I was having a convo with a friend the other day about Saul Williams, Kris Parker & the words “selling out” came up.

I cannot really say that I see anything overtly “wrong” with artists taking on these lucrative endorsements. What attracted the companies was their music, their art. In Saul’s case, he didn’t change anything & his work, the song “List Of Demands,” wasn’t altered. All he had to do was sign a contract & agree that it could be used. Cut the check.

“It’s weird, but their ads give attention to the music. You walk away thinking, ‘That’s a cool song,’ not ‘I’ve gotta get those shoes.’…I feel like it’s been wonderful, a marvelous result for me. And at the end of the day, it’s been about the exposure. Not only the exposure to me and my music, but for me, who always falls in the category of being a ‘message writer,’ there are a lot of people being exposed to perhaps a new way of thinking, some new ideas, and that really excites me.”

This also bolsters Trent Reznor’s business model, which is based on the idea that if you can get a large group of people to check something out, then you have a larger chance of those same people paying for it. Current stats show that Saul’s The Inevitable Rise…has sold more in downloads than his previous release did in stores, the one that actually includes the track from the commercial, did in stores and has received a boost since the commercial aired.

And at the end of the day, rappers don’t have retirement plans. If they’ve been toiling in the trenches for years, preaching to the choir and finally the rest of the congregation decides tithe with what may be a lofty, one-time sum, how do you say “no”?

There’s a distinct difference between being standing firm for what you believe and playing the fool.

Saul Williams still hasn’t found his niche, and he’s thrilled [Chicago Tribune]


Interview: Hip-Hop Legend KRS-ONE Seizes New Ways for Rap to Work with Major Brands [Digital Journal]

Previously Posted — “Downhill…” | TSS PRESENTS FIFTEEN MINUTES WITH SAUL WILLIAMS

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De La Soul – Baby Phat (VLS)

Outkast – Git Up, Git Out 12″ (1994)

Lil Kim – The Jump Off/Came Back for You (CDS)

The Diplomats – Dipset Anthem (2003)

Wu-Tang Clan – It’s Yourz 12″

Run DMC-Run’s House/Beats To The Rhyme

Nappy Roots – Awnaw (CDS)

Stray Shots