Last night I was driving home from visiting with a friend who lives downtown, as far down as you can get before hitting the lake. It was a comfort call. He’s just found out his lover is having their baby and we talked most of the night about co-parenting and what it means to have a child with someone who’s not your partner. He’s a little freaked, but you know, it’s all going to work out. The kid gets two happy homes with two amazing parents… lucky kid.
The reason for my writing this letter: I’d like some clarification on the title of your latest release. Is the album called “The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust” or is it called “The Inevitable Rise”?
You see, last night I was driving home, I think I mentioned that before, and I was a bit tired of the ceeb so I scanned around for some “good” music. I put “good” in brackets because, as you are no doubt aware, corporate radio is really sucky and even the “edgier” stations pretty much suck too. Do you remember when DJs were actually respected enough to choose the music for their shows? Wow, radio was amazing back then. I loved having that filter. Now we have computers (largely informed by out-of-touch music/program directors who rely on focus groups - blech) to tell DJs that you can’t play Feist and Garbage back to back because no one wants to listen to two female vocalists back to back. I’m not joking. As bad as you think it is, it’s ten times worse. I could go on but I feel I should get back to the point of the title of your album.
It was late when I was driving home so I knew that I’d definitely missed the John Tesh Radio show (good god forgive me, it’s my only vice, and I change channels when Phil Collins comes on, I swear) so I scanned around waiting for a blip or a beep to catch my ear and what do I hear? Your most excellent cover of “Sunday, Bloody Sunday”. So I settle here and continue my journey home with you in the passenger’s seat.
The song ends and the DJ says, “That was Saul Williams from his new release, The Inevitable Rise”. He says “rise” with a big long drawl, certainly comparable to the Emperor commanding Darth Vader to rise in Star Wars episode three. Which I can understand, it’s fun to say rise like that; it’s something I often do myself.
B-b-b-b-but, AHHH! I thought your release was called, “The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust“. Was there a mistake here? Is this is the case of a simple radio edit OR is this the case of one cowardly DJ too afraid to say “niggy” (unbelievably not getting the OBVIOUS play on Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust) OR do we live in such a cowardly corporate culture that one radio DJ was INSTRUCTED to shorten the title to “The Inevitable Rise”.
Maybe I’m cynical? Saul, I’d really like to know what you think about this. I’m afraid that this is yet another case of the censorship of a black artist and the irony in this particular case is surely not lost on me.
Not afraid to liberate Niggy Tardust,
Dot – shinydotbulletin.com
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