Rap/Hip-Hop Musician/Poet Gil Scott-Heron Has Died | Photos | Tracks | Videos

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/05/27/us/AP-US-Obit-Gil-Scott-Heron.html?_r...

The New York Times...

May 27, 2011
Gil Scott-Heron, Spoken-Word Musician, Dies at 62
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK (AP) — Long before Public Enemy urged the need to "Fight the Power" or N.W.A. offered a crude rebuke of the police, Gil-Scott Heron was articulating the rage and the disillusionment of the black masses through song and spoken word.

Scott-Heron, widely considered one of the godfathers of rap with his piercing social and political prose laid against the backdrop of minimalist percussion, flute and other instrumentation, died on Friday at age 62. His was a life full of groundbreaking, revolutionary music and personal turmoil that included a battle with crack cocaine and stints behind bars in his later years.

Musician and singer Michael Franti, who also is known for work that has examined racial and social injustices, perhaps summed up the dichotomy of Scott-Heron in a statement Saturday that described him as "a genius and a junkie."

"The first time I met him in San Francisco in 1991 while working as a doorman at the Kennel Klub, my heart was broken to see a hero of mine barely able to make it to the stage, but when he got there he was clear as crystal while singing and dropping knowledge bombs in his between song banter," said Franti, who described himself as a longtime friend. "His view of the world was so sad and yet so inspiring."

Scott-Heron was known for work that reflected the fury of black America in the post-civil rights era and spoke to the social and political disparities in the country. His songs often had incendiary titles — "Home is Where the Hatred Is" or "Whitey on the Moon" — and through spoken word and song he tapped the frustration of the masses.

He came to prominence in the 1970s as black America was grappling with the violent losses of some of its most promising leaders and what seemed to many to be the broken promises of the civil rights movement.

"It's winter in America, and all of the healers have been killed or been betrayed," lamented Scott-Heron in the song "Winter in America."

Scott-Heron recorded the song that would make him famous, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," which critiqued mass media, for the album "125th and Lenox" in Harlem in the 1970s. He followed up that recording with more than a dozen albums, collaborating mostly with musician Brian Jackson.

Though he was never a mainstream artist, he was an influential voice — so much so that his music was considered to be a precursor of rap and he influenced generations of hip-hop artists that would follow. When asked, however, he typically downplayed his integral role in the foundation of the genre.

"If there was any individual initiative that I was responsible for it might have been that there was music in certain poems of mine, with complete progression and repeating 'hooks,' which made them more like songs than just recitations with percussion," he wrote in the introduction to his 1990 collection of poems, "Now and Then."

In later years, he would become known more for his battle with drugs such as crack cocaine than his music. His addiction led to stints in jail and a general decline: In a 2008 interview with New York magazine, he said he had been living with HIV for years, but he still continued to perform and put out music; his last album, which came out this year, was a collaboration with artist Jamie xx, "We're Still Here," a reworking of Scott-Heron's acclaimed "I'm New Here," which was released in 2010.

He also was still smoking crack, as detailed in a New Yorker article last year.

"Ten to fifteen minutes of this, I don't have pain," he said. "I could have had an operation a few years ago, but there was an 8 percent chance of paralysis. I tried the painkillers, but after a couple of weeks I felt like a piece of furniture. It makes you feel like you don't want to do anything. This I can quit anytime I'm ready."

He referred to his signature mix of percussion, politics and performed poetry as bluesology or Third World music. But then he said it was simply "black music or black American music."

"Because black Americans are now a tremendously diverse essence of all the places we've come from and the music and rhythms we brought with us," he wrote.

Even those who may have never heard of Scott-Heron's name nevertheless knew his music. His influence on generations of rappers has been demonstrated through sampling of his recordings by artists, from Common to Mos Def to Tupac Shakur. Kanye West closes out the last track of his latest album with a long excerpt of Scott-Heron's "Who Will Survive in America."

Throughout his musical career, he took on political issues of his time, including apartheid in South Africa and nuclear arms. He had been shaped by the politics of the 1960s and black literature, especially the Harlem Renaissance.

Scott-Heron was born in Chicago on April 1, 1949. He was raised in Jackson, Tenn., and in New York before attending college at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Before turning to music, he was a novelist, at age 19, with the publication of "The Vulture," a murder mystery.

He also was the author of "The Nigger Factory," a social satire.

His final works continued his biting social commentary. "I'm New Here" included songs with titles such as "Me and the Devil" and "New York Is Killing Me."

In a 2010 interview with Fader magazine, Scott-Heron admitted he "could have been a better person. That's why you keep working on it."

"If we meet somebody who has never made a mistake, let's help them start a religion. Until then, we're just going to meet other humans and help to make each other better."

http://www.thenation.com/blog/161021/gil-scott-heron%E2%80%94poet-musician-socia...

The Nation...

Gil Scott-Heron—Poet, Musician, Social Critic—Dies at 62
Greg Mitchell
May 28, 2011

Sad to say, it wasn't exactly a shock to read last night about the passing of poet, songwriter and social critic Gil Scott-Heron at the age of 62. His struggles with drugs and illness and the law in recent years have been well documented. Still, one should reflect on his contributions, mainly during the 1970s.

I knew Gil a little. When I was senior editor at Crawdaddy -- for most of the 1970s -- I convinced Gil to become an occasional columnist. He was well-known, in certain circles, for his "The Revolution WIll Not Be Televised" and for a later cult hit "The Bottle" and excellent album Winter in America from which it emerged, but he was hardly a commercial superstar. Crawdaddy never cared about that and was always eager to promote any kind of lefty musician. His antinuclear epic "We Almost Lost Detroit" remains relevant to this day (I linked to it here after the Fukushima disaster this year).

