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Saul Williams NiggyTardust ready for download [label/DRM-free distribution]

niggytardust.com — The time has come! Pre-order emails for Saul Williams' THE INEVITABLE RISE AND LIBERATION OF NIGGYTARDUST, produced by Trent Reznor, have been distributed. The album is available for free at 192kbps bitrate or 320kps/lossless if you put forward some cash. Please support this artist and label/DRM-free distribution!

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  • rupurt, on 11/05/2007, -5/+75just grabbed it! Ive never heard of the guy but trent reznor is involved so it should be good

    Support the cause people :)
    • OMGWTFROFLMAOx2, on 11/07/2007, -8/+89http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul_Williams

      I'm guessing 95% of Digg hasn't heard of him as you guys don't listen to Hip Hop, let alone Underground or "Conscious" Hip Hop. There's more to the music than "supermanning dat hoe (yoooooll !)"

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscious_hip_hop
      • simpleid, on 11/02/2007, -1/+5i like this music video of his. :-)
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1llNYAlYrc
        • texpundit, on 11/02/2007, -1/+3That. Was. *****. Awesome.

          I'd never heard of Saul before (if I'm listening to hip hop, it's usually instrumental stuff like DJ Shadow or stuff like N.E.R.D.), but that right there convinced me to pick up the new album. F'n SWEET!
          • misterhardcore, on 11/02/2007, -1/+3I saw him open for NIN this last time around for the U.S. tour. Been a fan ever since. Gets the crowd going just right if you know what I mean.

            Saul Williams FTW.
        • johnmalc, on 11/02/2007, -0/+1Yeah, that's a sweet video. In one of the interviews Trent says he stumbled upon the vid and just called up the guy to go tour with him.
      • Foenetik, on 11/02/2007, -1/+4Saul is ***** awesome,and a great start for anyone getting interested in real hip hop/spoken word. I'm glad this is getting him more exposure,he really deserves it. Hell,even his movie is good.

        http://imdb.com/title/tt0139615/
      • Slayback, on 11/02/2007, -5/+6"...as you guys don't listen to Hip Hop, let alone Underground or "Conscious" Hip Hop. "
        Sorry, but don't make generalizations like that. What /does/ Digg listen to?
      • rememberme2016, on 11/06/2007, -0/+0yeah, thanks for the cross reference. not that I wasn't already down, but sometimes you gotta fill people in.
    • cardyology, on 11/02/2007, -2/+10Saul is incredible!

      Its sad that in this day & age fantastic musice like Saul still isnt getting out to the listeners.

      Hopefully Trent is gonna change that.... :)
      • simpleid, on 11/01/2007, -2/+4i didn't even know there was good hip hop music until a few days ago, i'm gonna have to do some exploring. so i guess Trent is changing that.
        • aylwin, on 11/02/2007, -5/+11Reznor didn't change whether or not there was good hip hop or not, he just changed whether or not you heard it.
          • simpleid, on 11/02/2007, -2/+12that's exactly what i was implying, i obviously don't think that trent didn't change whether or not there was good or bad hip hop. i mean jesus christ, wtf are you thinking?

            "Its sad that in this day & age fantastic musice like Saul still isnt getting out to the listeners."

            trent DID change the fact that music like Saul is getting out, hence i hear about it.

            do you get it yet?
    • g2g079, on 11/01/2007, -4/+7It's funny that you say this because I downloaded this at 1:30 this morning and played it at my halloween party, about half way through the girls wanted to dance so back to supermanning that hoe or whatever. I love this cd but a digg user gots to do what a digg user gots to do.
    • superfrodies, on 11/02/2007, -1/+6Saul williams is the man...if you like this stuff (especially the lyrics) go over to amazon and buy one of his poetry books (even if you don't like poetry, this isn't your average poet).
      • vajra918, on 11/01/2007, -0/+1no, but he is your average beat poet :).

        Saul is awesome, I hope this album is better then his last though.
    • simpleid, on 11/05/2007, -0/+2Skin of a Drum! Freaking cool stuff. :D
    • TylerNew, on 11/02/2007, -1/+5I paid the $5 to grab the FLAC version. I've never heard of Saul Williams before this, but from the reviews I've seen, it should be a quality record. Regardless, I think it's awesome that people are going around the RIAA to distribute their music and I'm happy to contribute to the cause.
    • deadnoob, on 11/01/2007, -0/+2 i heard of him a couple years ago (Black Stacy) and he performed on the first day of college here. He is awesome live, def check him out.
    • Disjunto, on 11/02/2007, -1/+4i like the fact i can legally do what i've been doing for years, seeing if i actually like the music before i buy it. but as with the radiohead album, i'm paying just to support the cause not for the music (not that much of a radiohead fan, wouldn't buy there album through other methods)
    • bethehammer, on 11/02/2007, -1/+7Wow, just bought my first album in about 3 years. Nice, I actually feel good =D
    • bethehammer, on 11/05/2007, -3/+2Double - oops bury me plz
    • Albaster, on 11/02/2007, -1/+5Cause supported. =)

      And I must say, the best 5 bucks I've spent in a long time. Not only I'm getting an excellent album at a bargain price, but I'm also getting lots of good vibes from helping send the middlemen to the 8th Circle of Hell where they truly belong.
    • truegodofwar, on 11/05/2007, -5/+2I grabed it and deleted it. It wasn't worth the 100 megs of hard drive space it's written on? What's with all the crap digg?
    • dpollen, on 11/04/2007, -0/+0I totally support the method of distribution... I paid for Radiohead's album.

