it had nothing to do with Drugs, Money, Politics, in fact, it was everything but. All of those are negative things, and Hip-hop was positive. The banner of hip-hop grew to include a dance to the beats (breakdancing), Lyrics to cover the beats (Rap, emceeing or poetry) and Art to color the beats(graffiti).
Thanks, it's a shame (to me anyway) that it went the way it did. It always seemed to me to be a twisted and degenerate form of civil rights politics. Many believe due to US government operations to flood black areas with drugs.
It's incredible how blacks have been so innovatice. I was amazed Detroit techno was black music too.
Hip-Hop went many ways. It didn't stray down just one path and simply land in the world of commercialism that the outsiders only see. I'd prefer not to get into THIS specific topic much because I would go for days, but look up progressive/underground/soul Hip-hop.
Also, would be surprised if I told you, Jazz, Rock, House, The Blues etc were black music too?
You say that you have yet to hear an American say anything that was worth listening to. Are you suggesting that none of the above are worth a listen or that you haven't heard them?
Not interested in racial politics. Thoreau, Carlos Williams, Walt Whitman, Emmerson, Corso, Ginsberg, and a few others are o.k. Never heard of Tupac Shakur. Not really struck by Tenesse Willians
Orwell was English as was Aldous Huxley. I don't think there will ever by an American Wordsworth or Keats or even a Lennon/ MCartney. Dylan and Simon are excepted (both Jewish).
Also, would be surprised if I told you, Jazz, Rock, House, The Blues etc were black music too?
***
Yes, it's amazing that some say blacks never invented anything - except almost all of modern music - you have to credit the English folk tradition too. Music was the biggest part of 20th century culture and it's very black.
u are the animated Douche ,, 6th grade science come on now , fucking fool
ricgardmerceljr 2 months ago
Wouldn't it be great if you hear this poem without idiots screaming. Let a brother work!
MrCiscojae 3 months ago
@TheLivirus That's very scientific of you...but that doesn't change the fact that it's a great lyric. I still feel the same way about it as I did. When you get technical like that, you lose the meaning he is trying to get across. Whether or not a lyric is scientifically relevant or not, does not matter. I encourage you to stop over analyzing everything.
LucidDream 3 months ago
Now hear it with a beat, even more powerful:
watch?v=pgzcg31tjOU
UltraVert 5 months ago
Now hear it with a beat, even more powerful:
watch?v=pgzcg31tjOU
UltraVert 5 months ago
As an emcee with hope of finding a way to the message out in a powerful, smart, and inspiring way Saul is one of my guides really powerful man of word.
JustTakenPics 5 months ago
@TheHowardStudent The way he shouts it and his tone of voice just conjure up images of a dreadlocked hippy too haha! Most fitting voice ever
pumpkill 5 months ago
Just saw him at Reading Festival this year in the UK. I had heard nothing of him before and wandered into the tent to kill some time until a band I wanted to see were on.
I was not expecting something this incredible and left that tent in awe!!
pumpkill 5 months ago
Nigger!
MrStonedSamus 6 months ago
This would been a lot nice if the audince will be quite and let him speak
SKAmillz009 6 months ago
@SKAmillz009
there's always people who want you to know they've heard it before haha
ianor2304 5 months ago
I love his sense of humor.
vetiarvind 7 months ago
the people in the audience are fucking stupid they dont even understand they here something about slaves and start cheering but the rest of his messages are just blown off.
doomsdale91 8 months ago
I wish the people in the background would shut up
hellatightgnardude 8 months ago 7
wish the audience would STFU and listen
vetiarvind 10 months ago 24
Peace!!!
witness623 1 year ago
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If it wasnt for Hip Hop this fewl wouldnt have any content to whine about. This dude is not that dope. I rather read Faulkner if I want something "deep."
