His mother was supposedly rushed out of a James Brown concert to give birth to him. That could be why, in one of his poems, Saul Williams says, “At that concert he sang, ‘Say it loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud,’ and that shit came out in my bloodstream.”

On Thursday, Jan. 25, Williams will perform at Pierce College in Puyallup. Call it hip-hop, spoken word or just plain genius, he has something to say, and finally, we have an artist who has a voice and gives a damn. Born to a preacher and schoolteacher, Williams has been categorized as a poet, rapper, preacher, musician, actor, and activist.

In his latest book, “The Dead Emcee,” he writes, “Music speaks directly to the subconscious. The consciously simplified beat of the hip-hop drum speaks directly to the heart.” And that’s exactly what he does. With a style that’s almost hip-hop, almost African storytelling, he spells out rhymes like prophecies and captivates an audience of any sort. Prior to going on tour with Nine Inch Nails, many questioned whether or not the crowd would be open to a new sort of flavor. And it was. The crowd embraced him, and he went on to work with the likes of The Fugees, Erykah Badu, Zach de la Rocha (of Rage Against the Machine), and even Sonia Sanchez.  He has released three albums and appeared in numerous TV shows and movies.

Come out to soak in what this cunning lyricist has to say. Let him speak to your subconscious, grab your gut and fill you with rhythm that will flow out your bloodstream.



[Pierce College, 7 p.m., $5, Building C, 1601 39th Ave. S.E., Puyallup, 253.840.8416]