      Although, I don't know if I'll keep the album on my HDD (and I never delete music)...
      Sorry, just don't like it... at all.
  • quaunaut, on 11/08/2007, -3/+41Going through it, it sounds like a more hip oriented NIN. Excellent, to say the least. Where I only listened to the Radiohead album once and decided it wasn't for me, this feels much more up my ally. I think I'll be paying for it for sure.
    • freebot, on 11/02/2007, -5/+2I felt the same way about Radiohead's In Rainbow, partly because it felt like it was only one part of something for every song, but after reading this article about how it is directly tied into their album OK Computer-- and if you blend both albums together a certain way the tracks compliment each other ( explained here http://puddlegum.net/radiohead-01-and-10/ ), I then re-tried hearing the album as a blended entity and now I love In Rainbow when played with it's other part.. I would suggest you read the article and give the album another try with it mixed with it's other part.
    • bethehammer, on 11/02/2007, -0/+2This album is definitely more hip oriented but it is similar to many of the NIN remixes - think of 'things falling apart - metal' and you get a small idea of what this album is about. It is a good album though not great - however for 5 dollars its totally worth it =D
      • rarson, on 11/03/2007, -0/+1I disagree, I think this is actually a great album. I'm always fascinated by new music that is really interesting. There are a lot of songs here that instantly hooked me.
    • cheney08, on 11/03/2007, -5/+2How can you use adjectives like "excellent" to describe "hip oriented NIN"? Cognitive dissonance at its finest.
    • rarson, on 11/03/2007, -0/+1I remember years ago Trent talking about his interest in hip hop. I always wondered what hip hop with Trent's influence would sound like (I couldn't really put my finger on what it would sound like), now I know! And of course, it's awesome. Almost reminds me Mike Patton's Peeping Tom, another great musical collaboration.

      By the way, Saul (like Patton) can sing! That's refreshing to me when you hear so much hip hop that is filled with chants and choruses that have no musical intonation.
  • rupurt, on 11/04/2007, -5/+10Yeah what i've heard is pretty awesome like you said Hip Hop x NIN. I did love the Radiohead album as well though
  • acroyear2, on 11/02/2007, -2/+19Listening now... Amazing album. I've been waiting months for this.
  • zinginitself, on 11/02/2007, -3/+15saul, you did it again! amazing!
  • EricVKX, on 11/05/2007, -3/+74I got this because it's free. I kept it because it's ***** awesome.
    • jsully, on 11/02/2007, -2/+24They did this so right. His website stayed up and is capable of handling the traffic, he let me use PayPal (I don't really want to give out a CC to every random site) I was able to get the download at ~ 1MB per second, AND I was able to chose 192Kbps, 320Kbps, or FLAC. Take notes RadioHead. You would have gotten money from me if you'd done it right from the technical side.
      • samelevel, on 11/02/2007, -1/+3I seemed to hit the download button without getting the e-mail confirmation yet and it spit out an error on this URL:

        http://musicane.s3.amazonaws.com/NiggyTardust_192. ...

        Obviously this means they're using Amazon Web Services.
      • rememberme2016, on 11/06/2007, -0/+0yeah, when I finally found a link to the radiohead album, the download was creeping so slow that I check isohunt and found 3000+ people seeding it with another 2000 leeching. information flows through the path of least resistance.
    • driftwood07, on 11/02/2007, -1/+3ya ive honestly not heard of saul before not being huge into the hip-hop scene (except for the good stuff like mos def, the roots, aesop rock) , but im listening now and its great. much better than the ***** they play on the radio that just has some catchy hook over and over
      • Snorglorf, on 11/03/2007, -1/+1what are you talking about? Reznor's stuff is mostly catchy hooks over and over

        It's damn good though
      • sqweak, on 11/03/2007, -0/+0Saul is very much "the good stuff" and a contemporary of mos def and that whole socially conscious side of hip hop. He has his roots in spoken word/poetry, in fact, here's mos def introducing him on def poetry jam:
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzY2-GRDiPM
    • TomRemixed, on 11/02/2007, -1/+3Exactly why I downloaded it. If it wasn't free I wouldn't have bothered with Saul Williams. Luckily I did download it and it's pretty awesome. NIN hip hop is about the best description on this album.
      • rememberme2016, on 11/06/2007, -0/+0"NIN hip hop" is an oversimplification of this album and understates the fusion of unique talents exhibited by these geniuses and master of their craft.
    • mechin, on 11/04/2007, -0/+2You guys should consider supporting Saul by going to the site and paying the 5 $ now that you like it that much.. If for nothing else, to show support for the way it was distributed and to keep the idea alive and viable..
    • UnCoolDug, on 11/06/2007, -0/+0I agree with Mechin. Buy it. Support the artists NOW! The record companies will screw us all given half a chance.
  • mrjit, on 11/08/2007, -4/+42Saul is AMAZING! And this is a ***** fantastic mesh. FLAC for me.
  • MalDON, on 11/02/2007, -4/+15I don't really care for the style so much (it's too hard for me to program to), nonetheless, I will be sending them 20 dollars for the album. This is to show my gratitude for allowing me to listen to the entire album high quality for free, and without DRM. A few tracks sound as if Trent is in it. Can anyone confirm?
    • br0ck, on 11/02/2007, -3/+3Yes, he provides backing vocals for at least half the songs and has lead vocals here and there in a few songs too. Also, just FYI, it's kind of hard to send $20 as the only options are $5 and $0.
      • DrVanilla, on 11/02/2007, -2/+7Obviously he's buying four because they kick so much ass
        • br0ck, on 11/02/2007, -2/+2Nice, I didn't even think of that method. :)

          Also, now that I re-read my comment, a few of the places I thought that Trent had lead vocals were actually Saul Williams singing. They sound more alike in certain spots that I would have thought possible at first.
        • EmitStop, on 11/02/2007, -0/+1The only place I'm sure that Trent is singing is at the beginning of "WTF!"

