The World of music and Hip Hop has sadly lost a powerful voice and talent in losing the great Gil Scott Heron.
Some may know him best from this funk/soul classic...
Gilbert was born in Illinois, Chicago USA in 1949 and passed on May 27th 2011 in New York city.
Gil was an socially conscious poet, singer and spoken word artist and author and was a massive influence on Hip Hop and was (and still is) sampled by everyone from Grand Puba, J-Rawls, Mike Zoot, A Tribe Called Quest to underground Hip Hop artists like MF Doom and Brainsick Mob and he has influenced everyone from Chuck-D, Common to Aesop Rock, Talib Kweli, Black Thought and many others
Gils' last recorded album was I'm New Here (2010) his first album in over 16 years had Nas feature on a remix of "New York Is Killing Me" and a bootleg version with Mos Def do the rounds...*props to my man Sweet Tooth for the heads up on that info :)
Although he was known as the Godfather of Rap, he had some issues with Rap artists and addressed this on "Message To The Messengers" in 1994 where he asked for some MC's to speak for change and to be more articulate and artistic, he also thought to much slang was used in Rap and that you couldn't "see inside the person" and just got "a lot of posturing".
Gil released his first and debut album in 1970...Small Talk At 125th and Lenox (Big L fans will know that address well) which was an album packed with potent messages about mass consumerism and the falsities of the World and also featured the still talked about and often sampled "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" (where Gil was rapping) and "Whitey On The Moon".
In 1971 he released perhaps his best known album, Pieces Of A Man which featured Jazz great Ron Carter on bass, legendary drummer Bernard Purdie and Gil's pianist and long time collaborator Brian Jackson.
From 1972 after the Freewill album, Gil had an illustrious career up until the 1980's when his releases were becoming less and less and he eventually got dropped by Arista records in 1985 and in the same year he appeared on the Artists United Against Apartheid-Sun City LP
Because of Gil's loss, I know many that will speculate on his drug habits and problems, but personally I don't see why it is is important, we all have our own demons and he had his, this post is to celebrate the life and music of a great artist.
some of the many dope Hip Hop tracks that have sampled Gil Scott Heron...
De La Soul-"Area" (1993)-samples GSH-"The Bottle" (1974)
KMD ft MF Grimm-"What A Niggy Know (Remix)" (1994) samples "Pieces Of A Man" (1971)
Masta Ace-"Take A Look Around" (1990) samples "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" (1970)
Professor Griff and L.A.D.-"Real African People Rap Pt 11" samples "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"(1970)
DJ Honda ft Rawcotiks-"For Every Day That Goes By "(1988) samples "Did You Hear What They Say?" (1972)
Brainsick Mob-"I Thank God" (1997) samples "Alluswe" (1974)
Mike Zoot-"Turn" (1997) samples "Alluswe" (1974)
BDP-"Why Is That?" samples "H20 Gate Blues" (1974)
Miilkbone-"Keep It Real (Remix)" (1995) samples "Peace Go With You, Brother" (1974)
Jazz Liberatorz ft Aloe Blacc-"What's Real?" (2003) samples "Peace Go With You, Brother" (1974)
LOTUG-"Lord Jazz Hit Me One Time" (1993) samples "Peace Go With You Brother" (1974)
Mellow Man Ace-"En La Casa" (1989) samples "The Bottle" (1974)
Blackstar-"Brown Skin Lady" (1998) samples "The Botttle" (1974)
Grand Puba-"Keep On" (1995) samples "We Almost Lost Detroit" (1977)
MF Doom aka Metal Fingers-"Camphor" (2004) samples "We Almost Lost Detroit" (1977)
Hasan Salaam Featuring Lord Jamar-"Angel Dust" (2008) samples "Angel Dust" (1978)
The Coup-"Me and Jesus the Pimp in a '79 Granada Last Night" (1998) samples "Angel Dust" (1978)
2-Pac-"Ready For Whatever" ( 1997) sampled "1980" (1980)
Brother Ali-"Whatcha Got" (2007) samples "B-Movie" (1981)
Phife-"Beats, Rhymes and Phife" (2000) samples "A Legend In His Own Mind" (1980)
Little Brother-"Make Me Hot" (2003) samples "The Klan" (1980)
Stop The Violence Movement-"Self Destruction" (1989) samples "The Bottle" (1974)
Stop The Violence Movement-"Self Destruction" (1989) samples "The Bottle" (1974)
and lastly peep my man Funktual discussing the various uses of "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" in Hip Hop (amongst many other classics)
Funktual this one is for you fam
Mos Def-Mr N----A (1999) samples "A Legend In His Own Mind" (1980)
Mos Def-Mr N----A (1999) samples "A Legend In His Own Mind" (1980)
please check my Friend and fellow music fanatic, Simon Sweetman's awesome tribute and retrospective post here...
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/blogs/blog-on-the-tracks/5071352/Gil-Scott-Heron-1949-2011