ThatDudeDevin 1 year ago
@ThatDudeDevin cool story.
witness623 1 year ago
@ThatDudeDevin hip hop is a representation of the current state of mind of the african american community. if there was no hip hop then the mindset would be in another form. the mindset is more than hip hop. the mindset is the culture of poverty, the mindset is discrimination, the mindset is worth shouting about, until it can one day be transcended.
-a white boi.
snarby21 1 year ago 5
@ThatDudeDevin "this fewl"
Renaissanceish 10 months ago
@ThatDudeDevin well mr. devin the dude..we can try to go back in time and say "if it wasnt for" all day and all night.like .if it wasnt for the spanish and english and other europeans we wouldnt have the united states.and NO New Albany,Mississipi.thus no faulkner..but guess what budd..we have it...so we have Faulkner..i am not complaining about having him..dont even know his work.. it appears that u dont relate to the culture of hip hop
BeatsMusicMan 6 months ago
saul is a new life for hip hop. this guy is amazing and has so much to give.
SuperEarther 1 year ago
my regards
alberts1985 1 year ago
From a white, metal head from South Africa, This give me goose bumps when I hear it. Pure genius, talent...saw him here a few years back and his poetry blew us all away.
dracolusus 1 year ago 5
now this is what I call TRUE STATEMENT
yorikthepoor 1 year ago
When he talks about the marihuana being replaced by magic mushrooms all the screamers turn silent.....
Sesquiltera 1 year ago 4
ha everyone acts like theyre at church or something all "whoo!" "yeah" "amen" "aint that the truth" gayyy... cool poetry though
Roodski 1 year ago
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@Roodski They are at church.
L4v4riv3r 1 year ago
amazing..i love how he puts his hand in his pockets and just chills..
eddieblackritual 1 year ago
Holy shit
LesterLtd 1 year ago
Where did you get this video?
WakeUpRory 1 year ago
fucking brilliant
okiokinl 1 year ago
amazing
what a bright soul
what a powerful heart
SaveyourSavior 1 year ago
He's certainly talented, but something is missing.
PERSONIFICATIONOFYAY 1 year ago
damn..
onkruidt 1 year ago
This is the reason I'm tired of hip-hop and moved onto other forms of music and underground hip-hop, not this poem it's self but what he expresses in the poem is pretty deep, and relevant even though he made this years before the hip-hop really got shit, and started to just be marketing to suburban white kids who were seen as the driving force behind the album sales. Now I'm not racist, but yeah. Inner city 20 year old black dude, and I'm tired of hip-hop.
CyberSpectrumND 1 year ago 2
you should never have to say "I'm not racist" when you're talking about a genre of music as spent as hip-hop.
YuutubeLosesAgainlol 1 year ago
@CyberSpectrumND ya i feel ya on that..but i think it happens with all music at some point..whatever goes to the top will eventually fall..not saying that it has or will ..but the fads fade and when it comes down to it the true blue artist stay around forever..hip-hop or grunge, or metal,,pop rock ect;
eddieblackritual 1 year ago
perceive the reality they told us..and you shall seek for answers.
cisco2992 1 year ago
damn, i just shit myself....
Psygnus 2 years ago
that guy yelling in the background the whole time is so fuckin annoying. saul is one of a kind and deserves unrelenting respect, ESPECIALLY while performing
rackallthetime 2 years ago 8
fuck seriously if i was anywhere close to that guy id tell him to shut the fuck up goddamn no fucking respect and the guy thinks hes giving respect fuckin iiiiidiot
thejuryissleepless 2 years ago
damn that loop is tight ... amazing
bornagainbboy 2 years ago 2
i love his work ~~`
1cyndy 2 years ago
@bornagainbboy what loop?
seenherdressedinblue 2 years ago
this guy is sick
devilsqid1 2 years ago 5
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this crap sucks. dumb negro
lakersnick01 2 years ago
No. This piece of gold owns. Smart poet.
1PostPoMoMaN1 2 years ago 5
"Perhaps you should not have allowed them to use cordless microphones, because they have walked too far from the source and are emitting a lesser frequency."
One of my favorite lines.
