The Dead Emcee Scrolls: The Lost Teachings of Hip-Hop

Saul Williams, hip-hop's so-called "poet laureate," can comfortably add "hip-hop mystic" to his résumé with this collection of excellent poetry. His rhymes drip with the religious symbolism of ancient Mystery cults (most notably, Isis) as he journeys with the reader on a path to self-discovery, spiritual fulfillment, and ethical reasoning. In hip-hop Williams sees ancient drums and chants, camp-fire storytellers whose power has been hijacked by capitalist greed, materialism, defeatism, and chauvinism. He teaches through twistable and irresistible verse that the power of history's lessons and thought can change worlds by changing words. I admit that I am not a hip-hop fan, per say. I do enjoy a select few artists (Williams included), and have studied African American history/culture, so I was not entirely unfamiliar with the themes/issues of this book. I am, however, a lover of poetry, truth, and vulnerable strength, which Saul Williams encapsulates perfectly. Truly, one need not know much about hip-hop to appreciate this book. No matter one's musical preference or cultural background, Williams speaks truth, and therefore can be embraced by all. "Word is bond."

I first heard about this book on a message board (I think it was the one from DaveyD.com) and I really enjoyed reading the publisher's excerpt, and it was just the introduction. With it, I didn't know how to take it. Whether it was truth or just a very well worded story from Saul Williams. Either way, I could feel the vibe of Hiphop Kulture coming from it. So of course, I went out and bought it. I was blown away. I first heard of Saul from the book ", said the Shotgun to the Head." So I already thought I knew what to expect. But I was completly blown away by the deepness of these poems. Whether really taken from a strange manuscript in an old spray can or just a way to publish his own poems about Hiphop's preservation of love, peace, and unity, this was great. I recommend it for anyone who like poetry, spoken word, rap music, or just books. Very good.

The Dead Emcee Scrolls start out with a great new poem called NGH WHT. After that, a good deal of the material is from older poems that he has in some cases edited, while in others, left mainly the same. NGH WHT is filled with subtle nuances that are not always easy to pick up on, so multiple reads are likely merited. While a bit repetitive for die-hard fans, the work gives a very strong representation of where his work comes from, but also has some great new material. As to where he will go from here, that is anyone's guess.

Hip-hop has long been viewed by many as a watered-down genre. Those people have not yet discovered Saul Williams. I had heard of Saul because of the movie Slam a while back. I was really getting into underground hip-hop at the time so I decided to give Saul's music a listen. What I found was a breath of fresh air and a style that was powerful and poetic. This book is an insight into the world of Saul's lyrics and inspiration. I am an aspiring emcee, not aspiring to be famous but aspiring to become a better lyricist. This book has helped me greatly in seeing how a great emcee is inspired. I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone who has a great love for hip-hop music or just hip-hop culture in general. It is a deeply personal and thought provoking book. It pays for itself in the first few pages. Don't skip out on this one.

I had the pleasure of seeing Saul Williams perform poetry from The Dead Emcee Scrolls a few days ago. A problem that many spoken word artists encounter is that their poetry sounds great on stage and does not stand confidently alone on the page. Saul doesn't have this problem. His style is so pronounced that it encompasses many forms... you can hear his voice when you read the page, you can see his words when he speaks. The book is truly a treasure... you can dig, and dig, and dig... discovering new truths each time you pick the book up. He was asked by someone in the audience, how long did it take to write this book. His response was, ten years. Saul also spoke about how academians must study hip hop in order to truly understand modern poetry, because emcees are creating new forms of meter. This book is a testament to that. Enjoy.