          but I haven't listened to the whole thing yet
      • MalDON, on 11/02/2007, -1/+6I'm sending a copies to friends. It's like Christmas, only earlier.
      • indecisean, on 11/01/2007, -0/+0yes but you CAN buy it more than once using different email addys. maybe even using the same one multiple times, i haven't tried that method.
  • bananaspiders, on 11/03/2007, -2/+30Never heard of him before... and Im not a big NIN fan... but doing this sort of thing is exactly what I want, so before even listening to the free version, I paid the 5 bucks and downloaded the 320kbps MP3s... listening to it now... its not half bad though not really my style... still, i applaud what they're doing and will continue to support artists who follow in their steps. Also paid for the Radiohead album, that one i really digg...
    • indecisean, on 11/02/2007, -1/+3that's very ***** cool of you, spider. i have the same kind of mentality though i fortunately love saul and tr.
  • kaunaz, on 11/05/2007, -2/+47It's an amazing album, I'm enjoying it a lot. This is worth far more than the 5$ I'm paying.

    If you download it for free and like it, please support the artist, he deserves it.
    • cmuwriter, on 11/02/2007, -3/+8I'm not paying money for the album, but if the dude ever wants to crash on my couch for a few nights, he is more than welcome.
      • richardiscool, on 11/05/2007, -1/+11This is the future of the music industry.
        • cmuwriter, on 11/02/2007, -1/+5Actually the album never fully downloaded on my laptop, so I take back the couch thing.
    • strOphe, on 11/05/2007, -1/+10I think it's worth paying anyone for their art when they make speeches like this one:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ_o660d0oc

      We need more Americans like this one.
  • logicalnoise, on 11/04/2007, -3/+7waited till today(payday) just so I could put 5 bucks on it. The leaked track was pretty cool and I assume the rest is just as well.
    • logicalnoise, on 11/02/2007, -0/+3Listyened to a lot of it on teh way to work and it is indeed very awesome. Especially for only 5 bucks.
    • nestcrw, on 11/02/2007, -0/+2Well you had to wait until today anyway, it came out today.
      It was my pay day too, so I feel ya.
  • kerbonade, on 11/05/2007, -3/+13Got the FLAC version, liking the album so far :)
  • elyod138, on 11/02/2007, -2/+12wow, the album is amazing, some of Saul's best work.

  • rwood757, on 11/03/2007, -3/+16Saul is one of my favs his Blend of Spoken word and hip hop and who knows what else is absolutely fantastic and im glad that finally i can support him with such ease

  • Cymrubeats, on 11/02/2007, -1/+10I'm gonna have a listen first. To me that's one of the real benefits of doing it this way...to stop people buying blindly (deafly?...i bought the strokes album (is this it), based on hearing two tracks...never will i be anally raped again).
    • wyfflemunky, on 11/02/2007, -1/+3In this case, wouldn't it be aurally raped?
      • Cymrubeats, on 11/01/2007, -0/+1I was going to put that, but believe me, the feeling, when listening, was a lot more horrendous than that which you get when you just listen to bad music.

        Anyway, just updating a little. I can't say i fell head over heels, but the album has a lot of potential IMO (i've always liked Saul Williams, but there's been a lot of his stuff that took me a while to properly appreciate). Anyway...bought and paid for now.
  • spaceninja, on 11/04/2007, -1/+5Downloaded mine this morning and so far I like what I hear. Few songs I don't like, but eh can't win them all. None the less I feel like this was $5 well spent.
  • thanakar, on 11/03/2007, -66/+5WTF is this and why is it front page news??? Not to mention the blatant ripoff of David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust.
    • thespotlightkid, on 11/03/2007, -3/+13you idiot.
    • MScoutsDCI, on 11/03/2007, -1/+26Never heard the term "homage?"
      • sotallytober, on 11/03/2007, -23/+2Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust is a classic and shouldn't be ***** with in any way only if it is simply ripping off the name (ok it's not exact but still). And someone else said homage? I doubt it...it's not even in the same genre.
        • jjremy, on 11/03/2007, -3/+16HOMAGE:
          Pronunciation:
          ˈä-mij, ˈhä-
          Function:
          noun
          2 a: expression of high regard : respect —often used with pay b: something that shows respect or attests to the worth or influence of another : tribute - his long life filled with international homages to his unique musical talent

          You sir, are an idiot.
          • sotallytober, on 11/02/2007, -4/+2I know what the definition of homage is and if I didn't I can google it. I really don't need any mouth breathing diggers to define terms for me. Anywho...where on the site does it say he's paying homage to David Bowie? Exactly..no where. I bought Ziggy Stardust on vinyl when it came out. This is no where near paying respects to it. Oh, and I'm not a sir. (braces self for the 'OMG a chick is on digg' comments).
          • neckfire, on 11/02/2007, -2/+5OMG an idiot chick on digg!!

            Seriously. Homage is implied by the name and considering Reznor and Bowie have collaborated in the past I'm sure Bowie at the very least knows about the project and most likely approves of it. Saul Williams has talent and if you can't at least recognize that perhaps you should check into an old folks home so you can complain about this newfangeled hippity hop music and how artists were so much better when you were young.

            BTW this video of Saul is amazing- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1llNYAlYrc
          • emjaymj, on 11/02/2007, -1/+5On your period sotallytober? The reason it's not mentioned anywhere on the website is because the reference is so obvious, any idiot should be able to tell. Well, apparently only ALMOST every idiot.
    • texpundit, on 11/03/2007, -0/+7I will be the first to admit that David Bowie is one of my favorite artists of all time...but will you STFU?!? I'll bet money Bowie giggled his ass of when he saw the name of Saul's album...not to mention he probably felt honored by the homage.

