''Amethyst Rock Star'' is the debut solo studio album by

Saul Williams Saul Stacey Williams (born February 29, 1972) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, musician, poet, writer, and actor. He is known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop, and for his lead roles in the 1998 independent film ''Slam'' ...

. It was released by American Recordings in 2001. It peaked at number 135 on the

French Albums Chart French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...

Critical reception

Steve Kurutz of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

gave the album 1.5 stars out of 5, saying: "Some of the language is downright laughable (see the trite themes of 'Fearless' for example) in any context, and the rest is mediocre at best." Kitty Empire of ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' gave the album 3.5 stars out of 5, calling it "an ambitious collision of rock, hip-hop and spoken word, all united by a refusal to conform to the conventions of any of them."

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes. Musicians *

– vocals, co–production, arrangement *

Rick Rubin Frederick Jay Rubin (; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is the co-founder (alongside Russell Simmons) of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popula ...

– production * Musa Bailey – additional production (2), additional programming, turntables *

Krust Kirk Thompson (born 26 July 1968), better known by his stage name Krust, is an English drum and bass producer, DJ and co-owner of the Full Cycle record label. Beyond his roles in the music industry, Thompson is also responsible for two business ...

– additional production (9) *

Esthero Esthero ( ; born Jenny-Bea Englishman on December 23, 1978 in Stratford, Ontario) is a Canadian singer-songwriter who lives in Los Angeles, California. The name ''Esthero'' refers both to the singer and formerly to the two-person team of herself ...

– vocals (4) *

Chad Smith Chad Gaylord Smith (born October 25, 1961) is an American musician who has been the drummer of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers since 1988. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Smith is also the drummer of the h ...

– drums (7) * Jerome Jordan – guitar, backing vocals * Maximina Juson – bass guitar * Maryam Blacksher – viola * Nioka Workman – cello * Kwame Brandt-Pierce – keyboards * Chris Eddleton – drums * Greg Gordon – recording *

Russell Elevado Russell Elevado (born 1966 in the Philippines) is a recording engineer and record producer based in New York City. Accolades Russell Elevado has a catalog of 50 full albums from the over 100 albums in his discography. Elevado earned a Grammy A ...

– recording, mixing Technical personnel * Marcia Jones – visual art * Michael Crivello – visual art * Brandy Flower – graphic design * Michele Miller – photography * B+ – photography * Mei Lei – journals * Dorothy E. Wilcox – penpal * Lindsay Chase – coordination

Charts

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 2001 debut albums Saul Williams albums Albums produced by Rick Rubin American Recordings (record label) albums