This is a little late, but I had to post. It's a Revolution Newspaper tribute article by Michael Slate on Gil Scott-Heron, who died on May 27. In a way, it reads as a Greatest-Hits-kind-of-article, as the writer names a number of songs and why each was so important. This was great for me as I mostly know him for his very-well known classic, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. Here is a small sample of the article:
"One element of jazz that Gil incorporated into his music and poetry was improvisation—he could take off on a verbal riff that rivaled any mind-bending improvisational solo found in jazz or freestyle rhyming cipher in hip-hop. His music has been sampled by many hip-hop artists over the years, and Gil felt a certain responsibility to counsel rappers, speaking to a new generation of youth. In 1994's Message to the Messengers, Gil put his arm around the shoulders of the rappers who came behind him and wrestled with them about the content and outlook of their art, challenging them to rise up against the system and the culture it produced rather than go along with it."
To check out the rest of the article, click HERE. (The tribute cartoon at the top was drawn by cartoonist Keith Knight).
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