The groundbreaking rapper, singer, songwriter, musician, poet, writer, and actor Saul Williams, who burst into the public consciousness as Nuyorican Poets Cafe’s Grand Slam Champion in 1996 and then the star of the 1998 independent hit Slam, has since toured the world with his band, opened for Nine Inch Nails, and had records produced by Rick Rubin and Trent Reznor. His performance at MASS MoCA celebrates the opening of Vincent Valdez’s major exhibition Just a Dream… The two artists’ politically charged work interrogates the American experience with a furious rigor and dynamism that our historical moment cries out for.
About the Artist:
Saul Williams came to public attention after the release of the internationally acclaimed film Slam (dir. Marc Levin), which he co-wrote and starred in, introducing the world to the Slam Poetry movement, and winning Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize and the Cannes Camera D’Or, in 1998. Williams has performed in over 30 countries and read his poetry at over 300 universities, with invitations that have spanned from the White House, the Sydney Opera House, Lincoln Center, the Louvre, the Getty Center, Queen Elizabeth Hall, to villages, townships, community centers, and prisons across the world. Saul has published five books of poetry which have been translated into several languages. His writings and lesson plans surrounding his work have been added to the curriculum of schools and universities around the world. Saul Williams has released six albums and toured or collaborated with dozens of artists including Kanye West, Nas, Janelle Monae, Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against The Machine, The Roots, Mos Def, The Mars Volta, David Cross, Allen Ginsburg, Amiri Baraka, Gil Scott-Heron, Jose James, Arthur H, Camille, Ayo, TV On The Radio, System Of A Down, KRS ONE, DJ Krust, DJ Spooky, Cold Cut, Matisyahu, Blackalicious, K’naan, K-OS, and Erykah Badu.
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