      You people need to crawl out from under your musical rock every now and then. (No pun intended.)
    • fragile00, on 11/01/2007, -0/+1because you touch yourself at night.
  • Rethcir, on 11/02/2007, -17/+5What a controversial name.
    • paulg2000, on 11/02/2007, -0/+6Wait 'til you see the lyrics. Controversy is a weapon.
  • greedoe, on 11/03/2007, -2/+43paid nothing, just wanted to check it out. Not a hip-hop fan so not too worried that I wasted my money. if I find it's good, I'll go back and pony up the cash.
    • coheedcollapse, on 11/02/2007, -2/+10I'm in that same exact position. I felt bad for clicking the "I don't care about that" link, but I'm too poor at the moment to be donating to anything. I'll probably go back and donate $5 or $10 if I like it when I get my paycheck.
      • indecisean, on 11/01/2007, -0/+2that'd be hella cool of you. a lot of people are saying "i'm too broke now" but hey, it's a pack of smokes or a drink at the bar less for the month...do it when you can, man!
      • diggless, on 11/02/2007, -0/+1its not so much a donation as paying for the product they were confident enough you would enjoy that they let you try it before you paid them for it.
    • damndj, on 11/03/2007, -1/+12Same here. Just goes to show what a great idea these sorts of releases are. I would have never touched this album had it not been available "free". if I like it, I'll pay for it.
      • coheedcollapse, on 11/02/2007, -0/+9I agree completely. If artists put out their albums totally independently like this, I'd buy FAR more albums than I do currently. I love the fact that I can try before I buy as well as the fact that I have the freedom to listen to the whole album before I decide to buy it.

        I think the best thing in this instance is that I know none of my money is going to some greedy record exec. I can't wait until the RIAA dies.
  • MrNexus, on 11/04/2007, -2/+14This is an awesome album. Well worth the $5.
  • DryMaltExtract, on 11/03/2007, -52/+2So when'd dig become an advertisement machine?

    Hey kids! Get this new PC game! You can buy it online for cheap if you like it! EA! Working hard for your dollars!
    • thredden, on 11/02/2007, -0/+21isnt that the point of digg? to get the word out and let the people decide if its an ad you should hear/see or not? wtf? why all this negativity?
    • MScoutsDCI, on 11/02/2007, -1/+16This is not the equivalent of a new EA game at all. This album is not supported by any label at all, this is the ONLY way to publicize it. As far as I'm concerned, this is precicesly what SHOULD happen for albums like this. Think about it, is this not just word of mouth to the next power?
    • scorintha, on 11/02/2007, -0/+7This isn't so much about advertising an individual album, but the way it's being distributed without major label support. If some star programmers from EA left, formed their own company and made their game available over the net without traditional distribution channels, I'd think that would be worthy of a digg as well. Wherever technology's being used to solve problems and eliminate middlemen, I know I'll digg.
    • inkyblue2, on 11/02/2007, -0/+7were you not around for the million and one posts about how ***** the RIAA is and how everyone is waiting for more artists to give the finger to the entrenched distribution channels? this is an article about someone who has.
    • DryMaltExtract, on 11/01/2007, -7/+0Yeah, all your replies reek of the same *****. So what happens when this is the only way any album is sold? Digg will be nothing but ARTIST B RELEASES NEW ALBUM! Then nobody will go to digg because they want current events and *****, not advertisements.
      • SquigglyP, on 11/02/2007, -0/+2people are only excited right now because it's a new method of selling music that is apparently working really well, cuts out the middle man, is a lot cheaper and yet the artist gets paid more for their efforts. It's the exact type of selling method that is going to revolutionize the music industry. You'll probably see people Digg up the next few albums that get released this way, not to mention articles that compare the pros and cons of this sort of approach, but eventually the fanfare will die down and people will just sit back and enjoy it. Later you might see articles being Dugg up about the record labels going bankrupt or buying each other out in an effort to stop losing so much money to the artists, or maybe even changing their ways. But after a few years more artists will probably be selling their stuff this way, and the normalcy of it will not be diggable unless it's a really huge album.
    • bolognium, on 11/02/2007, -1/+3oh I know! it's horrible how digg hijacks my mouse and made me click on this article... wtf! but hey, at least we get to complain right? what would the day be without the ability to bitch about the little things..?
  • gbrendel, on 11/02/2007, -2/+8Didn't really think this would be my thing either but I paid $5 and enjoyed it enough on the bus this morning. Will obviously give it more of a fair chance and continue listening to it as a few of the tracks really stuck out and were great. Was definitely interesting and kept me from taking my standard bus nap.
  • thredden, on 11/05/2007, -1/+51The ways of middlemen proves to be just a passing trend. We need no priests to talk to God. No phone to call her.

    ***** right on
  • sm4k, on 11/03/2007, -6/+10My pre-order download link doesn't work. :/ I suppose it may be more popular than they anticipated.
    • db74, on 11/02/2007, -1/+5I'm assuming you pre-ordered it . . .
      e-mail customercare@musicane.com state your name and e-mail.
      In the mean time download the free version and listen til they get back to you.
      free version link: http://niggytardust.com/saulwilliams/emailpagefree
    • johnnyrotten, on 11/02/2007, -0/+5I'm sure I'll get blasted for this, but why the hell is sm4k getting dug down because his download link didn't work? Are you people morons? The way for stuff like this to get better is to tell people when there are problems, not play this stupid "if it's free, you can't complain" crap. Babies.
      • db74, on 11/02/2007, -0/+5Don't worry about the thumbs, I gave the info thats counts in the end.
  • racco, on 11/02/2007, -3/+9saul is one of the best live hip hop acts ive seen, been looking 4ward to this
  • plizard, on 11/05/2007, -43/+4so i guess trent reznor just works with anyone now. what's next fred durst and trent reznor duets?