LucidDream 2 years ago 67
@LucidDream Not wanna break it to ya, but the frequency does not fade with distance, the amplitude does. The frequency fades with their velocity relative to the source, an effect casually called "doppler effect".
Also it's the reciever (source) that feel a reduced amplitude with distance, the cordless microphone's emission is still the same.
TheLivirus 3 months ago
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They also say that "There Once was a man from Nantucket" is poetry...... You gotta draw the line somewhere!
beefnotfish 2 years ago
Dirty limericks are poetry, you philistine.
CrinkleCutBeatroot 2 years ago 2
@CrinkleCutBeatroot There once was a man from the net
Who constantly got so upset
His words were like arrows
His opinions, narrow
which soon, everyone would forget.
seenherdressedinblue 2 years ago
Poetry exists, whether good or bad, son. :)
MaBu888 2 years ago
"Diamonds 'stead of teeth... ", you culturally condiciond' freak! :)
Give regards to Brooklin.
MaBu888 2 years ago
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Wow what crap.... Have no idea why the author sent this to me UNSOLICITED I never asked for it... Guess he's just trying to foist his shit on everybody!
beefnotfish 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
"Wow what crap.... Have no idea why the author sent this to me UNSOLICITED I never asked for it... Guess he's just trying to foist his shit on everybody!" -c bullshit right there - manifested & all.
MaBu888 2 years ago
now this melonated brother is switched on, no doubt about it
skylabx2000 2 years ago
Fire. That's what's needed!
Peace
Kamal Imani
cipherkam 2 years ago
who is this guy is he a hip hop poet what is he known 4
blackPowerStick 2 years ago
pretty much. a ,lot of his work is political and he colaberates with Trent Rezner a lot...would recomend Black Stacey and List of Demands as a starting point :D
eepidoodle 2 years ago
He works with buckethead too, look up 3 fingers Saul williams and buckethead its awesome
buddhabomber 2 years ago
saul williams hes a hip hop artist, poet lyricist. verbal genius, also starred in the movie slam
verbatin130 2 years ago 4
Wow.
*****
DarqueBeauty 2 years ago
What can I say, we are geniuses!!!
XNakisisaX 2 years ago
illuminated
suricatafari 2 years ago
Holy shit that stings.
Saul, you always strike to the heart of the matter!
ExitDomina 2 years ago 3
"Harlem shaking from a rope, but still on beat". Damn!
Nenendude 2 years ago 2
did he really just say vernacular manslaughter?
yeah he is the king
chillbrotha01 2 years ago
saul is a genius
malawichair 2 years ago 2
Raw. I don't even know how say it any other way.
He explained the current state of Hip Hop so beautifully.
Talk about genius.
I'm not a Mainstream Hater or Underground Pole Rider. Just a fan of good music and an emcee. I can only continue to practice and hope to reach this skill level.
Shoujoboy51 2 years ago 4
That was Fir'a
blackpinket 2 years ago
not to mention the super producer of sauls new album trent reznor, when they collide new worlds are reborn........
BopTurdz 2 years ago 2
It's amazing how you can have miniature epiphanies after listening to poetry and words like this.
Goose-bumps galore, pretty much
flipmanja 2 years ago 3
Mainstream hip hop artists have a lot to learn from Saul Williams. Compared to this man's lyrics they're all lost without a clue.
*****
0hmprakash 2 years ago 3
would have been so much better without stupid ass people radomly yelling out from the crowd at pointless times..
molitor88 2 years ago 3
This has been flagged as spam show
CHECK OUT THIS KID PLAY GUITAR
you have to see this
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ihmf14 2 years ago
Stop..I was going to say something stupid here..but I ...Stopped. It would be so cool if he went on tour with NIN this summer to promote that album that no one seems to know about. BTW Thanks Amanda Palmer for recognizing Mr Williams on your page.
setanta75 2 years ago
Because of her I found him, and I'm eternally grateful
LifesIrony 2 years ago
Pure genius...
tharekhh 2 years ago 3
agreed.
