“The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” is among the many compositions written by Gil Scott-Heron, the “godfather of rap,” who passed away on May 27, 2011. Heron, who is known for using musical backings to accompany his poetry, usually wrote about social issues of the time. His work has influenced many, including Public Enemy, KRS-One and Kanye West, who samples one of his racially-charged poems at the end of his latest album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. (2010, Roc-A-Fella) After becoming a strong African-American figure, he continued to support and contribute to causes such as the “No Nukes” concerts at Madison Square Garden in the late 70s. In the 80s, he criticized Regean’s conservative politics before succumbing to a crack addiction and contracting HIV. Scott-Heron released his only album since 1994 last year, entitled I’m New Here (2010, XL Records) which was heavily praised by critics.
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