by SCOTT C

While MC/poet/ musician Saul Williams has dodged any sort of predictable direction for some time now, he still remains a vocal, eloquent and powerful voice expressing his own experience in well-chosen words. His recently released self-titled LP attests to his gift of gab, a gift evident when the Mirror caught Williams talking at length about the next four years.

Mirror: I haven't really been able to talk to any Americans since that election business went down the other night, and I'd really like to hear what you think.

Saul Williams: The people that I find myself surrounded by seem to be mostly... brokenhearted.

M: I can see why.

SW: I think that many young people in particular are surprised to realize that they live in the nation that they live in. There was a lot of optimism, and a feeling that we were going to shift things back to a place where we felt more comfortable. They thought it would happen easily, not taking into account that Bush is aligned with the same hypocrisy of our forefathers.

M: So what's it going to take?

SW: In order to bring about true change, it's going to take more than going out to the polls and voting. It's gonna be about wanting change from within, and changing our own individual perspectives and realities so that we realize the impact of our actions on others. It's probably going to pit children against their parents. In turns out that half of the huge youth vote that came out voted Republican, largely based on the fact that they were born into Republican households. Even though the 18- to 24-year-old mindset is quite idealistic, and usually quite liberal, you'll find a lot of kids just voted with their parents.

M: I think that Kerry conceded too early. I mean, just in light of the last debacle in Florida, he should have waited till the last minute.

SW: It's important to point out that I didn't know any real Kerry supporters. I voted for Kerry, but I was voting against Bush. It's fine that he conceded when he did, because maybe it's good that Bush was actually elected this time.

M: Wait. What?!

SW: It serves us well. There's work that needs to be done, evils and prejudices that need to be rooted out from our centre, and from the underbelly of America.

M: So you're suggesting that Bush in office is going to unearth everything that's wrong with America over the next four years, and people will be compelled to revolt?

SW: Exactly. That's what happened over these past four years. The process of grassroots mobilization has only just begun, and I mean, I'm literally just catching my breath and able to talk about what the fuck just happened, because I was really shocked. We were shocked to find out how many people subscribe to the politics of fear, and "faith-based" actions that discriminate and manipulate. We were shocked to find out that it's not as easy as surrounding ourselves with like-minded people. You have to go out and find people who don't think like us and try to communicate with them as well. This really is just the beginning.

With Thavius Beck, aka Adlib, at Cabaret
on Friday, Nov. 12, 9 p.m., $16

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