The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!
Encyclopedia
The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust! is the third album by Saul Williams
, released on November 1, 2007. Williams worked closely with Trent Reznor
on the album. The title of the album is a reference to David Bowie
's 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
. Many of the album's lyrics were adapted from poetry in Williams' 2006 book The Dead Emcee Scrolls: The Lost Teachings of Hip-Hop.
. Reznor publicised the album on the Nine Inch Nails
website and mailing list, saying that "Saul's not the household name that Radiohead
is" and urging fans to support him. This was a reference to Radiohead's In Rainbows
, which was released in October on the band's own website with customers choosing how much they want to pay for the album. The free option has since been removed, with a message on the website claiming their intention had always beento remove it after 100,000 free downloads of the album.
Those who download the album directly from the site for free receive all 15 tracks, a jpeg of the album's cover, and the album booklet/lyric sheets in PDF
. Additionally, the lyrics for each track are embedded using ID3
tags, allowing for their viewing in supported media players.
It was announced at Nin.com that, as of January 2, 2008, two months since its release, 154,449 people had downloaded NiggyTardust. Of that number, 28,322 people chose to pay the asked price of $5 USD ($141,610 USD Total). In comparison, Saul's self-titled album
has sold 30,000 copies since its release in 2004.
A physical release of the album was released on July 8, 2008. It contained five bonus tracks.
and Trent Reznor
, except where noted.
Bonus Tracks:
The track "Sunday Bloody Sunday" was released as a single in early 2008.
.
Saul Williams
Saul Stacey Williams is an American poet, writer, actor and musician known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop and for his leading role in the 1998 independent film Slam.-Biography:...
, released on November 1, 2007. Williams worked closely with Trent Reznor
Trent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
on the album. The title of the album is a reference to David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
's 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is a 1972 concept album by English musician David Bowie, which is loosely based on a story of a rock star named Ziggy Stardust. It peaked at number five in the United Kingdom and number 75 in the United States on the Billboard Music...
. Many of the album's lyrics were adapted from poetry in Williams' 2006 book The Dead Emcee Scrolls: The Lost Teachings of Hip-Hop.
Details
The album was available for purchase or free download at NiggyTardust.com. The website allowed users to pay $5 to support the artist and be given the choice of downloading a 192kbit/s MP3 version, 320kbit/s MP3 version or lossless FLAC version. Digital distribution of the album is provided by MusicaneMusicane
Musicane is a social shopping and discovery network. Users can feature, recommend and find new music and products through feeds and themed mixes and broadcast to all their existing online communities. Every user gets their own Musicane widget which can be embedded on websites, social network pages,...
. Reznor publicised the album on the Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
website and mailing list, saying that "Saul's not the household name that Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
is" and urging fans to support him. This was a reference to Radiohead's In Rainbows
In Rainbows
In Rainbows is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was first released on 10 October 2007 as a digital download self-released, that customers could order for whatever price they saw fit, followed by a standard CD release in most countries during the last week of 2007. The...
, which was released in October on the band's own website with customers choosing how much they want to pay for the album. The free option has since been removed, with a message on the website claiming their intention had always beento remove it after 100,000 free downloads of the album.
Those who download the album directly from the site for free receive all 15 tracks, a jpeg of the album's cover, and the album booklet/lyric sheets in PDF
Portable Document Format
Portable Document Format is an open standard for document exchange. This file format, created by Adobe Systems in 1993, is used for representing documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems....
. Additionally, the lyrics for each track are embedded using ID3
ID3
ID3 is a metadata container most often used in conjunction with the MP3 audio file format. It allows information such as the title, artist, album, track number, and other information about the file to be stored in the file itself....
tags, allowing for their viewing in supported media players.
It was announced at Nin.com that, as of January 2, 2008, two months since its release, 154,449 people had downloaded NiggyTardust. Of that number, 28,322 people chose to pay the asked price of $5 USD ($141,610 USD Total). In comparison, Saul's self-titled album
Saul Williams (album)
"List of Demands " was featured on a 2008 Nike Sparq Training commercial, and the video game NBA 2K10...
has sold 30,000 copies since its release in 2004.
A physical release of the album was released on July 8, 2008. It contained five bonus tracks.
Track listing
All tracks were written by Saul WilliamsSaul Williams
Saul Stacey Williams is an American poet, writer, actor and musician known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop and for his leading role in the 1998 independent film Slam.-Biography:...
and Trent Reznor
Trent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
, except where noted.
- "Black History Month" (Saul WilliamsSaul WilliamsSaul Stacey Williams is an American poet, writer, actor and musician known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop and for his leading role in the 1998 independent film Slam.-Biography:...
, Trent ReznorTrent ReznorMichael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
, Thavius BeckThavius BeckThavius Beck is an electronic musician, producer, MC, saxophone/bass guitar player, and a certified trainer of Ableton Live. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California.-Work:...
) – 3:15 - "Convict Colony" (Saul WilliamsSaul WilliamsSaul Stacey Williams is an American poet, writer, actor and musician known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop and for his leading role in the 1998 independent film Slam.-Biography:...
