Gil Scott-Heron dies

CiaranMT

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

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.

irishtimes.com

Bluefoam

I go to news sites for news. This is a discussion forum. Please, don't just repost news articles, without any comment.

BTW, Gil Scott was genius. RIP.

CiaranMT

Bully for you. I thought that this would be of interest to the forum, so I posted it. Others might not do the same as you.

I didn't comment, because I haven't an opinion of the man, but thought others may do.

RIP.

JimiWonderDoor 92

I'd like to thank the OP for bringing this to attention. It's just a shame he won't get the billing he deserves in the news reports.

Last week Bob Dylan - a pioneer of conscious music - was 70. Gil Scott has been dubbed the 'Black Bob Dylan', and always spoke when he saw wrong, and unlike Dylan, he supported the Palestinians by boycotting a scheduled show in Israel.

He was more than just Godfather of Hip Hop (though Last Poets were even earlier), he was an artist in his own right.

And Kanye isn't someone whos opinion I'd respect. But the likes of Mos Def do feel his influence. When hip Hop became embarrassing and denigrated into materialistic nonsense and violence, Gil kept ploughing on with his message.

He spoke up when others did not. Free Nelson Mandela, by the Specials was released in 84 or 85, yet Gil Scott was singing the R&B classic 'Johannesburg' ten years earlier.

The ghetto tale of 'The Bottle', 'Lady day & John Coltrane', ' Revolution Will Not be Televised' are easy listening for an introduction. If you listen to 'B-movie' you could hear how incisive he was. Saying things about Reagan and a failed democracy when political analysts avoided it.

He consciously avoided fame so you might be surprised when you hear the gems that none of your friends are familiar with. As musically sophisticated, and probably more intelligent than the average musician, he deserves to be remembered.

RIP Gil Scott Heron

Hugh Cream

His father was the first black player to play for celtic.

iamstop

Hugh Cream wrote: »

His father was the first black player to play for celtic.

Really! :eek:

Cool. I've been a fan for about 10 years now. It's kinda strange but when I first started listening to him I assumed he was dead already, then I heard he was making a come back and I thought that was awesome, even got to see him perform.
It was very sad when I heard he passed, but really glad I got to witness the legend first hand.