FishRabies 2 years ago
super bomba
comunicattivi 2 years ago
he says so much about the current face of hip-hop culture. he calls for a reorganization of talent and i agree.
binaryfuneral 2 years ago
I'm always so taken by his spoken word pieces....Brilliant!
ZYDECOPRINCESS 3 years ago
yup! Dear hip-hop, stop
vuzak 3 years ago 4
saul is the first hip hop artist i got into.
fede2 3 years ago 5
Aint that the truth..Confiscate the bling and make 'em sing, take away the guns from their sons, put aside the weed for the seed!!!!!! Ahhhhh this guys good.
C0NTR4B455 3 years ago 4
woooo Saul.
brilliant man.
furubayukintohru 3 years ago
i don't really like hip hop but this guys is amazing with words
drumspirit23 3 years ago 2
Dear hip hop.
MaBu888 2 years ago
this changed the way I look at hip hop hes rite hip hop is dead
sfufij93 3 years ago 2
yes ... remember what nas was saying and was so criticized hip hop is ded- well its def not but has changed for the worse
tygerrstile 3 years ago
funny how videos like this you ONLY see on youtube but if you wanna see a chain flyin all over the place dumbing down brothas and sistas its ALL over TV?
chillbrotha01 3 years ago 55
dickmaguffin,
I agree! I believe hip hop began as a way of telling the struggles of lost souls and it has evolved into a illiterate trade for a "sex-a-thon".
tsofie 3 years ago 2
The sad thing is that half the people in the audience shouting after every line have NO IDEA of what he is talking about. They are the ones he's addressing in part. "the Ghetto is dancing off beat"...The uproar over catchy lines is proof positive they missed the pudding. They were silent and unmoved over some of the deepest points. Incredible piece.
wisdometernal 3 years ago 8
If they came to see Saul Williams, I'm sure they're not the average hip hop fan, so I'm not sure that they don't get it or that they're the people he's reffering to. But who knows? It's not like I know who they are, so... whatever.
MMRED 3 years ago 3
Yea you may be right. I suppose I'm just biased. I go to alot of showcases for various poets and speakers and it frustrates me when people don't listen. It's a listening art and one that communicates alot rather quickly and shouting and hollering over the performer seems to defeat the purpose. but I could just be "hating" lol. Its all good either way, it was their experience to have as they chose.
wisdometernal 3 years ago
i wish the audience would shut their retarded faces and listen.
Generic1987 3 years ago 4
Word,They Dont Even Know What They're Howling About
anarkie 3 years ago
Seeing they listen to Saul Williams, I don't think half of them was mainstream oriented, though.
1PostPoMoMaN1 2 years ago
Here here!
Elitevaz 3 years ago
LOL
WAKEUPshift111 3 years ago
yes.
itsxtasy 3 years ago
this is what hip hop needs a true fighter a fire breathing poet of truth.
darkvaper2010 3 years ago 4
How can he say that hip hop is lost when he in the song Grippo says that "I think hip hop is where it belongs"?
RatchetRenegade 3 years ago
Ratchet, no offence, but I think you're missing the point and the irony in what he's saying. Listen again
screwball82 3 years ago
Yeah, he says "right or wrong, i think hip hop is where it belongs"... so in this, he's probly saying hip hop is lost because it allowed itself to be lost.. so, it is where it belongs because of its own undoing...
dickmaguffin 3 years ago
I always took that line to mean, hip hop is where it belongs, its a great thing. He stands behind it, it doesn't mean that he supports its current direction or iteration, but rather that he supports the style, art form, and culture of it.