I only met Gil a couple of time, including once backstage at a Central Park concert where I picked up a column (it seemed the only way I'd ever get it). But we chatted on the phone a few times, again, often surrounding an overdue piece. He was a bright and engaging guy, and about to go a little more mainstream with his song "Johannesburg" -- which he wrote about for Crawdaddy (if memory serves, it was based on his trip there, with Mandela a long way from being freed) and gave us the lyrics before the single came out. "Hey brother have you heard the word -- Johannesburg!"

Anyway, here are a few key YouTube songs by GIl, via the Common Dreams site. R.I.P. at last , Gil.

[Click on link to view YouTube songs]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2011/05/gil-scott-heron-dies-at-62-godfat...

Los Angeles Times...

Ministry of Gossip

Gil Scott-Heron dies at 62; 'godfather of rap' receives Twitter tributes from Eminem, Snoop Dogg and more

May 28, 2011 | 12:29 pm

Gil Scott-Heron received an outpouring of love on Twitter after news spread that the influential poet and musician had passed away.

The 62-year-old was best known for 1960s and '70s recordings such as “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” about inner-city life and the media, and his influence on later artists earned him the nickname “godfather of rap.” He'd made a bit of a comeback in 2009 with “I’m New Here.”

Eminem was among the artists to recognize his inspiration, tweeting, “RIP Gil Scott-Heron. He influenced all of hip-hop,” while Usher paid tribute to the singer’s “Revolution,” writing, “The revolution will be live!!”

Chuck D shared the sentiment, “we do what we do and how we do because of you. And to those that don't know tip your hat with a hand over your heart & recognize.”

Ghostface Killah asked everyone to “Salute Mr. Gil Scott-Heron for his wisdom and poetry!” adding, “May he Rest in Paradise.”

Sean “Diddy” Combs and Snoop Dogg kept it simple. Combs wrote, “RIP Gil Scot-Heron,” while Snoop posted, “#rip to 1 of tha greats gil scott heron.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/arts/music/gil-scott-heron-voice-of-black-cult...
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2011/05/28/obituaries/28scott-heron_337/28sc...

The revolution will not make you look five pounds thinner, because the revolution will not be televised, brother.

During the 1970s, Mr. Scott-Heron was seen as a prodigy with significant potential, although he never achieved more than cult popularity. He recorded 13 albums from 1970 to 1982, and was one of the first acts that the music executive Clive Davis signed after starting Arista Records in 1974. In 1979, Mr. Scott-Heron performed at Musicians United for Safe Energy’s “No Nukes” benefit concerts at Madison Square Garden, and in 1985, he appeared on the all-star anti-apartheid album “Sun City.”

But by the mid-1980s, Mr. Scott-Heron had begun to fade, and his recording output slowed to a trickle. In later years, he struggled publicly with addiction. Since 2001, Mr. Scott-Heron had been convicted twice for cocaine possession, and he served a sentence at Rikers Island in New York for parole violation.

Commentators sometimes used Mr. Scott-Heron’s plight as an example of the harshness of New York’s drug laws. Yet his friends were also horrified by his descent. In interviews Mr. Scott-Heron often dodged questions about drugs, but the writer of the New Yorker profile reported witnessing Mr. Scott-Heron’s crack smoking and being so troubled by his own ravaged physical appearance that he avoided mirrors. “Ten to 15 minutes of this, I don’t have pain,” Mr. Scott-Heron said in the article, as he lighted a glass crack pipe.

That image seemed to contrast tragically with Mr. Scott-Heron’s legacy as someone who had once so trenchantly mocked the psychology of addiction. “You keep sayin’ kick it, quit it, kick it quit it!” he said in his 1971 song “Home Is Where the Hatred Is.” “God, did you ever try to turn your sick soul inside out so that the world could watch you die?”

I love him ... he was great.
The revolution will not be televised
http://artcell.tumblr.com

http://www.bet.com/news/music/2011/05/28/gil-scott-heron-dies-at-62.html

BET...

Gil Scott-Heron Dies At 62

The influential poet/musician inspired the hip hop generation.
By BET-Staff
Posted: 05/28/2011 12:39 AM EDT

Gil Scott Heron, “the godfather of rap,” died Friday evening at a New York City hospital. A publicist for the 62-year-old poet, musician and author made the announcement via Twitter.

Scott-Heron best know for his 1974 compilation album, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, is credited with being an inspiration for rap music. In the late 1960s and 1970 the Chicago native gained notoriety by setting his poetry to the sounds of rhythmic jazz music. The socially conscious message and infectious beats would influence an ensuing generation of wordsmiths who would contribute to the birth of hip-hop.

The poet’s work has been sampled by hip hop luminaries like Dr. Dre, Common and Mos Def. More recently, Kanye West sampled Scott-Heron's voice for his 2010 album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, on the track “Who Will Survive In America.”

The hip hop community took to Twitter to express their condolence for the admired poet. Brooklyn rapper Taib Kweli who has worked with Scott-Heron in the past tweeted, “wow. The rest of my night going to listen to Gil Scott Heron. We love you brother. We will miss you. RIP.”

http://www.freep.com/article/20110528/FROMPRINT08/105280313/Musician-poet-Scott-...

Detroit Free Press...

Musician, poet Scott-Heron dies
May 28, 2011

Poet and musician Gil Scott-Heron died Friday at age 62 in New York, NPR reported, citing his book publisher.

He is best known for his spoken-word piece "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," but he also recorded the seminal "We Almost Lost Detroit." He is considered a progenitor of hip-hop and inspired a generation of rappers with his no-nonsense street poetry.

