Saul Williams’ Martyr Loser King plays unlike any other hip-hop album out there. The album was released in late January on Fader, a label that has released his former works as well as releases from Matt and Kim and Neon Indian. Songs like “Groundwork,” “Horn of the Clock-Bite,” and “Down For Some Ignorance” rely less on setting a beat to before introducing the lyrics. This move is ambitious, but it makes the percussion that much more impactful when it’s introduced. When songs are heavily drum based, the beat is complex enough to segregate it from the average hip-hop rhythm, but still retains that repetitive nature that encourages the listener to groove.
The lyrics are meaningful and tell a powerful narrative about oppression in a multitude of different voices. The singing and rapping is emphasized with a harsh, concerned tone that is sometimes augmented by a vocoder, and, at some points, has a familiar a Thom Yorkian whine, giving every song a personality that better represents the message being delivered. Saul Williams’ Martyr Loser King does well in presenting every element artfully using world, hip-hop, and experimental influences.
Recommended If You Like: Flying Lotus, Death Grips
Recommended Tracks: 11 (No Different), 2 (Horn of the Clock-Bite), 1 (Groundwork)
Do Not Play: 3 (Ashes), 5 (The Bear / Coltan as Cotton), 6 (Burundi (feat. Emily Kokal), 9 (Roach Eggs), 10 (All Coltrane Solos at Once (feat. Haleek Maul))
Written by Shane Blair on 03/02/16