Godfather of Rap Gil Scott-Heron Dead at 62

Gil Scott-Heron, an iconic spoken-word musician who helped lay the groundwork for what would eventually become hip-hop, passed away today at the age of 62 after becoming ill on a recent trip to Europe. Gil Scott-Heron was a passionate man, and this came through in his music. He was one of the first to infuse his poetry with percussion, making it more of a performance than a recital. His music often spoke of the struggle for African Americans in post-civil rights era America, as well as making political and social statements that tapped into a previously unrecognized part of the culture. His best-known songs, ?The Revolution Will Not Be Televised? and funky anthem ?The Bottle?, shot him to international recognition in the 70s. He has also released several albums and books of his poetry. However, like many creative and passionate artists of his time, Gil Scott-Heron struggled for many years with a cocaine addiction. It was believed that he was using drugs up until the time of his death to deal with the pain associated with HIV the musician reportedly suffered from. Though he often rejected his title as ?The Godfather of Rap?, saying he believes that all he influenced [...]

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