Scott's first record was 1970's "Small Talk at 125th and Lenox," and he continued to release albums until 1982. He didn't return to the studio until 1994, for "Spirits." On that record, "Scott-Heron cautions the hip-hop generation that arose in his absence to use its newfound power responsibly," NPR said.

A cause of death was not immediately reported.

Scott-Heron had struggled with substance abuse and was jailed in the 2000s for cocaine possession. His 2010 album, "I'm New Here," was released to praise from critics.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118037740

Variety...

Posted: Fri., May. 27, 2011, 10:55pm PT
Musician Gil Scott-Heron dies at 62

By Variety Staff

Musician and poet Gil Scott-Heron, whose biting and lyrical fusion of verse and rhythm made him a formidable forefather of rap and hip-hop, died Friday in New York. He was 62.

Friend Doris C. Nolan told the Associated Press that Scott-Heron died at St. Luke's Hospital in Manhattan after becoming ill upon his return from Europe. A cause of death has not been determined.

Scott-Heron's fiery fusion of soul, jazz and free-flowing versification , inspired by such black literary precursors as poet Langston Hughes - led to his recognition as one of the most forward-looking black musicians of the '70s. Best-known for his mordant critique of race in the media ''The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,'' he essayed such topical concerns as nuclear power, apartheid and Ronald Reagan's presidency in his pointed work.

His career was derailed in the new millennium by a deepening addiction to crack cocaine, which led to more than one drug conviction. However, Scott-Heron briefly appeared to be back on track in 2010 when he issued his first album in 16 years, ''I'm New Here.''

Scott-Heron's music was championed and sampled by a host of latter-day hip-hop stars, most prominently by Kanye West, whose 2010 album ''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'' concluded with a track that employed a lengthy sample of his work.

Born in Chicago and raised in Tennessee, Scott-Heron went to high school in the Bronx before attending the progressive Fieldston School (on a full scholarship) and Lincoln U., where he began his longtime collaboration with keyboardist-flautist Brian Jackson.

After penning two novels, Scott-Heron embarked on a musical career with his live debut album ''Small Talk at 125th and Lenox'' (1970) for producer Bob Thiele's Flying Dutchman label. The album led off with the original version of the caustic ''The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.'' He re-cut the track for his studio bow ''Pieces of a Man'' (1971). Scott-Heron was viewed as a vanguard figure in the mold of the Last Poets and the Watts Prophets, who similarly melded poetry and contemporary RandB.

After a third Flying Dutchman release, he issued ''Winter in America'' (1974), his first formal collaboration with Brian Jackson. The pair was subsequently signed to Arista Records, and their top-30 album ''The First Minute of a New Day'' (1975) inaugurated a run of nine chart albums through 1982.

During his tenure on Arista, Scott-Heron's biggest commercial efforts were the anti-apartheid single ''Johannesburg'' (No. 29, 1975) and ''Angel Dust'' (No. 15, 1978), a somber look at the horrors of the drug PCP. In 1979, he appeared at the No Nukes concert at Madison Square Garden; his song ''We Almost Lost Detroit,'' about a narrowly averted nuclear disaster, was featured on the live album drawn from the show.

Scott-Heron and Jackson ended their partnership in 1980, and Scott-Heron recorded with diminishing commercial returns before being dropped by Arista in 1985. A one-off album for TVT Records, ''Spirits,'' would be his last for more than a decade and a half.

While his deepening romance with crack led to a pair of drug convictions in the new millennium and another 2007 possession arrest, Scott-Heron continued to be lionized by such prominent rap figures as West, Mos Def, Grand Puba, Dr. Dre and MF Doom.

After years of studio inactivity and sporadic live appearances, he reappeared in 2010 with ''I'm New Here,'' issued by the U.K. indie label XL, whose owner Richard Russell recorded the set over the course of three years.

While the collection, which contained a chilling track inspired by Robert Johnson's ''Me and the Devil Blues,'' stirred renewed interest in Scott-Heron and his music, the musician continued to war with his demons. An August profile by Alec Wilkinson in the New Yorker depicted Scott-Heron openly smoking crack during one interview session.

http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE74R02Y20110528

Reuters Africa...

Gil Scott-Heron, credited with inspiring rap, dies

Sat May 28, 2011 8:31am GMT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Gil Scott-Heron, a U.S. poet and songwriter credited with helping inspire the development of rap music, has died at age 62, according to media reports on Saturday.

Scott-Heron died on Friday at a New York hospital, National Public Radio said, citing his book publisher. He fell ill after returning from a trip to Europe, news reports said.

The Chicago-born artist was called the "Godfather of Rap", a term he disliked, for his groundbreaking spoken-word performances set to music, including "The Revolution Will Not be Televised" in the early 1970s.

He recorded more than a dozen albums and was hailed as an important influence by hip-hop performers such as Kanye West. Considered a voice of African-American activism, Scott-Heron was also a musical critic of apartheid and nuclear power.

After serving a prison sentence for drug possession, Scott-Heron released an acclaimed album last year, "I'm New Here".

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandjazzmusic/8543417/Gil-Scott-Hero...

The Telegraph (London)...

Gil Scott-Heron, the 'Godfather of Rap' behind The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, dies
Gil Scott-Heron, the musician and poet who wrote The Revolution Will Not Be Televised and was seen by many as “the Godfather of Rap”, has died aged 62.

By Laura Donnelly 8:13AM BST 28 May 2011

Comment

The US artist died in a New York hospital on Friday, after becoming sick on returning from a European trip.

His style melded jazz, blues political expression and spoken-word poetry on songs such as The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, which critiqued mass media in the 1970s.

His influence on generations of rappers and hip-hop artists has been demonstrated through sampling of his recordings by artists, including Kanye West.

