Saul Williams is such an impactful artist and thinker. I remember how much I loved Slam when it came out, saving my money to buy a VHS copy, and I remember how he challenged us to really think critically when he came to speak to my college class. I'd always wanted to have his works written down, although reading I instead felt the urge to watch Slam again. Powerful thoughts and powerful in performance. ( )

Although more “preachy” than his previous collections of hip-hop poetry, Saul Williams’ The Dead Emcee Scrolls: The Lost Teaching of Hip-Hop is a smart and satisfying collection from a talented artist. Williams uses the fictional premise of finding so-called lost scrolls of hip-hop teachings as the background for this latest collection. The poems, which fluctuate between “gangsta” descriptions and media criticisms, offer new readers a good introduction to Williams’ writing. The book’s additional collection of journal entries by Willaims offer some insight into the hip-hop creative mind. Not so much entertaining as it is “interesting,” The Dead Emcee Scrolls is a unique read. Also recommend S. Williams’ Said the Shotgun to the Head (2003). ( )

I must admit, I like Saul Williams performances better than his books. The same words on a page seem to lose their life somehow. Still, the concept of this book is awesome: Saul claims to have found scrolls of ancient poetry written in a language that he eventually deciphers through a magical sort of vision. It is these poems that he credits with his rise in the Slam Poetry world and many of them will be familiar to anyone who has listened to his cds. ( )

I had trouble connecting with this work until I stopped trying to make sense of the words on the page and, instead, started hearing Saul's voice delivering this message in my mind, with his distinct rhythm and inflection and flow. Then it became magic. ( )

Absolutely worthwhile, mystical, and fun. The language-play here is touching and memorable, with ideas/poems worth considering and rereading. Performers and readers alike should read this work; you can almost hear Williams' voice vibrating off of the pages and spiriting these poems into place. As a whole, the book isn't for every reader, but I also firmly believe that there's something here for everyone---every time I reread the words here, I see the work differently, and I don't believe that will ever change. For that alone, I have to recommend this work--it's something quite unlike anything else. ( )