The Tape

My 20 Favorite Hip-Hop Albums EVER! #12

Written by willshoob on Tuesday, 25 of November , 2008 at 6:44 pm

After much delay, I’m back with #12 of my 20 favorite hip-hop albums ever.

As some of you may know by now, I’m in the process of counting down my 20 favorite hip-hop albums of all time. Kid Cudi’s A Kid Named Cudi came in at #13. Remember that I grew up on late 90’s and early 00’s music, so my hip-hop views are probably a lot more modern than a lot of “old school” hip-hop fans.

Coming in at #12, we have Saul Williams self titled albums. Saul Williams is one of my favorite musicians. I consider him a poet, as opposed to a musician, although he does make some amazing music. I prefer this album over his newest release, The Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust, even though the title of that album is amazing. He is also a great live act, and has a passion to make make the world a better place for music.

We start at the very first track, “Talk To Strangers.” This song really sets the tone for the album. It’s him speaking over a haunting piano line, and once in a while an opera-esque voice kicks in. This song is used to show the audience that Saul is a poet, not a rapper or an MC.

Highlight of the song:
And I ain’t got proper diction for the makings of a thug
Though I grew up in the ghetto and my niggas all sold drugs
And though that may validate me for a spot on MTV
Or get me all the airplay that my bank account would need

Saul Williams- Talk To Strangers

We then go straight to the second track, a hard rocking song entitled “Grippo.” It features a biting guitar line and heavy drums. The chorus features Saul screaming “I wanna show you what the stars are made of, I wanna show you the stars.” Some may be attracted to the rawness of his voice, but I find it a nice change from most music.

Highlight of the song:
I gave hip-hop to white boys when nobody was looking
Found it locked in a basement when they gentrified Brooklyn
Left a list of instructions, MPC and a mic
My sci-fi library and utensils to write
Right or wrong,
I think hip-hop is where it belongs
Where it comes from one is but son, we wrote them songs
It was a ploy
Got fools tied up with mechanized toys
We are beings to breath, beyond the beings of boys

Saul Williams- Grippo

Skip a track and we arrive at “Act III Scene 2″, featuring Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine. You can really hear the Rage influence in this song, as Zack screams lyrics over a hard rocking beat, and Saul attacks anything in his way using lyrics alone. This song has a really angry vibe to it. I guess that comes with all songs featuring a Rage Against the Machine member, but I can just imagine them throwing shit across the room while they were recording this.

Highlight of the song:
A machete in the heady, Hutu, Tutsi, Leone
An Afghani in a shanty, doodle dandy yank on
An Iraqi in Gap khaki, Coca Coma come on
Be ye bishop or pawn
In the streets or the lawn
You should know that these example could go on and on and
What since does it make to keep your ears to the street
As long as oils in the soil, truth is never concrete
So we dare to represent those with the barest of feet

Saul Williams- Act III Scene 2 (Shakespeare)

We go directly to the next song, which is probably the most popular song on the album, and entitled “List Of Demands (Reparations). There is an obvious theme to the beats of this album, and that theme is heavy and rocking. Almost every single song on this album has a beat that portrays a rock album, but then Saul comes in and rhymes these fantastic lyrics, and you realize this is hip-hop. You might recognize this song from a Nike commercial.

Highlight of the song:
I wrote a song for you today while I was sitting in my room
I jumped up on my bed today and played it on a broom
I didn’t think that it would be a song that you would hear
but when I played it in my head, I made you reappear
I wrote a video for it and I acted out each part
Then I took your picture out and taped it to my heart. I’ve taped you to my heart
Dear girl, I’ve taped you to my heart
And if you pull away from me you’ll tear my life apart..

Saul Williams- List of Demands (Reparations)

Skip a song and we arrive at my personal favorite, “Black Stacey.” “Black Stacey” is a story of a young black child who really struggles with his skin color. Saul tells the story over a jazzy piano and drum line, but as the song gets deeper, the heavy beat kicks in. This song is really a hip-hop song. It’s not like most of the other songs, bordering between rock and hip-hop. This song is truly hip-hop.

Highlight of the song:
Now here’s a little message for you
All you baller playa’s got some insecurities too
That you could cover up, bling it up, cash in and ching ching it up
Hope no one will bring it up, lock it down and string it up
Or you can share your essence with us, ’cause everything about you couldn’t be rugged and ruff.
And even though you tote a glock and you’re hot on the streets
If you dare to share your heart, we’ll nod our heart to its beat

Skip 3 songs, and we arrive at “Seaweed.” “Seaweed” is a really beautiful song. It features some spoken word by Saul, and a really nice beat. I’d say this is the most “experimental” song on the album, but unlike most music labeled “experimental”, I really like this track.

Saul Williams- Black Stacey

Highlight of the song:
Got a yellow Volvo, ‘86 submarine
I drove it under water guided by my own high beams
Nothing’s left
Witness the demolition of the west
I feel like a little kid hiding in his mothers dress
I’m in space
The lone ambassador of every race

Saul Williams- Seaweed

Category: Miscellaneous

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