Although Scott-Heron was often called the Godfather of Rap, it was a title he rejected.

“It might have been that there was music in certain poems of mine, with complete progression and repeating 'hooks’ which made them more like songs than just recitations with percussion,” he wrote, in an introduction to a collection of poems, in 1990.

Instead, he referred to his work as “bluesology” or “black American music”.

Scott-Heron’s most recent album I’m New Here, released last year, was widely acclaimed and brought him to the attention of a new generation. As news of his death was announced, modern artists including Chuck D of Public Enemy paid tributes.

Throughout his musical career, the poet and musician took on political issues of his time, including apartheid in South Africa, and nuclear arms. Before turning to music, he was a novelist, who published a murder mystery, called The Vulture, at the age of just 19.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2011/05/gil-scott-heron-dies.html

Los Angeles Times...

Pop & Hiss
The L.A. Times music blog

Gil Scott-Heron dies; influential poet/musician helped inspire rap

May 27, 2011 | 7:49 pm

Getprev Gil Scott-Heron, whose late 1960s and early '70s poetry set to rhythmic jazz music, especially "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," was one of the most important and obvious inspirations for rap music, has died, according to his British publisher.

The poet and musician, who had long struggled with drug addiction, had in the past two years returned into the public eye with an acclaimed solo recording, "I'm New Here," and a follow-up remix album done by Jamie xx of the British group the XX. Scott-Heron was 62.

Last year the New Yorker published a reverent but heartbreaking profile of Scott-Heron by Alec Wilkinson. Written after Scott-Heron had recorded "I'm New Here" but after he had relapsed and was smoking crack openly in front of the reporter, the story traced his rise, his fall and his influence.

In an interview for the feature, bassist Ron Carter, who played on "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," described Scott-Heron's allure: "He wasn't a great singer, but with that voice, if he had whispered it would have been dynamic. It was a voice like you would have for Shakespeare."

In the same story, which is behind a paywall here, rapper Chuck D. discusses the role Scott-Heron played in the birth of rap: "You can go into the beat poets and [Allen] Ginsberg and [Bob] Dylan, but Gil Scott-Heron is the manifestation of the modern world. He and the Last Poets set the stage for everyone else. In what way necessary? Well, if you try and make pancakes and you ain't got the water, the milk or the eggs, you're trying to do something you can't. In combining music with the word, from the voice on down, you follow the template he laid out. His rapping is rhythmic. Some of it's songs. It's punchy, and all those qualities are still used today."

Pop & Hiss will have more on Gil Scott-Heron's legacy, and The Times will have a full obituary in Sunday's paper.

http://drownedinsound.com/news/4142763-rip-gil-scott-heron--1949-2011-tributes-c...

Drowned in Sound...

RIP Gil Scott-Heron: 1949-2011 - Tributes Compiled

by Sean Adams ▾ 08:12 May 28th, 2011

This morning, DiS is waking up to our Twitter feed and Facebook dashboard full of tributes to the legendary poet, author, activist and one of the key progenitors of hip-hop/rap/almost-all-political-music Gil Scott-Heron.

Details are still thin on the ground but what we do know is that the 62 year-old's death was confirmed to reporters by his book publisher and XL Recordings. Reports suggest that he died on Friday afternoon at St. Luke's Hospital in New York after becoming sick upon returning from a recent European trip.

This is clearly a huge loss to the world of music, regardless of whether you're a huge fan or only aware of his incendiary track 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised' or even if you only know him from his most recent critically acclaimed album I'm New Here (more recently remixed by Jamie xx, We're New Here) or from shout-outs in songs such as LCD Soundsystem's 'Losing My Edge' or sampled on tracks by Common, The Game, Tupac Shakur or the closing track on Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

I could attempt to sum up his career for those who don't know who he is but instead I'll point you to this brilliant New Yorker feature (found via Longform.org), as well as this piece by the New York Times, the lyrics to The Revolution Will Not be Televised, and this BBC documentary.

Here are some reactions and tributes we've seen to the great man so far, and we'll try to update this through the day as more tributes trickle in:

"RIP Gil Scott-Heron, he influenced all of hip-hop." - Eminem

"RIP GSH,,and we do what we do and who we do because of you and to those that don't know, tip your hat with a hand over your heart & recognize." - Chuck D, Public Enemy

"Can't find the right words to properly honour the late great Gil Scott-Heron so i'll just say thank you. GSH RIP." - Zane Lowe, BBC Radio 1

"WE ALMOST LOST DETROIT" A chilling riff on partial-meltdown of Fermi1 nuke powerplant 30 mi fr Detroit on 10/5/66" - Michael Moore, Activist (song below)

"RIP Gil Scott Heron who mirrored ugliness w beauty audacity & valor..." - Sarah Silverman, Comedian

"Awful news. RIP Gil Scott Heron. One of modern music's greatest poets." - Lauren Laverne, BBC 6Music

"Tragic news.. Gil Scott-Heron has passed away.. RIP to a profoundly beautiful creative soul" - Mary Anne Hobbs

"Fuck '@iamdiddy: RIP Gil Scot-Heron'" - Jack from Friendly Fires

"To Gil Scott-Heron. We Almost Lost Detroit, Winter in America & The Revolution Will Not be Televised are all masterpieces." - Chris Power, DiS contributor

"That's crazy my album came out last year that got Gil Scott-Heron on the hook and today he passed." - Slim Thug

Click on above link to check for more tributes.

http://www.csindy.com/colorado/harlem-renaissance/Content?oid=1353159

Colorado Springs Independent...

INTERVIEW

APRIL 30 2009

Harlem renaissance
Gil Scott-Heron's never let government interference stop his personal evolution
by Bill Forman

Hip-hop godfather Gil Scott-Heron: 'We've all been through something of a nightmare.'