    also - with a title like niggytardust, does al sharpton know about this? i feel a march coming on.
    • cugar, on 11/02/2007, -3/+13uh anyone? no. trent chose saul to open for him on tour because he liked his work. tent asked him if he wanted to collab while they were on tour. saul said yes.

      but youd like that wouldnt you, fred and trent duets...wouldnt you.
    • mrjit, on 11/02/2007, -2/+7You obviously have NO idea who Saul Williams is. He's one of if not THE most respected poetic acts there is.
      • plizard, on 11/02/2007, -6/+1why because he's black? uhh yeah. hip hop is as cool as kayne west.
        • SquigglyP, on 11/01/2007, -0/+1hip hop about 15-20 years ago was great. After all these talentless hacks got hold of it it's been transformed into just the same sort of stupid ***** that you hear on alternative radio stations. it's just there to be catchy, the 'artists' have a grade 4 level of vocabulary and think poetry has to have a specific syllable count and rhyme because that's how they were taught when they were 5 years old. Rap and Hip Hop are most definitely NOT the same thing.
  • tgiles, on 11/02/2007, -2/+13Been listening to it this morning and started sharing with a co-worker (who's a big NIN fan).
    I really like it. Worth the cash, I think. Support the cause!
  • slashbot, on 11/04/2007, -28/+7What a dumb name....
  • Anarleaf, on 11/02/2007, -9/+5It's not exactly a advertisement, advertisers what money, you can get this for free.
  • sorensilk, on 11/05/2007, -0/+33This is front page news because it's the "music industry" doing something good for a change. This is what people have been asking for for years and finally some artists are doing it.
    • MissMenchi, on 11/01/2007, -1/+1It's not the music industry anything, let alone "doing good" and THAT'S why it front page news.
      • sorensilk, on 11/03/2007, -0/+2That's why I put "music industry" in quotes.
  • FuzzplugJones, on 11/03/2007, -30/+5I can't stand how people say this (and In Rainbows) is a big *****-you to the industry. The only reason people care about this stuff is because said industry made these people household names. People care about hhis Niggy Tardust (proving once again some people *can* use the n-word), is because an industry name told us about it. This guy would be fighting along with the rest of the unsigned independent acts (many of which are much better than the commercial crap) and getting zero sales. Many of us have been doing the online-sale thing for years, which embarrassing results. Now a few industry tools "break away" and write their "***** you" album and they think people are buying their album simply because they're "great artists." There are a lot of great artists that consumers and especially the media couldn't care less about, because they weren't burned into our fickle little minds by the industry we all despise.

    Not dugg because as an independent musician myself it's not in my best interest to encourage this fake revolt.
    • oldhick, on 11/02/2007, -1/+13I don't think anyone is confusing the break from the industry with artistic talent. At least I haven't seen that yet. In fact I remember a Digg post about Madonna jumping ship and we tore her a new one right here on Digg.
      In fact, I find your whole comment a bit ridiculous. Maybe you're bitter. But its 'the Industry" (as you call it) that grabs no talent *****'s and markets the hell out of them until they become household names. We've all been lucky that a few A&R people don't suck and have found some good groups like NIN to mix with the *****.
      And as an independent musician, I am really blown away by your attitude. This "fake revolt" is what art and entertainment are all about. Lets get the middle men and the money grubbers out and lets get talented folks that can entertain for the love of entertaining back in. I've played around the country and a few different spots around the world and don't have a dime to show for it. But you don't hear me whining and complaining. I'll keep playing 'til I die and I'll be cheering on anyone who wants to do it on there own.
      • thailand1972, on 11/02/2007, -2/+3Wow, what a skewed way of looking at the music industry. The industry isn't just about big labels and big names, but if you imagine it is, then it becomes a nice big strawman to burn down with easy arguments. It's more than that though. There are thousands of little Indie labels that do their best to promote their bands and get their artists to even *support act* other smaller acts that may be slightly better known. These labels are also part of this industry. They are the best hope for a lot of bands out there trying to bring their actual talent to the forefront. Unfortunately Digg has shown me that there are a lot of people where the subtlety of the situation is lost on them. They see everything in black and white. It's like: "Labels? ***** THE RIAA! HAHAHA!" . I'm lost on this whole thing now on Digg - there's no point debating with this kind of person. They see the music industry personified as a fat man in a suit, and in doing so, ***** up the hopes of a lot of bands who now face the prospect of having NO labels to sign to (unlike Reznor, who would be nothing without the help from his label over 15 years).
        • oldhick, on 11/02/2007, -1/+5When did I say it was just about big labels? I've worked with several indie labels and enjoyed the expierence. My point was that if you're in it for the money then ***** off.
          • thailand1972, on 11/02/2007, -0/+1For smaller labels, the money is NECESSARY TO SURVIVE. You need money to market bands to people who will never have heard of them. You need money for every-step of the way to a position where an artist can be completely independent of a label (ahem, Reznor should know).
    • logicalnoise, on 11/03/2007, -1/+8I've never heard of saul williams before this and probably wouldn't have if reznor hadn't collabed with him. The russians got teh first probe on space it doesn't mean we ignore the great minds at NASA because they didn't do it first. When the regulars go indie then the bands that are already indie will be the regulars.
    • centerblack, on 11/03/2007, -1/+10Posting your album on cdbaby and waiting for people to buy it isn't changing the ***** world either. The 'industry' is only concerned with money. That's why clearchannel sets up thousands of stations that pump out b.s. and collects the advertising. It's why DJ's are told what they can play. It's why I never hear local bands playing live on air.

