The Seventh Octave: The Early Writings of Saul Williams

by Saul Williams, Jessica C. Moore (Editor), Jessica Care Moore (Editor)

Danny Simmons employs both his skills as an artist and a writer to present this attractive book entitled “ I DREAMED MY PEOPLE Were Calling But I Couldn’t FIND MY WAY Home.The bright colors of his collages provide a contrast to the relentlessly grim portrayals of a society where people are jailed at birth. He is able to create beauty from rubbish.This is no dinner party on Martha’s Vineyard.”Cold ramble down abandoned/…stray dogs howling in bitter/winter huddled six deep and hungry,or I/am a gaping wound waiting for its/daily does of salt. No French Impressionist picnic scenes . While European Museums are packed with paintings overburdened with Christian themes, Simmons knows that the religions that Africans brought to this hemisphere, thought to have been crushed, survive. But there’s a tendency when examining the work of a black artist to confine their reach to the basic and polemical,even though the work under examination might express a wide range of human emotions. The mainstream asks of the black artist, “What are you going to do to us? Do you like us? What do those drums mean?”Simmons work can be political, but it can also be very private. “I return/ to empty/street corners/to rail at the/ scourge who/gnaws at the bones of/my past. Though African-American culture is Simmons’ home base, one can detect variety of influences upon his work. Simmons ”…I swagger/in front of the/Easel trying to capture/the spirit of the divine.” He has done that. The paintings are eye grabbing, beautiful. The texts provide a striking compliment to them. -from the foreword by Ishmael Reed

Genres: Poetry, Music, The United States Of America, African American

56 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1998

About the author

Saul Williams is an acclaimed American poet, musician, actor, and filmmaker whose work fuses raw political insight, lyrical intensity, and a bold disregard for genre boundaries. Widely recognized for his dynamic presence in both spoken word and alternative hip hop, Williams emerged in the mid-1990s as a vital voice in contemporary poetry before expanding into music, theater, film, and literature.
Born in Newburgh, New York, Williams studied acting and philosophy at Morehouse College and later earned an MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. It was in New York's vibrant poetry scene that he honed his distinctive voice—fusing personal narrative, political urgency, and rhythmic precision. His breakout came in 1996 when he was named Grand Slam Champion at the Nuyorican Poets Café. He soon co-wrote and starred in the film Slam (1998), a bold meditation on incarceration, art, and resistance. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance and the Camera d’Or at Cannes, launching Williams into international prominence.
Williams has published several collections of poetry, including The Seventh Octave, Said the Shotgun to the Head, and The Dead Emcee Scrolls, which reflect his ability to merge the cadence of hip hop with spiritual and philosophical inquiry. His writing is known for its fierce social critique and experimental form, often pushing beyond traditional poetic boundaries to embrace typography, performance, and digital culture.
As a musician, Williams has created a genre-defying body of work that blends hip hop, punk, rock, electronic, and spoken word. His debut album Amethyst Rock Star (2001), produced by Rick Rubin, was followed by the critically acclaimed self-titled Saul Williams (2004). He collaborated with Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor on The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust! (2007), a provocative, pay-what-you-want release that challenged music industry norms and addressed race, identity, and digital freedom. Later albums such as Volcanic Sunlight, MartyrLoserKing, and Encrypted & Vulnerable further showcased his global perspective and political urgency, incorporating influences from African rhythms, industrial noise, and cyberpunk aesthetics.
In theater, Williams originated the lead role in Holler If Ya Hear Me, the Broadway musical inspired by the lyrics of Tupac Shakur. As an actor, he has appeared in films like Today, Akilla’s Escape, and Neptune Frost—the latter of which he co-directed with Anisia Uzeyman. Neptune Frost premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and exemplifies Williams’ vision of “sonic fiction,” combining sci-fi, Afrofuturism, and social commentary in a deeply poetic cinematic language.
Williams is also known for his global activism, his commitment to nonconformity, and his exploration of identity. He describes himself as queer and has consistently used his platform to advocate for justice, equality, and creative freedom. His life and work reflect a boundary-crossing ethos, uniting the spiritual and the political, the poetic and the revolutionary.
Across all mediums, Saul Williams defies categorization. Whether through verse, film, or song, he invites audiences to question, to imagine, and to awaken. His artistry continues to inspire new generations of poets, musicians, and thinkers worldwide.

Reviews

[jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

the first book of poetry from award-winning slam poet, actor, emcee, and activist saul williams, the seventh octave demonstrates a prodigious talent. while his work has certainly matured over recent collections, these early writings demonstrate that williams was doing something fresh from day one. many of the lyrics in the seventh octave found their way onto saul's first full-length album, amethyst rock star (one of last decade's finest hip hop records). saul williams' provocative wordplay is enough to make even the most gifted rapper blush with envy, and while his rhymes may be more powerful delivered through a mic, they still reverberate on the page.

seven mountains

time is money
money is time

so i keep seven o'clock in the bank
and gain interest on the hour of god

i'm saving to buy my freedom
god grant me wings
i'm too fly not to fly

eye sore
to look at humans
without wings

so, i soar
and find tickle in the feathers
of my wings

flying hysterically
over land
numerically i am

seven mountains higher
than the valley of death
seven dimensions deeper
than dimensions of breath.

[Mandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saul's first book and my last one to read. I searched forever for a copy. Favorite author. It is not a book to just read. Just like all of his books the words are to be studied, dissected, and savored. If you are new to poetry take your time and don't just write this book off. For his first work this book is as deep as the meaning of life.

[Jae · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite Twitter followers, Saul never fails

[Edmund Davis-Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good little poetry book.

His slam poems from this volume are much, much better performed by Saul Williams then on stage.

Saul Williams has definitely got better over time. I also am happy that 12 years ago he is the first slam poet I ever saw at Pomona College in Claremont, CA.

This particular book though is good not great.

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Re-read: April 2015. I had the pleasure of seeing Saul Williams perform a few weeks ago so I'm revisiting his work. My original review stands.

April 26, 2013 review:
This is a collection of Saul Williams early works. It's rough in some spots but you can see the talent that he had for rhyme even in his younger years.

[Seven · Rating 5 out of 5]

EVERYTHING HE HAS WRITTEN IS BEAUTIFUL!!!

[Caroline Fontenot · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not near as good as the other two

[Nancy F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trippy poetry, prose, spoken word. Contempo