"The revolution will not be right back after a message about a white tornado, white lightning or white people," intoned Gil Scott-Heron in the early '70s, nearly two decades before Public Enemy put political hip-hop on the map with "Fight the Power." Widely heralded as "the godfather of rap," the Johns Hopkins University graduate has gone on to create a powerful legacy as both musician and poet, novelist and agitator.

What's sometimes forgotten, though, is the degree to which his music also conveys a razor-sharp wit as well as a romantic sensibility that's rarely found in the realm of politics. (If there's a more heartbreakingly beautiful song than 1994's "Give Her a Call," I'd like to hear it.)

"If you wanted to classify us as political, that depended on your point of view more so than ours," says Scott-Heron in the deeply soulful voice that graces his records. "We like to think that people look at us as more well-rounded than just political. From the time we started with 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised' — which we considered satire — we thought we were pretty funny and had some pretty good lines in there. But everybody else looked at it as political, and we did too after a while."

And not without reason. Scott-Heron's rise to fame came at a time when Richard Nixon was drafting his enemies list and J. Edgar Hoover was continuing to expand domestic spying on civil rights activists.

"We were under surveillance for quite a while, and I think everybody knew it," claims the Chicago-born artist, who has lived in Harlem since 1996. "We were being watched to see what we would do. And we were uncomfortable at the time, because we had [Black Panther] Bilal Sunni Ali and other people in the band who had been politically active in different directions, and we felt as though we had a right to be that way."

Unlike many of the rappers for whom he paved the way, Scott-Heron doesn't like to talk about his eventual run-ins with the law. He reportedly pled guilty to drug-use charges in 2001, and those problems continued throughout the decade. Asked how it felt to be going through all that while George W. Bush and Dick Cheney were occupying the White House, Scott-Heron answers the question from a broader perspective.

"I think that everybody went through it," he says. "I mean, whether they went through it to the degree that I did, I don't know. But I'm saying, we've all been through something of a nightmare."

But these days, Scott-Heron's life appears to be on a long-awaited upswing: He shared a bill with Mos Def at Carnegie Hall last summer and has just signed to XL Recordings, home of the White Stripes and M.I.A. He's currently recording in Manhattan's Clinton Studio, working on what will be his first studio album in more than a decade.

Even in the realm of politics, Scott-Heron has become cautiously optimistic: "The first thing that Obama has to do is pull us out of this hole," says the man whose mournful "Winter in America" sounds as chilling today as it did decades ago. "We're always looking forward to spring, but we're looking with a brand-new attitude now."

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=690710&publicationSubCategory...

PhilStar...

Spoken-word musician Gil Scott-Heron dies in NYC
(philstar.com) Updated May 28, 2011 02:49 PM

NEW YORK (AP) -

Musician Gil Scott-Heron, who helped lay the groundwork for rap by fusing minimalistic percussion, political expression and spoken-word poetry on songs such as "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," died Friday at age 62.

A friend, Doris C. Nolan, who answered the telephone listed for his Manhattan recording company, said he died in the afternoon at St. Luke's Hospital after becoming sick upon returning from a European trip.

"We're all sort of shattered," she said.

Scott-Heron's influence on rap was such that he sometimes was referred to as the Godfather of Rap, a title he rejected.

"If there was any individual initiative that I was responsible for it might have been that there was music in certain poems of mine, with complete progression and repeating 'hooks,' which made them more like songs than just recitations with percussion," he wrote in the introduction to his 1990 collection of poems, "Now and Then."

He referred to his signature mix of percussion, politics and performed poetry as bluesology or Third World music. But then he said it was simply "black music or black American music."

"Because Black Americans are now a tremendously diverse essence of all the places we've come from and the music and rhythms we brought with us," he wrote.

Nevertheless, his influence on generations of rappers has been demonstrated through sampling of his recordings by artists, including Kanye West.

Scott-Heron recorded the song that would make him famous, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," which critiqued mass media, for the album "125th and Lenox" in Harlem in the 1970s. He followed up that recording with more than a dozen albums, initially collaborating with musician Brian Jackson. His most recent album was "I'm New Here," which he began recording in 2007 and was released in 2010.

Throughout his musical career, he took on political issues of his time, including apartheid in South Africa and nuclear arms. He had been shaped by the politics of the 1960s and the black literature, especially of the Harlem Renaissance.

Scott-Heron was born in Chicago on April 1, 1949. He was raised in Jackson, Tennessee, and in New York before attending college at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.

Before turning to music, he was a novelist, at age 19, with the publication of "The Vulture," a murder mystery.

He also was the author of "The Nigger Factory," a social satire.

http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/2011/05/28/18205406-wenn-story.html?cid=rssentertainme...

Jam! Showbiz Music...

Soul giant Gil Scott-Heron dies
By WENN.COM

Bookmark and Share

Singer-songwriter and poet Gil Scott-Heron was 62.

Legendary jazz and soul musician Gil Scott-Heron has died at the age of 62.

The iconic artist, poet and activist passed away in New York on Friday afternoon after falling sick following a trip to Europe.

Born in Chicago, Illinois to Jamaican soccer player Gilbert Heron and singer Bobbie Scott, the star spent his early years in Jackson, Tennessee before moving to the Big Apple with his mother following his parents' divorce.

He began his recording career in 1970 with his debut album Small Talk at 125th and Lenox, a disc containing songs about social and political topics of the time, including the spoken-word piece The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. The track, which was regularly used for black power campaigns, is credited with influencing some of the biggest names in hip-hop, including rappers Common, Talib Kweli, Mos Def and Kanye West, who sampled Scott-Heron on his latest, critically-acclaimed album My Beautiful Twisted Dark Fantasy.

