silverchild said:

Here's an informative documentary on this brilliant soldier who was for the people...

This man survived and challenged the system almost single-handedly. His words struck a chord for all times. His story needs to be heard by everyone.

Interesting documentary. I'd never seen this.

Thanks.

Gil Scott-Heron was prophetic, even to his last. He penned a perfect homegoing song for himself.

I was listening to this track during the "Arab Spring" and again thought he was prophetic.

Sorry if this is a repost, but this may be the most potent (and prophetic) dissent to the Reagan Revolution to this day.

In one of (if not the) last extended interview he did, GS-H speaks pretty tersely on the "godfather of rap" moniker. Which still holds water nonetheless.

http://www.newyorker.com/..._wilkinson

Few artists could convey rebellion, reflection, internal struggle, joy and yes, optimism, so powerfully and so beautifully. He was a voice of many generations. God bless him and I wish him a hard-earned peace.

Like him, I never liked that "Godfather of rap", moniker, place on him.

Nor I didn't like him being called "The Black Bob Dylan"

Nothing against Bob, but Gil was in a class all by himself

HuMpThAnG said:

Like him, I never liked that "Godfather of rap", moniker, place on him.

Nor I didn't like him being called "The Black Bob Dylan"

Nothing against Bob, but Gil was in a class all by himself

Yeah I never liked that either because Gil was truly a freestyle poet and accomplished musician who was just doing what he felt was the truth. Too many of our black legends and figures have these annoying monikers or "honorific" names that just selfishly puts them in this box that doesn't fully display their talent or range.

namepeace said:

Sorry if this is a repost, but this may be the most potent (and prophetic) dissent to the Reagan Revolution to this day.

In one of (if not the) last extended interview he did, GS-H speaks pretty tersely on the "godfather of rap" moniker. Which still holds water nonetheless.

http://www.newyorker.com/..._wilkinson

Few artists could convey rebellion, reflection, internal struggle, joy and yes, optimism, so powerfully and so beautifully. He was a voice of many generations. God bless him and I wish him a hard-earned peace.

Truth!

[Edited 5/31/11 16:50pm]

namepeace said:

Sorry if this is a repost, but this may be the most potent (and prophetic) dissent to the Reagan Revolution to this day.

In one of (if not the) last extended interview he did, GS-H speaks pretty tersely on the "godfather of rap" moniker. Which still holds water nonetheless.

http://www.newyorker.com/..._wilkinson

Few artists could convey rebellion, reflection, internal struggle, joy and yes, optimism, so powerfully and so beautifully. He was a voice of many generations. God bless him and I wish him a hard-earned peace.

So true. Gil was certainly a voice who spoke on issues that seemed to be relevant and convey his feelings on those issues the only way he knew how. There was never a cheap or dull moment with him, the messages he was getting across, or his music overall. This is what made him a prophetic figure.

silverchild said:

HuMpThAnG said:

Like him, I never liked that "Godfather of rap", moniker, place on him.

Nor I didn't like him being called "The Black Bob Dylan"

Nothing against Bob, but Gil was in a class all by himself

Yeah I never liked that either because Gil was truly a freestyle poet and accomplished musician who was just doing what he felt was the truth. Too many of our black legends and figures have these annoying monikers or "honorific" names that just selfishly puts them in this box that doesn't fully display their talent or range.

Exactly

silverchild said:

HuMpThAnG said:

Like him, I never liked that "Godfather of rap", moniker, place on him.

Nor I didn't like him being called "The Black Bob Dylan"

Nothing against Bob, but Gil was in a class all by himself

Yeah I never liked that either because Gil was truly a freestyle poet and accomplished musician who was just doing what he felt was the truth. Too many of our black legends and figures have these annoying monikers or "honorific" names that just selfishly puts them in this box that doesn't fully display their talent or range.

It's nice to see his influence being acknowledged, but Gil's output is capable of standing on its own. It doesn't need to be validated as "proto-rap" or anything of the kind, especially as most of his output is soul / jazz in any case. It's just good music - good art - and that's what's most important. Besides, I feel that people are constantly connecting his name to hiphop, because of how commercially viable hiphop ultimately became.

Personally, I never put GSH in any particular category (...perhaps Jazz). To me, his music was just so damned groovy!

Gil Scott-Heron Memorial Service, Public Viewing Tomorrow

Legendary spoken-word musician Gil Scott-Heron died over the weekend at the age of 62.

A memorial service has been scheduled for 10:30 a.m. tomorrow at Riverside Church;

there will also be a public viewing from 6-9 p.m.

at Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home at 81st Street and Madison Avenue.

HuMpThAnG said:

Like him, I never liked that "Godfather of rap", moniker, place on him.

Nor I didn't like him being called "The Black Bob Dylan"

Nothing against Bob, but Gil was in a class all by himself

Amen to all that!

silverchild said:

diamondpearl1 said:

Must be something....must be something we can do....... god bless this man his life and his message

"Must Be Something" is one of my favorite Gil Scott-Heron/Brian Jackson tracks! I'm telling you, Gil has been on my mind since Friday. His music has always been on constant rotation, even after his death. A true music/political/poetry revolutionary!

I know, Silverchild. I have loved this man's music and message for so long. Knowing that he isn't somewhere on this Earth is just weird to me. I have been listening to his music since Saturday.

