Why shouldnt rap be esoteric, able to take in current events, history and criticism? I guess its this old idea of containment – that rappers, because theyre black, cant and shouldnt aspire to look outside the ghetto for influence. – Saul Williams
Hip-hop is still cool at a party. But to me, hip-hop has never been strictly a party it is also there to elevate consciousness. – Saul Williams
I think its a mistake where rap music is these days. It doesnt seem to be able to look out of the ghetto and thats ultimately unfortunate, because it defines our limitations. – Saul Williams
I think we fool ourselves and really negate a great deal of history if we think that the oral history of poetry is shorter than the written history of poetry. Its not true. Poetry has a longer oral tradition than it does written. – Saul Williams