Saul Williams Saul Williams LP

First establishing himself as an influential poet, then an award-winning screenwriter/actor, Saul Williams then went on to become an MC. His approach to MCing, though, wasn't exactly in line with the traditional school of hip hop. His rhymes weren't really rhymes, but rather his poetry delivered in a frenzied, spoken-word manner that was more rhythmic than alliterate. Released in 2004, this self-titled album features guests like Zack de la Rocha, Serj Tankian & Mars Volta keyboardist Ikey Owens.

On his self-titled album, Williams moves toward a slightly more accessible format (compared to his previous, more poetry driven work) with twisted guitar lines, heavy bass thumps, and a closer stab at singing from time to time. The album opens with poetry laid over a fairly sparse piano riff, then moves into a swooping, thumping bit of electronica where Williams nearly takes on a Prodigy-type sound with his vocal swagger.