Gil Scott-Heron Dies in NYC

[Neumann Sennheiser]

Musician Gil Scott-Heron, who helped lay the groundwork for rap by fusing minimalistic percussion, political expression and spoken-word poetry on songs such as "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" but saw his brilliance undermined by a years-long drug addiction, died Friday at age 62.
Known for work that reflected the fury of black America in the post-civil rights era Scott-Heron also spoke to the social and political disparities in the country. His songs often had incendiary titles - "Home is Where the Hatred Is," or "Whitey on the Moon," and through spoken word and song, he tapped the frustration of the masses.
Scott-Heron's influence on rap was such that he sometimes was referred to as the Godfather of Rap, a title he rejected.
Yet much of his life was also defined by his battle with crack cocaine, which also led to time in jail.
He was still smoking crack as recently as last year according to a New Yorker magazine article from 2010.
He died Friday afternoon at New York's St. Luke's Hospital after becoming sick upon returning from a trip to Europe.
Scott-Heron was born in Chicago on April 1, 1949.

[hagopian]

Crack = the legacy of the Older Bush war on drugs, claims another poor soul.

What a shame.

[skyvalleyradio]

what a tragic end for a brilliant musician/poet. His stark comments about contemporary American politricks will be sorely missed.

[jon]

Crack = the legacy of the Older Bush war on drugs

I'm not sure of what you are speaking of, but Mandatory Drug Testing has decreased the use of marijuana and increased the use of all forms of cocaine in Northern Alberta's Oil Patch, and I assume elsewhere where it is practiced. Because marijuana can be traced back about 30 days, but cocaine only a day or two, during the drug tests that occur after mini-vacations: those one to two weeks off after long workweeks on Oil Drilling Rigs.