      Your embarassing online sales can be attributed to the fact that no one knows who the ***** you are, so no one is looking for you. Finding new music by searching on cdbaby is a pain in the ***** ass. That's why networks where music can be freely traded rocks! It's a lot easier for 20 people to find 1 band they like and share it with a million other people than it is for me to go and search through cdbaby and come up with 20 albums I think are good and get a million people to listen to me.

      I don't see how this 'fake revolt' not in your best interest. If these so called 'industry tools' brings some attention the fact that there's all this great music out there that just isn't being pushed by a major label, then that increases the chances that someone is going to go on cdbaby, find your album, and tell someone else about it.
      • masterofgrond, on 11/02/2007, -1/+1I agree with what you're saying, but on your comment about local bands not being played on the air, you just need to find a radio station that does, because there are some that do. I DJ for WVBR out of good ol' Ithaca, NY and while we don't have a huge broadcast radius, anyone can stream from online. We're heavily encouraged to play local acts and we promote them wherever we can. The major stations don't play local bands, sure, but those stations really weren't worth listening to anyway.
    • thegreathal, on 11/02/2007, -3/+1The idea is to turn the record companies into the contractors providing these services for the artist, not the kingmakers exploiting both artists and the public--neutering the industry that we all despise.
  • radiopayola, on 11/07/2007, -2/+59Totally ***** awesome that Reznor carried this out with the OiNK tradition of preferred bitrates and formats. I was awestruck and inspired by his admission that he was an OiNK user who basically considered OiNK to be the best record store on the planet.
  • Suchmann, on 11/05/2007, -3/+11This is fantastic. Best $5 I've spent in a while.
    • Nicksname1, on 11/03/2007, -14/+1wait...wait...wait...you paid for this?
      • Phoenixfury, on 11/02/2007, -0/+4Why all of a sudden do pirates not seem so cool anymore? I guess we'll just all have to become music ninjas! Granted piracy and free are two different things, but to ridicule someone else for paying for raw talent clearly indicates you are a pirate and give pirates a bad name.
  • oldhick, on 11/05/2007, -13/+2Sunday Bloody Sunday... Thats awful. I'm not sure what they thought they would get out of that. The rest of it is pretty damn good though.
    • simpleid, on 11/01/2007, -2/+2yea, i agree, a lot probably don't but... i wish they didn't use it. oh well.
    • jjremy, on 11/01/2007, -2/+3I'm listening to that right now. I fail to see the problem. do you mind elaborating?
      An interesting cover of the only U2 song I like.
    • acroyear2, on 11/01/2007, -1/+2I think some people just don't like covers of significant songs. it's seen as going against what is sacred.
    • rezzy333, on 11/02/2007, -0/+3I love the cover. I love the original as well. It was well done.
    • oldhick, on 11/02/2007, -1/+5I guess my issue with it is that it doesn't really deviate from the original in any way, shape, or form. I love covers where songs are reinterpreted (a la All Along the Watchtower). But this doesn't bring anything new to the table other than Trents voice. I like the album, I'm just not sure what the artistic point to this cover is. Obviously, I think they were pushing the message of the song which is worthy. I would simply have preferred a little more creativity in it. And its just my opinion, if you guys digg it then sweet. Thats why I love music, to each their own!
  • CodeJockey, on 11/05/2007, -25/+2This album deserves to be free!!! IT BLOWS! It's basically a bad rapper rhyming over some NIN tracks that aren't very good. Don't get me wrong, NIN and Trent are AWESOME, but his album isn't worth the 3 minute download... Sorry Trent.
    • acroyear2, on 11/02/2007, -4/+2That's the dumbest assessment I could imagine. You obviously aren't listening to the lyrics and you're obviously ignoring half the album that does not at all sound like NIN.
    • jessicass, on 11/02/2007, -4/+2Saul Williams isn't a "rapper." He is a poet.
    • CodeJockey, on 11/02/2007, -2/+2As a matter of fact, I have listened to the whole album. A few times now. And it still sounds like NIN. Same beats, same instruments, pretty much the same chords except made to not be just like NIN. Which sounds like crap. Look, I'm not just bashing it because I'm a NIN hater. I think NIN Rocks! I've actually purchased (not pirated) all of their albums (a few on cassette). But this album in my opinion sucks. Sorry to all the mindless that think Trent can do no wrong.