If I'm making any sense at all
NINandNirvana 3 years ago 3
I wish I was there! :(
MoiChocolade 3 years ago
I dunno why, I miss long haired, bearded Saul.
jaydogg408 3 years ago 5
Me too.
quantumdivider 3 years ago
fucking killing it!
the last line about mushrooms halarious
GanjaGabe 3 years ago 3
LOVE
calebzia 3 years ago
this poem is straight fire
chillbrotha01 3 years ago 4
saul is just oozing with real-ness
rare
maynardyorke 3 years ago 2
Saul is a poetic genius!!!!
poetuvdapeople 3 years ago 6
it transformed into republican money grubbing bullshit. it's close to lost.
evilmuffingoat 3 years ago
hm... the telegram said hip-hop is lost... is it?
IndianVampire 3 years ago 2
hip hop is lost for good
chillbrotha01 3 years ago
hell yes, and i dont mean that entirely, but to a point that is close to meeting entirely. There still are a few good men out there though
kyfrmhardaway 3 years ago
Yeah, i know of some good ones. My favorite right now is Aesop Rock, if he counts...
I... despise Lil' Wayne... i'm ashamed to say it merely because i've never despised anything before... and it's not for the best reason either.
IndianVampire 3 years ago
i've heard of aesop rock before, but i never looked him up. ill make sure to listen to some of his stuff.
and i too am not a big fan of weezy
kyfrmhardaway 3 years ago
Strong Beautiful Black Power
fallisfavorite 3 years ago
Still rules!
creativeloafingtampa 3 years ago
this is my fav
sulimon510 3 years ago
Man I love his work.
kaliq13 3 years ago 4
I want to vote Saul Williams for prez ;-()Ron Paul is no more and I dont trust no bodeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!! Good bye U S>
rickytavee 3 years ago
"This guy needs a push" No he doesnt, he is fine where he's at, u need a push. LOng live the underground! Black Power.
keilyngodson26 3 years ago 2
MAN THOSE PPL SCREAMING WERE IDIOTS ..
let the man do his work ..
thats just rude ..
especially for a great like him ...
TheSpokenTruth 3 years ago
it's slam poetry fool. youre supposed to give the speaker instant gratification--it is not meant to be disconnected from the audience but instead WITH the audience. Plus, it gets the mc going aswell
MashkaTekoa 3 years ago 3
yeah man, im making it my life long goal to go to one of these. hopefully one where saul williams will be performing. Like def poetry jam or somethin.
hahaha, imma be the one in the audience yellin the loudest
kyfrmhardaway 3 years ago
I agree with spoken and mashka ... i would have shut up just waiting to hear what he says next. but he did seem to be getting energy from them ... they were part of it, egging him on and not just yelling overtop.
c6burns 3 years ago
Anyone know where I can find audio or video of Saul performing the full version of "Wind Song". There's shortened version in "Slam" but I'm looking for the full one.
fildi101 3 years ago
that was interesting. i see more of this hiphop poetry stuff around. where can i find out more about this art-form?
n2cora 3 years ago
if u're british, check out dreadlock aliens website. but if american or othersuch, then check out def poetry on wot i think is HBO, i'm not sure, the art-form is reffered to as spoken word or performance poetry, put it in wikipedia and der's alot of info, also check out Rives on youtube, but remember that saul williams is a God.
Emeraldz1992 3 years ago
incredable... this brightened up my day! This guy needs a push.
terryts2 3 years ago
this is what i've been saying all along. thanks Saul!
eboyd32 3 years ago
awesome, i could listen to this guy all day :)
chinita41 3 years ago
you n me both baby!!!..I keep saying get all his cds n his books!!!..
Word up!!!..
AbbottSupreme 3 years ago
BLACK STACY THEY CALL ME BLACK STACY!
TRUEJEW4U 3 years ago
5 stars
thecloudswillattack 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Saul Williams is awesome. The message here is wise.
But spoken word is so lame. I guess... it's too formalized, for my tastes.
