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“What excites me about Barack Obama — about all of us right now — is that we’re at an age [when] all of us are essentially enthused with playing our part[s],” Williams says. “Barack has found the courage within himself [and] within this lifetime, which is no more than I would ask of myself or anybody that I know black or white.”
Known for the politically charged, aggressive sound best showcased on the recent disc, The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Stardust!, Williams understands that he might be hard for some people to take. “I ventilate a lot of my anger through my music,” he says jokingly. “In life, I’m really not that angry at all. You’d be surprised …”
Williams is proud to have been accompanied by his daughter during his latest nationwide tour. He insists that the emergence of a major black political figure helps in the process of raising a child. “Until Barack, the big hero we had was like Kanye and his first album’s called ironically — the The College Dropout,” he says. “It’s great that we have someone who’s not a college dropout [for the kids to look up to].”
“I feel like so many of us black men right now are like, ‘… I’ve got to step my game up,’ ” It’s a great time to be alive, [a] great time to acknowledge that which is positive and stop selling ourselves short,” Williams concludes.
–gavin philip godfrey
