Poet. Rapper. Educator. Actor. Spoken Word Artist. Saul Williams does it all.

Wikipedia says that most people will know Williams from his lead role in the 1998 film Slam. The film was about a talented young poet who is hampered by his ghetto roots. (Yup, one of those films.)

I know him through his music.

His first album Amathyst Rock Star was produced by hip hop legendary producer Rick Rubin, and in my interview with Saul, he explains why that relationship and album were complicated. His self-titled album is where it came together for me. Songs like “Talk to Strangers” (with Serj Tanikan on piano) and “List of Demands” are exactly what I want, well-produced, thought-provoking hip hop.

Funny. I call his stuff “hip hop,” but it could easily fit into many categories:  R&B, hip hop, alternative or indie rock, or even spoken word. Williams is one of those artists who ignores and transcends genre boundaries and does really interesting stuff.

And this is his problem.

No one knows how to market him. He was labeled “not enough of a rapper” by hip hop labels. At the same time, he is a African American artist with no problems working with “rock stars” like Trent Reznor or Serj from System of a Down–or covering bands like U2.

His latest album, The Inevitable Rise and Triumph of Niggy Tardust, was produced by industrial god Trent Reznor and still manages to hover somewhere in between hip hop and spoken word with Reznor’s industrial-inspired beats.

Rather than have another label misunderstand his music, Williams has decided to market the record himself . Yet again, Saul Williams is a pioneer.

The album is available for download for FREE (or $5 for a high quality rip). Buy it or just listen to it. You won’t be disappointed.