The world has lost a Visionary Voice it sorely needs right now. RIP

Gil Scott -Heron Obiturary

Gil Scott-Heron, Voice of Black Protest Culture, Dies at 62

Gil Scott -Heron Died at 62

Poet and songwriter was hailed as 'Godfather of Rap' after penning The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

Gil Scott -Heron Obiturary

Poet, jazz musician and rap pioneer who used mordant lyrics to express his views on politics and culture

his music and poetry had soul

RIP Gil Scott - Heron

The great Gil Scott Heron's rawness is what made him so real. My sympathies go out to the family, friends and loved ones of Mr. Gil Scott Heron, a true generational shifter. Thank you for sharing your musical genius.

This cut just came up on the iPod and I forgot how epic it is! Another Gil Scott/Brian Jackson classic, from their 1978 masterwork, Secrets. Fantastic synthesizer work by the incomparable Malcolm Cecil!

Family, celebrities pay tribute to Gil Scott-Heron at music legend's memorial; Kanye West performs

BY Michael J. Feeney

Gil Scott-Heron's daughter proclaimed the revolution will be televised during a moving memorial service Thursday for her musical father that included a surprise performance by rapper Kanye West.

Scott-Heron, a celebrated poet and musician, was remembered by about 300 close friends and family scattered throughout Harlem's historic Riverside Church Thursday. He was 62 when he died last Friday.

"It was honoring and celebrating him," said his daughter, Gia, 31, after the service.

"When we came in, what we wanted to do was honor daddy."

And she certainly did.

She performed an original poem, called "Time" and sang Bette Midler's "The Rose."

"But because he was before his time, and because time is unfair...We weren't even aware, that his time was up!" she said in her poem. "But time can never diminish the bonds of unconditional love! So though your demise is publicized, this new revolution will be televised."

Her father leaves behind a 40-year musical legacy that included such songs as "We Almost Lost Detroit" and "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," which was recorded at a club on W. 125th St. and Lenox Ave.

The world-renowned spoken word artist is also credited with inspiring a slew of hip-hop artists, such as West, and some have dubbed him the "Godfather of Rap."

West, wearing all black and sporting a pair of dark sunglasses, closed out the tribute by performing his song "Lost in the World" - which features a portion of Scott-Heron's "Comment # 1.

Also in attendance was Abiodun Oyewole of The Last Poets, the 1970s Harlem group that inspired Scott-Heron and also helped set the stage for hip-hop.

Speakers included his first wife, Brenda Sykes, who reminisced about NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar introducing her to Scott-Heron, the birth of their daughter and Scott-Heron's close relationship with Stevie Wonder.

Wonder, she said, always wanted to dance on stage, but never trusted anyone to keep him from bumping into something. But Wonder trusted Scott-Heron, said his wife of 10 years.

"Gil led Stevie in a conga line," said Sykes, adding that the pair toured together and joined forces to help create the federal holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The program for the memorial listed Wonder as an honorary pallbearer, but the superstar musician was not in attendance.

Scott-Heron will be buried at Kensico Cemetery in Westchester County.

His book publisher and longtime friend Jamie Byng called the service "beautiful.

"Gil would have really loved it," he said. "I thought it was a really beautiful service. It was a celebration and also a tribute - and a mourning. I enjoyed it...We all wanted to hear his voice."

[img:$uid]http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2011/06/03/alg_oyewole-heron-funeral.jpg[/img:$uid]

Abiodun Oyewole of The Last Poets leaves Gil Scott-Heron's memorial at Riverside Church Thursday.

[img:$uid]http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2011/06/03/amd_kanye-west-heron-funeral.jpg[/img:$uid]

Kanye West leaves the service from a side door after his surprise performance.

[img:$uid]http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2011/06/03/amd_gil-scott-heron-performs.jpg[/img:$uid]

[Edited 6/4/11 18:50pm]

novabrkr said:

silverchild said:

Yeah I never liked that either because Gil was truly a freestyle poet and accomplished musician who was just doing what he felt was the truth. Too many of our black legends and figures have these annoying monikers or "honorific" names that just selfishly puts them in this box that doesn't fully display their talent or range.

It's nice to see his influence being acknowledged, but Gil's output is capable of standing on its own. It doesn't need to be validated as "proto-rap" or anything of the kind, especially as most of his output is soul / jazz in any case. It's just good music - good art - and that's what's most important. Besides, I feel that people are constantly connecting his name to hiphop, because of how commercially viable hiphop ultimately became.

Gil Scott Heron, and cats like The Last Poets, Watts Prophets and so on are called "the godfathers of rap" not because of commercial vialbility, but because what them brothers did was the blueprint 2 this shit and we/they didn't even know it. Without them there'd be no Grandmaster Flash's The Message, Run-DMC's Hard Times/It's Like That. No bands/artists like Common, Talib, Mos Def, Tupac, Rage Against The Machine, Public Enemy, Krs-One, Paris, N.W.A., Ice-T, Ice Cube, X-Clan, dead prez....etc etc

[Edited 6/6/11 15:41pm]

Vendetta1 said:

'Is Gil Scott Heron really gone?'

Yes, he is

Still hard to believe

Vendetta1 said:

I've been hearing it for the last few hours. Anyone have a source?

It's so strange. I listened to "We almost lost Detroit" live for a whole night, next day, he dies.