Jcolinsol 3 years ago
lol!!!---it's not just you! hiphop poetry has yet to get off the ground in many places... it's called "ostreperous" by the old school hardliners, but it's making a certain breakthrough into mainstream arts.
one of the reasons it's not widely accepted is because it sounds too much like hiphop without the music---or, in other words, "you can't teach the old dogs to like new tricks". but i wish people would just explain things before they flag a person---it's not fair.
n2cora 3 years ago
Truly Insperational!!!
grnlfe01 3 years ago
Reading all the comments on this video - I congratulate trACEurace, eric144144 & no2mro2 for listening to each other, and explaining HipHop wih patience. For me, that's remarkable on YouTube.
kaskap 3 years ago 3
Word. Thank YOU for taking notice.
trACEurace 3 years ago
Is this what its like at saul's concerts? Is it just a reading or is there also backround music behind him usually?
laikuj 3 years ago
He does both spoken word/poetry shows and music shows, check the tour listing to see which one it is.
rssaddict 3 years ago
Exactly. I got to see him do a spoken word that ended up becoming a Q&A session as well. Got to hear Saul speak his mind on a lot of issues. Was truly inspiring and amazing.
sqwarlock 3 years ago
laikuj, he does a bit of spoken word, but most of it's him jumping in the audience and lots of instrumental while he dances.
IBlameEdison 3 years ago
Holy Fuck that was true and moving!
no2mro2 4 years ago
Those noisy bitches in the crowd need to STFU!
Nataraja13 4 years ago
I absolutely disagree. The enthusiasm in the crowd makes his performance electric. I wish boring old white dudes were as vocal.
melissah 4 years ago 4
The latter half of this sounds a lot like 'Thou shalt always kill' by Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip.
Saul: "...cash nor murder have been included to the list of elements"
Scroob: "Thou shalt remember that guns, bitches and bling were never part of the four elements"
Seems to be a bit of creative borrowing here, I wonder which came first.
myalcoholicfriends 4 years ago
This was on one of Saul's album released in 2004, if that helps. I know what you mean though, I thought almost exactly the same thing
RogueElement23 4 years ago
What do you suppose would be saying something?
SpadesInGrey 4 years ago
It seems to me that he occasionally throws in stuff that might mean something but it's basically a pretty face with pretty words and a lot of 'right on' vibes. Big assumptions are also taking place that he's trying to say something the audience would agree with. Hence the support.
Am I right or is is he saying something ?
eric144144 4 years ago
He's saying something.
LP1378 4 years ago
Thank you. What is he saying - just one thing - roughly ?
eric144144 4 years ago
Eric, why don't you tell us, specifically what you don't understand and we'll explain it to you. Also, give us a little insight into what you know about Hip-hop, Saul Williams and "American" "Culture". This will help us determine what to include and leave out in the description.
Roughly though, Saul is sending out an open plea to bring Hip-Hop (A culture originally rooted in love, peace, and knowledge) back to it roots.
trACEurace 3 years ago
I couldn't hear it at first but I've read the lyrics. In case anyone thinks I'm prejudiced against anything, I'm watching Robert Johnson videos when I got the email about this message.
I don't like rap / hip hop because it seems such an alien culture. My problem with this is that that it's didactic, arty and too serious. These aren't my problems and I've no idea what the black experience is.
eric144144 3 years ago
In 9th grade I had trouble understanding what Shakespeare was saying, if anything, within his jumble of pretty words.
Maybe give it another listen? It's pretty clear (and it's truth, and it's gory and it's beautiful I'd say).
no2mro2 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
It's not exactly Shakespeare and I have yet to hear a (non Jewish) American say anything that was worth listening to.
I did listen and yes it's possible to get some vague, disjointed sense out of it but hip hop culture repels me so maybe that's it.
eric144144 4 years ago
You're striking me as denser than I assume you are. If you read your last sentence again and then listen to this piece one more time(?), you'll see that you and Mr. Williams have a lot in common.
But it is requisite that you understand what he's saying.
no2mro2 4 years ago
I heard it that time. STOP and cash and weed and "were once slaves" too .
