Gil Scott-Heron Dies

Gil Scott-Heron passed away at St. Luke’s Hospital in New York City on Friday. The pioneering poet, musician, and activist enjoyed a string of thought-provoking hits throughout the 1970s and was nicknamed the “Godfather of Hip-Hop” thanks to his powerful lyrics on tunes like “The Bottle,” “Angel Dust,” and the spoken word piece “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.”

Scott-Heron struggled publicly with substance abuse in the 2000s, and spent the early part of the decade in and out of jail on drug possession charges. He began performing again after his release in 2007, and in 2010 released a new album, I’m New Here.

Scott-Heron was 62. The cause of his death has not been disclosed.