, Trent ReznorTrent ReznorMichael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
, CX KiDTRONiK) – 3:24 - "Tr(n)igger" – 3:54
- "Sunday Bloody SundaySunday Bloody Sunday (song)"Sunday Bloody Sunday" is the opening track from U2's 1983 album, War. The song was released as the album's third single on 11 March 1983 in Germany and the Netherlands. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is noted for its militaristic drumbeat, harsh guitar, and melodic harmonies...
" (U2U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
) – 4:05 - "Break" – 3:18
- "NiggyTardust" (WilliamsSaul WilliamsSaul Stacey Williams is an American poet, writer, actor and musician known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop and for his leading role in the 1998 independent film Slam.-Biography:...
, ReznorTrent ReznorMichael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
, CX KiDTRONiK) – 3:40 - "DNA" (WilliamsSaul WilliamsSaul Stacey Williams is an American poet, writer, actor and musician known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop and for his leading role in the 1998 independent film Slam.-Biography:...
, ReznorTrent ReznorMichael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
, BeckThavius BeckThavius Beck is an electronic musician, producer, MC, saxophone/bass guitar player, and a certified trainer of Ableton Live. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California.-Work:...
, Isaiah "Ikey" Owens) – 4:02 - "WTF!" (WilliamsSaul WilliamsSaul Stacey Williams is an American poet, writer, actor and musician known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop and for his leading role in the 1998 independent film Slam.-Biography:...
, ReznorTrent ReznorMichael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
, CX KiDTRONiK) – 5:29 - "Scared Money" – 3:48
- "Raw" – 2:50
- "Skin of a Drum" – 3:55
- "No One Ever Does" – 3:14
- "Banged and Blown Through" – 3:43
- "Raised to be Lowered" (WilliamsSaul WilliamsSaul Stacey Williams is an American poet, writer, actor and musician known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop and for his leading role in the 1998 independent film Slam.-Biography:...
, ReznorTrent ReznorMichael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
, CX KiDTRONiK) – 5:22 - "The Ritual" – 5:20
Bonus Tracks:
- "Pedagogue of Young Gods" - 3:18
- "World on Wheels" - 1:27
- "Can’t Hide Love" (Earth, Wind & FireEarth, Wind & FireEarth, Wind & Fire is an American soul and R&B band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1969 by Verdine and Maurice White. Also known as EWF, the band has won six Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards. They have been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of...
) - 2:27 - "Gunshots by Computer" - 1:44 (originally on Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D)
- "List of Demands (Reparations)" - 3:18 (originally appeared on Saul WilliamsSaul Williams (album)"List of Demands " was featured on a 2008 Nike Sparq Training commercial, and the video game NBA 2K10...
)
The track "Sunday Bloody Sunday" was released as a single in early 2008.
Samples
- Much of the music on "Tr(n)igger" is heavily-sampled and reconstructed excerpts of the song "Welcome to the Terrordome", from Public Enemy's Fear of a Black PlanetFear of a Black PlanetFear of a Black Planet is the third studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released April 10, 1990, on Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records. Production for the album was handled by the group's production team The Bomb Squad, who expanded on the dense, sample-layered sound of the...
. - The drumline of U2U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's Sunday Bloody SundaySunday Bloody Sunday (song)"Sunday Bloody Sunday" is the opening track from U2's 1983 album, War. The song was released as the album's third single on 11 March 1983 in Germany and the Netherlands. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is noted for its militaristic drumbeat, harsh guitar, and melodic harmonies...
is sampled and tweaked for Saul's cover.
Literary allusions
- The lyrics of "The Ritual" contain numerous allusions to Richard WrightRichard Wright (author)Richard Nathaniel Wright was an African-American author of sometimes controversial novels, short stories, poems, and non-fiction. Much of his literature concerns racial themes, especially those involving the plight of African-Americans during the late 19th to mid 20th centuries...
's Native SonNative SonNative Son is a novel by American author Richard Wright. The novel tells the story of 20-year-old Bigger Thomas, an African American living in utter poverty. Bigger lived in Chicago's South Side ghetto in the 1930s...
.
Album art
Along with all 15 songs, the album comes with a PDF file that contains the lyrics, photos, and thanks just like on a physical album's inner sleeve. After two pages of thanks, there is a near blank page that at the bottom right hand corner reads "Amethyst RockStar (Am I this RockStar?)" This is a reference to Williams's first album Amethyst Rock StarAmethyst Rock Star
Amethyst Rock Star is the first album release by Saul Williams.-Track listing:All songs written by Saul Williams#"Lalala" – 2:40#"Penny for a Thought" – 4:34#"Robeson" – 4:21...
.
Personnel
- Saul WilliamsSaul WilliamsSaul Stacey Williams is an American poet, writer, actor and musician known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop and for his leading role in the 1998 independent film Slam.-Biography:...
- vocals, programming - Trent ReznorTrent ReznorMichael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
- programming, production, backing vocals on "Break", "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "WTF!" - Thavius BeckThavius BeckThavius Beck is an electronic musician, producer, MC, saxophone/bass guitar player, and a certified trainer of Ableton Live. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California.-Work:...
- production and programming on "Black History Month" and "DNA" - CX KiDTRONiK - production, programming, backing vocals on "Black History Month" and "NiggyTardust"
- Atticus RossAtticus RossAtticus Ross is an English musician, composer and producer. Ross, along with Trent Reznor, won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for The Social Network in 2011.-Early career:...
- additional programming