The thing is that for a non American audience, all that shouting of approval from the audience is really horrible and off putting. I don't want to listen and can't hear. It's too much like Jerry Springer.
eric144144 4 years ago
I read the lyrics but to be honest don't understand what they actually mean because I know almost nothing about the subject matter. I always thought hip hop was essentially the culture that arose from anti black politics cointelpro operations. Drugs, money and a divided black caucus which is what I guess he is saying.
eric144144 4 years ago
A-ha - if you're not from North America it might make sense that it's so annoying.
You've got to understand - Saul Williams goes against many of the things in the U.S. that many sensitive, world-centric residents here don't like: namely our current government, literalist religion, the current mainstream culture in the U.S.
no2mro2 4 years ago
When so many of us detest this country (I'm sorry, how the hell did we elect this president twice - it's maddening), yet live and work here too, it's easy to feel passionate and let out a "woop!" when we see a hopeful person.
no2mro2 4 years ago
What you thought may not be true. You see black culture and even hip hop by what you hear and see in the news. What you see and hear may not necessarily be true black culture either correct? "I can't hear" You can always hear if you try. The message of this poem is elegant and simple. you heard "cash and weed" and "were once slaves" They are literal but metaphorical, put them in context. He's critiquing modern day hip hop. Go from there. Don't hate what you don't understand. Understand then hate
babyjkjoe 3 years ago 3
Hip-hop started in the early 1970's in a New York ghetto. Back then it was utilization and manipulation of borrowed music (usually soul) to uplift members of the impoverished city. Back then, it had nothing to do with Drugs, Money, Politics, in fact, it was everything but. All of those are negative things, and Hip-hop was positive. The banner of hip-hop grew to include a dance to the beats (breakdancing), Lyrics to cover the beats (Rap, emceeing or poetry) and Art to color the beats(graffiti).
trACEurace 3 years ago
These four things, that were included into the banner of Hip-Hop, were the original "Four Elements of Hip-Hop" that Saul references in his piece.
trACEurace 3 years ago
and Charles Bukowski, Robert Creeley, Charles Olson too.
eric144144 3 years ago
Thanks, it's a shame (to me anyway) that it went the way it did. It always seemed to me to be a twisted and degenerate form of civil rights politics. Many believe due to US government operations to flood black areas with drugs.
It's incredible how blacks have been so innovatice. I was amazed Detroit techno was black music too.
cheers
Eric
eric144144 3 years ago
Hip-Hop went many ways. It didn't stray down just one path and simply land in the world of commercialism that the outsiders only see. I'd prefer not to get into THIS specific topic much because I would go for days, but look up progressive/underground/soul Hip-hop.
Also, would be surprised if I told you, Jazz, Rock, House, The Blues etc were black music too?
trACEurace 3 years ago
Martin Luther King Jr. (see 'I have a dream')
Alice Walker ('The Color Purple')
Tennessee Williams ('Street Car Named Desire')
Langston Hughes ('Harlem')
Henry David Thoreau ('Walden')
Tupac Shakur ('Keep Ya Head Up')
Ray Bradbusy ('Fahrenheit 451')
George Orwell ('1984')
You say that you have yet to hear an American say anything that was worth listening to. Are you suggesting that none of the above are worth a listen or that you haven't heard them?
trACEurace 3 years ago
Not interested in racial politics. Thoreau, Carlos Williams, Walt Whitman, Emmerson, Corso, Ginsberg, and a few others are o.k. Never heard of Tupac Shakur. Not really struck by Tenesse Willians
Orwell was English as was Aldous Huxley. I don't think there will ever by an American Wordsworth or Keats or even a Lennon/ MCartney. Dylan and Simon are excepted (both Jewish).
eric144144 3 years ago
Oops, my oversight on Orwell.
trACEurace 3 years ago
Also, would be surprised if I told you, Jazz, Rock, House, The Blues etc were black music too?
***
Yes, it's amazing that some say blacks never invented anything - except almost all of modern music - you have to credit the English folk tradition too. Music was the biggest part of 20th century culture and it's very black.