His other notable works include 1971 release Pieces of a Man and 1974's Winter in America, projects which saw him reteam with his long-time collaborator, pianist Brian Johnson.

Scott-Heron took a lengthy hiatus in the 1980s before making a comeback in 1994 with Spirits. He took another long break before releasing 2010's I'm New Here, his first new album in 16 years.

He also published five books of poetry and musings over the years, while he was thought to be putting the final touches to his next book, The Last Holiday, at the time of his death.

The artist, who was reported to be HIV positive, struggled with drug abuse in the latter part of his life and served time behind bars for cocaine possession in 2001. He spent the next few years in and out of jail as he battled his personal demons.

Tributes have poured in for the late musician with a host of big names taking to Twitter.com to remember Scott-Heron.

R&B star Usher writes, "I just learned of the lost of a very important poet...R.I.P. Gil Scott-Heron. The revolution will be live!!", while rapper Kweli states, "wow. The rest of my night I'm gonna listen to Gil Scot (sic) Heron. We love you brother. We will miss you. RIP."

The Roots drummer Ahmir '?uestlove' Thompson simply tweets, "Damn Gil. Rip", and singer/DJ Solange Knowles writes, "Gil Scott-Heron. U (sic) will be missed and remembered."

WENN File Photo
http://storage.canoe.ca/v1/dynamic_resize/?src=http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/2011/05/28/gil2.jpg&size=256x192&quality=85

http://www.billboard.com/news/gil-scott-heron-dies-in-new-york-at-age-1005206782.../news/gil-scott-heron-dies-in-new-york-at-age-1005206782.story

Billboard...

Gil Scott-Heron Dies in New York at Age 62

by Associated Press | May 28, 2011 1:18 EDT

Gil Scott-Heron

Musician Gil Scott-Heron, who helped lay the groundwork for rap by fusing minimalistic percussion, political expression and spoken-word poetry on songs such as "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," died Friday at age 62.

A friend, Doris C. Nolan, who answered the telephone listed for his Manhattan recording company, said he died in the afternoon at St. Luke's Hospital after becoming sick upon returning from a European trip.

"We're all sort of shattered," she said.

Click on Link to Watch Video: Gil Scott-Heron's "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"

Scott-Heron's influence on rap was such that he sometimes was referred to as the Godfather of Rap, a title he rejected.

"If there was any individual initiative that I was responsible for it might have been that there was music in certain poems of mine, with complete progression and repeating `hooks,' which made them more like songs than just recitations with percussion," he wrote in the introduction to his 1990 collection of poems, "Now and Then."

He referred to his signature mix of percussion, politics and performed poetry as bluesology or Third World music. But then he said it was simply "black music or black American music."

"Because Black Americans are now a tremendously diverse essence of all the places we've come from and the music and rhythms we brought with us," he wrote.

Nevertheless, his influence on generations of rappers has been demonstrated through sampling of his recordings by artists, including Kanye West.

Scott-Heron recorded the song that would make him famous, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," which critiqued mass media, for the album "125th and Lenox" in Harlem in the 1970s. He followed up that recording with more than a dozen albums, initially collaborating with musician Brian Jackson. His most recent album was "I'm New Here," which he began recording in 2007 and was released in 2010.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13582880

BBC News...

28 May 2011 Last updated at 00:45 ET

US musician and poet Gil Scott-Heron dies at 62

Gil Scott-Heron Scott-Heron's last album - released last year - was widely acclaimed

US musician and poet Gil Scott-Heron has died aged 62, media reports, publicists and publishers have said.

The cause of Scott-Heron's death, in a New York hospital, is not clear.

Scott-Heron's material spanned soul, jazz, blues and the spoken word and his 1970s work heavily influenced the US hip-hop and rap scenes.

There was a strong political element to the Chicago-born artist's work; one of his most famous compositions was The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.
'Godfather of rap'

Scott-Heron's friend Doris Nolan said the musician had died at St Luke's Hospital on Friday afternoon, the Associated Press news agency reports.

She said Scott-Heron had become sick upon returning from a European trip.

Two recording companies later also carried reports that the musician had died.

Scott-Heron was often described as the godfather of rap.

However, the artist himself rejected this title.

"If there was any individual initiative that I was responsible for it might have been that there was music in certain poems of mine, with complete progression and repeating 'hooks', which made them more like songs than just recitations with percussion," Scott-Heron wrote in the introduction to his 1990 Now and Then collection of poems.

His most recent album I'm New Here - released last year - was widely acclaimed and brought him to the attention of a new generation.

Among the rappers immediately tweeting tributes were Talib Kweli and Chuck D of Public Enemy.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/gil-scottheron-dies-a...

The Independent...

Gil Scott-Heron dies aged 62

By Peter Cooney, Reuters

Saturday, 28 May 2011

Gil Scott-Heron performing at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in April 2010

GETTY

Photo: Gil Scott-Heron performing at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in April 2010

Gil Scott-Heron, the US poet and songwriter credited with helping inspire the development of rap music, has died at age 62.

Scott-Heron died yesterday at a New York hospital, National Public Radio said, citing his book publisher. He fell ill after returning from a trip to Europe, news reports said.

The Chicago-born artist was called the "Godfather of Rap", a term he disliked, for his groundbreaking spoken-word performances set to music, including "The Revolution Will Not be Televised" in the early 1970s.

He recorded more than a dozen albums and was hailed as an important influence by hip-hop performers such as Kanye West. Considered a voice of African-American activism, Scott-Heron was also a musical critic of apartheid and nuclear power.

