Saul Williams – The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust!

This is the Sual/Reznor colab from last year but I didn’t have a blog then and its now getting a release in physical form as appose to the pay if you like download method Reznor has been doing so much recently. As you would expect from these two we get some hefty rocking beats with a funky digital edge. And then Saul flows on top with some style often going from sing styling to full on rap flows. The heavy drums fit so well with the more traditional hip-hop sounds like horns and loops, its pretty intense in places too. The Public Enemy sample from Welcome to the Terrordome is used on Tr(n)igger to great effect.

Reznor makes for an ace rap producer here the soundscapes are ace and at times Saul even sounds a little like Reznor in his delivery. Saul’s lyrics are tight and apparently adapted poetry from a book of his called The Dead Emcee Scrolls: The Lost Teachings Of Hip Hop. I think the lyrics are about all sorts of subjects ranging from war to hurt and all that good stuff.

Its real smooth and soulful in parts with some wicked humour like the chant, ‘when I say Niggy, you say nothing’ followed by a silence or if there is a reply it’s shot down with a shut up. Fat synths and fat beats are all over this record from retro sounding sounds to full on future jams its all here. Vocal treatments made to spooky effect are done with excellent style on DNA. WTF! Is a bit of a lull in the album to be honest it’s a bit wishy washy for my liking, only a little filler will do though hey.

The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust! Takes obvious influence from Ziggy Star Dust the Bowie album in title and maybe even in aesthetical style, as he takes on a kind of persona of a future renegade or something here. Kind of like Parliament Funkadelic mixed with Bowie in a hiphop style, what more could you want.

Raw is a sexy low-slung pounding electro number with future soul vocals about sex and lovin’ it’s a minimal hiphop beauty. The beat manipulation carries on a treat with Skin Of A Drum that has some ace slow beats and freaked out sounds. It’s the flow that rips up this song though, Saul gets more intense and it’s a joy to behold.

You can hear Reznor’s production shining through on here if your familuar with Nine Inch Nails sound you can hear it in bucket loads with Niggy. As I have said sometimes you could mistake Saul as Reznor by the way he sings. This album doesn’t rock out as much as Nine Inch Nail does mind, he has embraced the hiphop beats and flavours with ease.

Trent Reznor and Saul Williams make a brilliant team and if you are a fan of either then there is plenty for you on The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust! Grimy tunes with dirt and grit, mixed with wonderful wordplay with plenty of soul bombast and passion.