      Jessicass, thank you very much for the correction. How silly of me to think that poetry put to music/beats would be considered a rap... I stand corrected.
  • freezerburn666, on 11/05/2007, -24/+3thats great and all but it doesn't change the fact that saul williams really sucks, and i saw him open for NIN. also, i'v heard this new album, and it sucks. too... good news, everyone go get your crappy album
  • sotallytober, on 11/05/2007, -25/+2Everytime I see this it reminds me of Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust. Makes me sick that Williams/Resnor couldn't be more original. That Bowie release is beyond classic.
    • logicalnoise, on 11/01/2007, -1/+3that was the idea. Only this cd has more of a messege than Bowies classic album. They are two very different albums but so far both are great in their own way.
    • jjremy, on 11/02/2007, -1/+8HOMAGE:
      2 a: expression of high regard : respect —often used with pay b: something that shows respect or attests to the worth or influence of another : tribute - his long life filled with international homages to his unique musical talent
      • sotallytober, on 11/05/2007, -5/+1See my reply above under the first time you posted this. *shakes head* mouth breathers
        • masterofgrond, on 11/02/2007, -1/+2Mouth breathers. Really an impressive insult when used repetitively, it just gains so much more meaning you know?
          Seriously, if you know what an homage is, then stop posting nonsense about how it's a travesty and spits in the eye of Bowie's album.
  • cwdrake, on 11/05/2007, -32/+4Please don't support this racist garbage.
    • logicalnoise, on 11/03/2007, -2/+11.... it's rasically driven yes but the cd is more about being yourself and not being afraid of how people stereotype you. Yeah Saul uses the N word a lot but he's a poet first and he uses it as a weapon.
      • cwdrake, on 11/05/2007, -7/+1someone who uses the N word is NOT a poet.
        • logicalnoise, on 11/01/2007, -0/+2A poet uses words in a framework based on language perameters. The N word is a word, it has a meaning and it can be used in many ways. Your condemning a word based on the thoughts and events that occur around it gives it power as much as using it in negative terms.
        • jessicass, on 11/07/2007, -0/+4Are you serious?
        • SquigglyP, on 11/03/2007, -0/+2DON'T MOVE! There's a great big stick up your ass!
    • AustinMeoang, on 11/03/2007, -2/+9How exactly is it at all racist?
      • cwdrake, on 11/05/2007, -6/+2"NiggyTardust" sounds pretty racist to me.
        • teethman, on 11/03/2007, -0/+3You sound like a ***** eating person.
    • db74, on 11/01/2007, -1/+2What are you basing your racist comment on cwdrake?
    • banq59, on 11/01/2007, -1/+3You know Saul Williams is black right?
      • cwdrake, on 11/02/2007, -4/+2what does his skin color have to do with anything?
        • Craptacularama, on 11/01/2007, -1/+0Nothing really, except that 200+ years of slavery and persecution based on that skin color.

          Oh wait, and the fact that the PC police won't let you take control of a word that's been used for hundreds of years to make you feel like less of a human based on that skin color.

          ***** troll.
    • jivemasta, on 11/03/2007, -0/+8God forbid somebody uses ***** , in a rap album. ***** is just a word, like love or *****. It is only given power by people afraid to use it, or those who abuse it. Language can change, and over time a good word can become bad, or a bad word can become good. I only say that because most people see words in a black and white shade, I think all words are good and are only used for good or bad. There is two different connotations to the phrase "Hey you, *****" depending not only how it is said, but who is saying it. Black people can say it, they have taken the word and made it their own. Its the white people that can't get past the guilt of their ancestors that make the word seem bad.
  • sequethin, on 11/05/2007, -1/+12saul williams is one of my favorite artists of all time. ever since I first heard him on the song coded language. Amazing how he brings issues to the table with his spoken word style with so many different styles of music (if with music at all.)

    "What have you bought into? what will it cost to buy you out?"
  • nsyrax, on 11/02/2007, -1/+5I got to catch Saul Williams on the last NiN tour, loved all his stuff. even have a book of poetry he did. This album is REALLY good!!!! The remake of Sunday Bloody Sunday gives me goosebumps!!!
    • Indarios, on 11/01/2007, -0/+1I first heard of him this way too, I instantly loved his music from the first time i heard him on stage and the day after ordered his album. I love his new album and still envy him for his strong messages he presents in his songs.
  • AustinMeoang, on 11/04/2007, -6/+2It's pretty good for music, amazing for hip hop (given that 98% of hip hop is total crap). I got all excited when Trent sang 2 lines in one of the songs.
  • Borbus, on 11/08/2007, -3/+37I opened my wallet. $5 for FLAC. Cheaper and a much better product than iTunes. Hassle free download. I can play it ANY audio device I want (burn to CD, convert to MP3 for MP3 player, play FLAC on my PC). Not tied to iPods or WM devices like the others are. Plus Saul himself probably got just as much from this sale as he would've done through iTunes. ***** Steve Jobs.

    I've said this before and I'll say it again. I will buy lossless DRM free music online (in a suitable format like FLAC, not the proprietary ALAC). I will still try before I buy (by download a low quality MP3 for free beforehand), but if I like I will buy. OiNK was by far the best place to try before I buy.
    • centerblack, on 11/02/2007, -3/+3Yea it's all Steve Jobs fault.

      Saul would have made $5.50 if it was posted to iTunes through cdbaby. You can strip the drm off those mp4's or burn them to cd and rip to mp3. AAC is an open standard, anyone can implement it.
      • ktkc7c, on 11/02/2007, -0/+5Thats transcoding son. Some of us care about sound quality
      • Borbus, on 11/02/2007, -1/+4Fair enough $5.50 seems ok for the artist, but why should I pay Apple for their lousy service? I get files that I have to play with Apple software or hardware.

        And don't talk about stripping DRM and transcoding. Why should I go to the trouble of stripping DRM, which is illegal by the way, just to play something I have paid for. Transcoding AAC to to MP3 is a stupid idea because you will lose even more quality.
  • mjsteinbaugh, on 11/02/2007, -18/+1trent, put it out in FLAC and I will be happy to pay for the album.
    • Borbus, on 11/02/2007, -1/+21It is available in FLAC, if you pay the $5, which is fair enough. Try the MP3 for free, if you like it get the FLAC for a small cost. Much better value than a CD. Note that on the site it actually says you can convert this to other formats as you wish, unlike CDs, which you cannot copy or rip and encode for your MP3 player.
  • reed311, on 11/02/2007, -29/+3Nice product placement spam.
    • fragile00, on 11/02/2007, -1/+7It's not spam.
      it's an attempt to change and better the ways we listen to music.
      If anything it's a favor.
    • Craptacularama, on 11/02/2007, -1/+1You pay for product. This is free. L2read.
  • plastek, on 11/01/2007, -12/+5I like Saul a lot, but I was kind of disappointed when I played the first track, and he kept using the N word.
    One of the main reasons I liked his self titled album is he only used that word like 3 times through the whole thing.
    I haven't really gotten to listen to the whole thing from beginning to end, but that's something that really jumped out at me.
    • Nicksname1, on 11/02/2007, -4/+9***** Pleeeeeeeeeeez!
    • robalesi, on 11/02/2007, -2/+12So let me get this straight. One of the MAIN reasons you like the album was the lack of frequency of a word. Not the music, not the poetry, not the beat.

