First establishing himself as an influential poet, then an award-winning screenwriter/actor, Saul Williams then went on to become an MC. His approach to MCing, though, wasn't exactly in line with the traditional school of hip hop. His rhymes weren't really rhymes, but rather his poetry delivered in a frenzied, spoken word manner that was more rhythmic than alliterate. Musically, Williams has been breaking ground since his debut album, Amethyst Rock Star,  which was released in 2001 and executive produced by Rick Rubin. This self-titled 2004 follow-up furthered his cause and featured guests like Serj Tankian, Zach de la Roca and members of The Mars Volta.