GIL SCOTT-HERON

A couple months ago i was asked who my favorite artist of all time is. Thats a tuff one for anybody to answer, much less a DJ and i was about to tell tha person asking me they were trippin but all of a sudden, i said "probably Gil Scott-Heron." I could name eleventy million other artists who i love, respect, jock etc but i'm pretty sure it ain't one i love, respect and jock MORE than Gil Scott-Heron.



Last week i mentioned my experience seeing Gil Scott-Heron live when i was 16 years old at tha legendary Kennel Club (later called tha Justice League, now The Independent) and tha person i was snappin with was like "wasn't that tha dude who wrote a song called 'Heroin' and then wound up being a heroin addict?" After getting over tha initial shock at how dumb and intelligent that observation was, i reflected on Gil Scott-Heron's legacy a bit and decided to post some sh*t i seen on YouTube awhile back.

To me, Gil Scott-Heron is the G.O.A.T. because he meets all tha criteria that I personally use to evaluate art: is it impactful? is technically superior or innovative? is it meaningful in a way that transcends time and space? is it original? is it engaged in a critique (to a small or large degree) of art and society and the ideas that construct both as realities? On every level, Gil Scott-Heron was a master. Make a mental list of those artists you consider among tha greatest of all time -- think about their relevance, even if its just musical and not political (we all got our own criteria after all) or cultural, some art loses its luster when held up to tha light of history.

Its incredible to me that Gil Scott-Heron made music like "Whats the Word? (Johannesberg)" and "Watergate Blues" which dealth with specific issues at a specific place and time -- and yet, they're still relevant. And his mastery of spoken word, song composition, and arrangement (and firm roots in tha Harlem streets) continue to stand up to music of tha past AND present.

"Winter in America" is a timeless classic, on so many levels. Real talk, if they start playin THAT shit before baseball games, maybe i will stand and remove my fitted.

There are 5 more segments of this piece. Hit YouTube and check em out, its definitely worth your time.