After serving a prison sentence for drug possession, Scott-Heron released an acclaimed album last year, "I'm New Here".

http://pitchfork.com/news/42659-gil-scott-heron-rip/

Pitchfork...

Friday, May 27
Gil Scott-Heron R.I.P.

The influential singer-songwriter and poet was 62
Gil Scott-Heron R.I.P.

Photo by Mischa Richter

As confirmed by a publicist for his record label, Gil Scott-Heron, the singer-songwriter and poet, has died. He was 62.

Influential in R&B, spoken word, and hip-hop, Scott-Heron had a strong run of albums in the 1970s. He wrote the song "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" and the phrase entered the cultural lexicon after appearing on his 1970 album Small Talk at 125th & Lennox. Scott-Heron later battled drug problems and was incarcerated for a period during the 2000s, but he returned to music in 2010 and released the acclaimed I'm New Here followed by the Jamie xx collaboration We're New Here earlier this year.

Photo by Mischa Richter

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1391777/Revolution-Will-Not-Be-Televised...

Daily Mail...

Revolution Will Not Be Televised singer Gil Scott-Heron dies at 62

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 6:02 AM on 28th May 2011

Gil Scott-Heron, who had a hit with The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, has died in New York City at the age of 62.

Scott-Heron's mix of poetry, politics, jazz, blues and soul is widely credited as helping to shape hip-hop.

The spoken word soul performer, who was in his prime in the late 1960s and early 1970s, passed away on Friday. The cause of death has yet to be released.

A friend, Doris C. Nolan, confirmed that he died Friday afternoon at a hospital, saying that became sick after returning from a European trip.

Jamie Byng, Gil Scott-Heron’s publisher in the UK, released the information via Twitter.

He teweeted: 'Just heard the very sad news that my dear friend and one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met, the great Gil Scott-Heron, died today.'

Scott-Heron mixed minimalistic percussion and spoken-word performances that were loaded with politics.

He sometimes referred to his style as bluesology, calling himself a bluesician.
Looking frail: Scott-Heron performing in Britain in September of last year

He recorded more than a dozen albums and wrote a handful of books.

Scott-Heron is best known for the critically acclaimed “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” first recorded as a spoken-word piece for his album Small Talk at 125th and Lenox.

He also co-wrote and produced more than a dozen albums with jazz and funk legend Brian Jackson. The fusion of jazz, blues and soul in these albums is credited with influencing hip hop and neo soul.

Known as 'the godfather of rap,' Scott-Heron’s music was a mix of poetry and politics.

His lyrics, full of social and political themes, were often associated with black militant activism.

He performed at the No Nukes concerts, held in 1979 at Madison Square Garden.

The concerts were organised by a group called Musicians United for Safe Energy and were protesting the use of nuclear energy following the meltdown at Three Mile Island.

The group included singer-songwriters such as Jackson Browne, Graham Nash and Bonnie Raitt.

Scott-Heron’s song We Almost Lost Detroit, written about a previous accident at a nuclear power plant, is sampled on rapper Kanye West’s single The People.

His 2010 album, I’m New Here, was his first new studio release in 16 years.
The album’s remix, We’re New Here, featuring reworking by English music producer Jamiexx, was released earlier this year.

Scott-Heron battled an addiction to cocaine and other substances for most of his career and spent time in and out of jail on drug possession charges. He was HIV positive.

Rapper Mos Def said: 'He’s one of my heroes, an incredible source of energy, power, and truth in the world.'

Born in Chicago on April 1, 1949. He was raised in Jackson, Tennessee, maternal grandmother, Lillie Scott.

He moved to New York at the age of 13 when she died.

The first song on I'm New Here is titled On Coming From A Broken Home, which is an ode to Lillie.

Photo: Trailblazing style: Gil Scott-Heron, pictured in 1974, is credited with helping to shape hip-hop
Photograph Collection: Michael Ochs [EthicalVegan's Note: Phil Ochs' brother]

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1391777/Revolution-Will-Not-Be-Televised...

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.15330/title.rap-pioneer-gil-scot-heron-dea...

HIPHOP DX...

Rap Pioneer Gil Scot Heron Dead At 62 Years Old

by Jake Paine

posted May 27, 2011 at 9:23PM PDT

Rap Pioneer Gil Scot Heron Dead At 62 Years Old

The genius behind "The Revolution Will Be Televised" died on May 27, leaving a deep impact on impact, right down to his appearance on Kanye West's "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy."

Yesterday (May 27), iconic poet, author and activist Gil Scott-Heron was confirmed dead at 62 years of age. Information is still being released to the public, but Heron's caretakers verified the reports, along with music publisher Jamie Byng.

Within Hip Hop, Gil Scott-Heron is remembered for his influences on the art of rapping. Gil's 1971 song "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" has been influential on the culture, as well as interpolated by the likes of Common in his single, "The 6th Sense." Additionally, Heron's work has been sampled by Kanye West, who included the fellow Chicago, Illinois native on last year's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy album on "Who Will Survive In America." West's productions were also used as soundbeds on Heron's 2010 album, I'm New Here.

In his life, Gil Scott-Heron published five books and released over a dozen recordings. Last year, he appeared with Nas and Mos Def at several events.

At the time of his death, Gil Scott-Heron was said to be recording an album for XL Recordings.

http://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/music/159157/long-player-message-more-importa...

Otago Daily Times... 7 May 2011...

____________________________

Long player: Message more important than melody

By Jeff Harford on Sat, 7 May 2011
Long Player

On the release of Gil Scott-Heron's 1971 album Pieces of a Man, African-American monthly magazine Ebony summed up the artist thus: "He is a genius and he is beautiful".

