The man who has often been credited as one of the creators of rap music (and certainly politically-tinged rap music), Gil Scott-Heron, died on May 27th at the age of 62. According to www.guardian.co.uk, Heron died at St. Luke's Hospital in New York City, after falling ill on a European trip.
Heron started his recording career in 1970, with his debut album, Small Talk at 125th and Lenox, which saw the poet merge socially conscious spoken word and singing with piano, percussion, and guitar. The album spawned the track "Whitey on the Moon," which Howard Stern has played and discussed on his radio show over the years (including one such time in 1994, as evidenced by this clip).
Heron continued to record and tour throughout the years, and also penned several books, including 1970's The Vulture and 1972's The Nigger Factory, among other titles. However, Heron also found himself in trouble with the law during the early 21st century (severing prison terms on drug-related charges).
The same day that news broke of Heron's death, Public Enemy's Chuck D posted the following message on his Twitter page - "RIP GSH..and we do what we do and how we do because of you.And to those that don't know tip your hat with a hand over your heart & recognize."