      Wow, you've just missed the point.
      • ispshadow, on 11/02/2007, -2/+3What point was that? I agree with him/her. If I hear an artist constantly drop the n-bomb in a song, I'm not going to care for the song either. It won't matter how how lyrically brilliant the artist is in the song.

        I'm not sure if it's because I'm not allowed to use it or if it's just because it's generally offensive. I haven't decided yet.

        Wow, I think you missed plastek's point.

      • neckfire, on 11/02/2007, -2/+2Considering the album is a critique of record company made pop-rap stars and that many of the lyrics are aping/commenting on how devoid of meaning many hip-hop acts are(Guns, money, drugs, bitches, shoes, etc...). If you don't get the message the words describe then what's the point?
    • yggdrasil255, on 11/01/2007, -1/+2Kind of awkward being white and listening to it. I think that may be part of the point, though. He even kind of addresses it in the title track.
    • mjfitzge, on 11/02/2007, -1/+3honestly, hearing him say it that much makes me feel a little weird inside too. i heard someone above say that he uses it as a weapon, but i don't think i really understand that idea. it doesn't bother me that he feels comfortable saying it, i'm just saying that i feel slightly weird since i like to sing along, out of my window, loudly.

      i'm not going to let it affect my opinion of the album though. i think it sounds pretty good, and i'll probably spend some time later either reading the lyrics or listening closer so i can understand his message a little better.
      • Craptacularama, on 11/01/2007, -1/+1The problem is that black people are harnessing the word for its power. Up until now, white people used the word to demean blacks. Blacks are now using the word to empower themselves.
      • Cunninlynguist, on 11/01/2007, -2/+1you're wrong... it's all a matter of perspective. I'm sure chris rock and bill cosby don't call themselves '*****'
    • arabidturtle, on 11/05/2007, -1/+2i know what u mean. ive been called the n word several times because of the color of my skin. ppl wonder why i listen to rock music.
  • ZephyrNinety, on 11/02/2007, -2/+4Bloody Sunday cover is pretty damn sick. So far, only up to that part in the album, I'm not feelin' it. I'm a big fan of NIN and hip-hop, hip-hop more than NIN actually, but I think some of the samples they used ruin the songs. We'll see though once I finish the whole album.
  • o0joshua0o, on 11/05/2007, -6/+1I'm not sure if I should interpret the album's title as actually racist or just a parody of racist speech. Any thoughts?
    • Nicksname1, on 11/03/2007, -7/+7Its not racist its just a play on words he is comparing himself to Ziggy Stardust. Claiming to be the black David Bowie. Kind of retarded if you ask me.
      • phaseblue, on 11/03/2007, -2/+7Ziggy Stardust was a character David Bowie took on. NiggyTardust is a character Saul Williams is taking on. Not only does that *not* mean that Saul Williams is claiming to be David Bowie, it's pretty safe to say that that's a tribute to him and to the idea.
        • CinBengal84, on 11/03/2007, -1/+2Yeah, that's pretty much how I understood it... LoL
    • theokandroid, on 11/05/2007, -1/+7is it rascist if a black man says it?
      • db74, on 11/02/2007, -1/+3You guys are missing the context in which he is using the word. Maybe he's using the word to get your attention, you really need to read the lyrics.
    • db74, on 11/05/2007, -3/+6NiggyTardust is just like Ziggy Stardust, he's a character, that Saul will play when he performs.
      The use of the N word relates to what he believes keeps us all in sort of slavery.
    • itspuddingtime, on 11/02/2007, -0/+4you guys remember way back when some White Guy used the word "niggard" in a city council meeting or a speech of some sort and had to resign because everyone got all up in arms about it?
      • ispshadow, on 11/03/2007, -0/+2Anthony A. Williams, used the word "niggardly" in a speech. I wonder if he used it just to see if he could get away with it.

        It's too bad. I wouldn't use the word just because most people are too ignorant to know the difference. I don't think he should have resigned over the incident but people, in general, are just too ignorant in the vocabulary department.
    • tzirean, on 11/05/2007, -0/+3From Saul himself: "I’ve also thought long and hard about all the discussion surrounding racial epithets etc. and chose this title as a means of furthering the dialogue while also showing how creativity will outlive and outshine hatred of any kind."
    • mrjit, on 11/01/2007, -0/+2Saul Williams is a huge activist and his poetry typically involves the intertwining of all "persons" not "races" and he specifically points it out.
    • diggumjonez, on 11/02/2007, -0/+4"The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust" was the story of a martian rock'n'roll god whose excesses bring about his own demise. Saul's album is most definitely a tribute and concept, but telling the story of a cast-upon black man, told his whole life he can do no good and will be nuthin but a thug until he's violently killed, simply because he's black, rising above the stereotypes and racism and societal traps to find himself and be who he truly is.

      Lots of samples from Public Enemy's "Fear of a Black Planet" which was, itself, an amazing album musically, lyrically, and socially.
      • Neotribal, on 11/05/2007, -0/+1"The Rise and Liberation of Ziggy Tardust" - fixed.
  • noseeme, on 11/05/2007, -21/+1Lul... "NIGGYTARDUST"????11oneelevendy
  • T8erT0T, on 11/02/2007, -2/+10At least someone is getting the online music gig right.
  • monkeySN, on 11/01/2007, -0/+3Never heard of him before so I checked it out for free. LOVED IT. It is like nothing I have heard before. I will be going back to pay for it.
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