Where to from there? Well, lest it be accused of hyperbole the publication went on to acknowledge Scott-Heron's strengths were as a poet rather than singer. Message was more important than melody, it said, the scraping at raw truth being mirrored in Scott-Heron's naive vocalising.

It's certainly true that the 22-year-old performer lacked the finesse of a Marvin Gaye or a Curtis Mayfield, but his singing on the album does carry its share of emotional weight and is dextrous enough to negotiate undulating backing arrangements led by pianist and long-time associate Brian Jackson.

Pain, anger and disillusionment are plainly evident in Scott-Heron's treatise on political and social issues of the times, as is hope in the album's more optimistic moments. It's an honest piece of work in every sense.

The album's most celebrated number is the sole track to feature Scott-Heron's more familiar spoken-word delivery. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised opens proceedings with a biting critique of the media and middle-class preoccupations, setting in place the template for every rap and hip-hop act to follow.

Swap out the much-sampled song-poem's references to Nixon and Natalie Wood with ones that cite Bush and Anne Hathaway, and the number would be as relevant today as it was when it first appeared on Scott-Heron's 1970 live LP Small Talk at 125th and Lennox.

But while Revolution is a masterful mix of satire and soothsaying, it stands alone and disconnected from the balance of the tracks.

All others find Scott-Heron in soulful mood and voice, working against a backdrop of mellow jazz-funk complete with fluttering flute and skittering drums.

Lady Day And John Coltrane and Home Is Where The Hatred Is are equally strong examples of the soul-poet's genius.

Pretty much how I remember him...

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/musician-gil-scott-heron-dies-192839

The Hollywood Reporter...

Musician Gil Scott-Heron Dies at 62
10:41 PM 5/27/2011 by THR staff

Several artists, including Kanye West, have cited Scott-Heron as an influence.

Influential musician and poet Gil Scott-Heron died Friday afternoon in New York, NPR reports. He was 62.

He is credited as one of the originators of hip-hop and is perhaps best known for the spoken-word track "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised."

Scott-Heron was born in Chicago on April 1, 1949, spending his formative years in Jackson, Tenn., attending DeWitt Clinton High School in New York City and studying at Lincoln University near Oxford, Pennsylvania.

During his time at Lincoln University, Scott-Heron formed the band Black & Blues with Brian Jackson. After taking time off from college, he penned a few novels, one of which, The Vulture, was well-received.

His first recording was 1970's album Small Talk at 125th and Lenox, which included a version of "Televised." Scott-Heron continued to record through the early 1980s before taking a break. He then released the 1994 album Spirits, which featured "Message to the Messengers." Scott-Heron's most recent album, 2010's I'm New Here, was well-received by critics.

During his career, Scott-Heron released more than a dozen studio albums, nine live recordings and nearly a dozen compilations.

Kanye West, who used a sample of Scott-Heron's voice on a track for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, is one of several artists who have cited Scott-Heron as an influence.

In addition to West, Aesop Rock, Talib Kweli and Common are just a few of the rappers who dove into the meaning of "Televised."

Scott-Heron dealt with substance abuse in the 2000s, spending time in jail for drug possession.

http://rapfix.mtv.com/2011/05/27/gil-scott-heron-has-passes-away/

MTV...

Legendary Poet And Musician Gil Scott-Heron Passes Away

Posted 1 hr ago by D.L. Chandler in Music News

Celebrated poet, musician and author Gil Scott-Heron passed away today at the age of 62 as a result of yet unknown causes. Scott-Heron’s death was reportedly confirmed by the legendary spoken word artist’s publisher Jamie Byng via Twitter with the tweet reading, “Just heard the very sad news that my dear friend and one of the most inspiring people I've ever met, the great Gil Scott-Heron, died today.”

Often regarded as one of the leaders and chief influences in the precursory stages of hip hop, Gil Scott-Heron helped to define a turbulent time for African-Americans and black militarism in the 1970s via his well-known works such as Pieces Of A Man and Winter In America. His politically charged poem and song “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” is perhaps Scott-Heron’s most notable work as the 1971 single from Pieces Of A Man has been sampled by hip hop artists and often quoted by many.

As news of Scott-Heron’s passing rippled through cyberspace, rap artists who no doubt saw the poet as a hero offered touching words in his memory. Talib Kweli mentioned several references to his connection to Scott-Heron and offered a loving tribute in a series of tweets from his Twitter account. “Wow. The rest of my night I'm gonna listen to Gil Scot Heron. We love you brother. We will miss you. RIP.” Talib went on to add, “I met Gil Scot Heron at SOBs in 1993, I went to see him perform. He completely influenced me as an artist.” A quick glance at Kweli’s account will reveal other loving anecdotes from the rapper.

Slaughterhouse rapper Joell Ortiz also tweeted his memories of Gil Scott-Heron. “Seen Gil Scott Heron at Joe's Pub when I was a kid. Prince was there,” remarked Ortiz. Producer Just Blaze could barely address the news via his Twitter account. “Terrible news to get while on stage. No one in my family died but gil scot was ... ah forget it. Gonna finish this show,” said the beat maker. Public Enemy front man Chuck D added, “RIP GSH..and we do what we do and how we do because of you.And to those that don't know tip your hat with a hand over your heart & recognize.” Chuck D also revealed via his Twitter account that he was to be featured on an upcoming project with Scott-Heron.

Gil Scott Heron’s 2010 album I’m New Here was released to critical acclaim and signaled a resurgence of art from the poet as his much publicized struggles with drug addiction and legal problems almost overshadowed his legacy. Scott-Heron leaves behind 15 studio albums, 11 compilation albums and 9 live recordings.

R.I.P. to the great Gil Scott-Heron. Your words will live on forever.

.