Tribute to the Late Gil Scott Heron

Yesterday, the great poet Gil Scott-Heron passed away. As reported in the New York Times,

"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," died Friday at age 62.

A friend, Doris C. Nolan, who answered the telephone listed for his Manhattan recording company, said he died in the afternoon at St. Luke's Hospital after becoming sick upon returning from a European trip.

"We're all sort of shattered," she said.

Scott-Heron's influence on rap was such that he sometimes was referred to as the Godfather of Rap, a title he rejected."

May God forgive him for his sins and bless him with paradise. Let's take a minute to honor this dear brother.