By: Ronak Ghorbani
Artist: Saul Williams
Concert: April 14th

New York raised poet, MC and actor Saul Williams slammed his way into Toronto on April 14 at the Mod Club, mesmerizing a sold-out crowd with his unique flow and unapologetic beats and rhythms.

The night started with a sultry performance by local soul/hip-hop buzz-queen Zaki Ibrahim. The relaxed atmosphere quickly changed as soon as Williams took the stage. Rocking a mohawk of multi-coloured feathers, Williams’ colourful hair set the tone for the rest of the concert – energetic and vivid.

After a few songs, technical problems stalled the set’s progression to which Williams replied, “Hold up, hold up. What’s going on? What’s up Canada? Is it because we’re American? We’re here representing the indigenous Americans. There will be no more technical difficulties tonight.”

Soon after, distorted guitar and grunge-sounding vocals filled up the venue. Williams was accompanied by a DJ, guitarist and keyboardist – all covered with white feathers. With a set-list of songs off his new album The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust! (which was co-produced by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails) and various spoken-word pieces, Williams rocked the crowd with political thoughts and dance.


When he faced his keyboardist and danced from side to side, with a thumping base being played, it’s like they are in a tribal dance and the audience is captivated. Williams has referred to his concerts as church, and the church of Saul has no room for silence – only the joyful noise of something like a robot gone haywire.

Starting in the mid 1990s, Williams first entered the hip-hop world as an open-mic poet and then as a writer (he’s published three books). He eventually went back to his poetry roots by releasing several albums. His status as a diversely talented artist gained him roles on the film K-Pax and TV sitcom Girlfriends. Williams is currently on tour in Europe, to download his newest album for a small donation, visit www.saulwilliams.com.