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The vintage Gil Scott-Heron photograph on the cover of Ghetto Style, which compiles tracks from his first three albums in the early '70s.
December 11, 2007Gil Scott-Heron is not dead, though he's been absent from the public consciousness for some time. He's written and performed recently, but he's also done a couple of stints behind bars on drug convictions. He is, as you will hear, unrepentant and somewhat addled, but still outspoken and relevant.
Scott-Heron was somewhat of an icon in my hometown; I grew up in Michigan and was chilled by his song "We Almost Lost Detroit." In this new studio session, he sings movingly about the mining industry. His health may be shaky, but his convictions remain rock-solid.
More About Gil Scott-Heron
Since writing poetry as a teenager and making his first foray into songs on 1970's Small Talk at 125th & Lenox, Gil Scott-Heron's fusion of message and music has influenced countless activists and artists. His aggressive, political street poetry — especially the funk-based anthem "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" — inspired the earliest rappers.
New York City's WFUV features an adventurous mix of new and established rock, singer-songwriter, blues, world, and other music.
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