Saul Williams

Born in Newburgh, New York, Saul Williams is an American rapper, poet, writer, musician and actor. He studied acting and philosophy at Morehouse College and earned an MFA from New York University, where he became part of the city's cafe poetry scene. In 1996 he won the Grand Slam Champion title at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. He took the lead in the independent film Slam (1998), which he also wrote, and the film won the Sundance Festival Grand Jury Prize and the Cannes Camera D'Or. He released Amethyst Rock Star with producer Rick Rubin in 2001, and his spoken word poetry album received a Grammy nomination. On stage, he led the Broadway musical Holler If Ya Hear Me in 2014. His performance in Akilla's Escape (2020) earned a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Actor in 2021, and he played a preacher in Sinners (2025). He wrote and co-directed Neptune Frost, which premiered at Cannes Directors' Fortnight in 2021.