Eminem, Usher, Cee Lo Green Share Their Reactions to Gil Scott-Heron's Death

By Christine Fenno Posted May 28th 2011 01:33PM

Cee Lo Green heard the news and proclaimed, "Rest in peace to the GOD" while comic Sarah Silverman remembered a man who "mirrored ugliness with beauty, audacity & valor."

Gil Scott-Heron, 62, the pioneering author and musician known by many as "the godfather of rap" passed away Friday, according to the New York Times.

As a young man, the Chicago native was one of the first the recording artists signed by legendary producer Clive Davis when the Arista label was being launched. But the onetime prodigy's life grew tragic, plagued by crack addiction. He allegedly fell ill following a recent trip abroad, entering a Manhattan hospital where he died.

The artist's death moved famous fans of his protest-poetry work -- including 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,' the 1970 track sampled by both Kanye West and Tupac Shakur -- to tweet their respects and praise his contribution to the music industry.

Eminem posted the message, "RIP Gil Scott-Heron. He influenced all of hip-hop."

Usher told Twitter followers, "I just learned of the loss of a very important poet...R.I.P. Gil Scott Heron. 'The revolution will be live!!'"

Snoop Dogg shared the tweet, "RIP to 1 of tha greats, gil scott heron."

Chuck D of Public Enemy wrote, "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"

Lupe Fiasco heard the news and said, "Awww man...sad day...RIP Gil-Scot Heron...May God have mercy on your soul!"

Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore tweeted, "R.I.P. Gil Scott-Heron. He gave us 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised' & 'We Almost Lost Detroit.' And, in essence, he gave us hip-hop."

TV writer and 'Community' star Donald Glover posted the simple tribute, "You will be missed Mr. Gil Scott-Heron."

Tags: eminem, gil scott-heron, usher

Comments

(25)

Saturday 28 May

By Reginald Valentine

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Love Gil Scot Heron, but Rudy Ray Moore is had mastered the art form long before Gil-Scot Heron made his insightful,thought provoking contributions. Please keep George Clinton in your prayers.

Monday 30 May

By mr boogee

I remember "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised".A very angry-yet honest appraisal of the black revolutioaty spirit of the late 60s-early 70s. Only difference is that GS Heron had talent while most that followed in his footsteps didn`t. You cant really call it "rap", it was more like poetry with a jazzy background. Stuff you noticed.

By Jah T

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OK folks,...time for music history 101 on the origin of America's rap music. Sorry to burst your "American exceptionalisic" mentality........but rap actually got started in the urban bowels of Kingston, Jamaica in the late 1960s and brought to the streets of New York City by Jamaican immigrants who played such in their basement and block parties......thus picked up by black Americans living in Harlem, Brooklyn and the Bronx etc.. Ask (the Jamaican) Kool Herc (the god father of sound system toasting/rapping from the streets of NYC back in the 70s)! Thus if you want the name of the pioneer of rap muscian try Daddy U-Roy (who dominated the Jamaican charts in the summer of 69, a full ten years before Sugarhill Gang's rapper's delight) and give up nuff respect! Finally, Gil Scott Heron spent much time performing in Jamaica back in the 70s where he got exposed to the Jamaican version of rap music,...thus also taking it back to the streets of NYC!

Sunday 29 May

By A.B. Taylor

Actually, Rap's roots can be traced back to some recordings made in 1926 linked with jazz scat. Arguements can be made that rap existed in tin-pan alley tunes in the form of the verse. Most pop songs these days don't use the verse chorus form as it was known back then.

By susan

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I also thought rap was around in the 60's..I remember as a kid, The Temptations song Ball of Confusion (love that song) in the chorus "Rap on, Brother, Rap on!" When Rap was starting to be heard on radio, I wondered why it was referred to as a "new" style of music because to me I thought that it must have been around awhile just not main stream. Maybe I misunderstood the meaning of The Temptations song?

Wednesday 01 June

By Reggae Bob

Jah T , hit me up ! I want to here more from you directly :)

By John

Just because you don't understand an art form is no reason to be s nasty & unkind. Rap isn't my music of choice, but I still wish him peace, and healing to his loved ones.

By windrunner

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If that's an art form, then urinating hard against a brick wall and interpreting the splatter pattern array should be considered a masterpiece after it dries.

By Paul Williams

Excellent point, windrunner.

By dj

Thank you Brother Gil.........wordspeak with the creator above......

By will

May rap die a slow and painful death!

By tony

maybe you will too!

By LMP

lol

By twitch

What a waste of air and ignorant. After age you'd think he had a purpose in life. Sounds like he's vented his frustrations in a negative meaningless way.

By Ben

Great man, and for the people who are expressing disdain for the "godfather of rap" plug, listen to his music. Most of his songs are more jazzy then anything else. He was a musical genius unlike today's rappers.

By Nancyr

I've loved that man from the Happy Medium in the 70's til I heard him in Central Park last summer. We'll meet again. Til then, have a nice journey.

A.B. Taylor, Jazz scating is no where near the essence of Jamaican DJ music in style/form/substance. You clearly have no idea o what Jamaican DJ music from the late 60s sounded like in terms of rapping (re: melodic talk alternating with singing etc.). Before responding o my historical musical points go google Daddy U-Roy's "Wear You to the Ball Tonight" or Wake the Town and Tell The People etc.). Further,....visit the genre called DJ music by listening to the slew of early Jamaican rappers from the early 70s (like Big Youth/I-Roy etc.). I am a jazz pianist so I know jazz from all generations..you on the other hand are not as musically aware as I am about the global roots of such music so please listen to what of which I speak of before you attempt a response out of ignorance!

A.B. Taylor, Jazz scating is no where near the essence of Jamaican DJ music in style/form/substance. You clearly have no idea of what Jamaican DJ music from the late 60s sounded like in terms of rapping (re: melodic talk alternating with singing etc.). Before responding to my historical musical points go google Daddy U-Roy's "Wear You to the Ball Tonight" or Wake the Town and Tell The People etc.. Further,....visit the genre called DJ music by listening to the slew of early Jamaican rappers from the early 70s (like Big Youth/I-Roy etc.). I am a jazz pianist so I know jazz from all generations..you on the other hand are not as musically aware as I am about the global essence of such music form so please listen to that of which I speak before you attempt a response out of ignorance!

By ssorrell32

A black man that raps and smokes crack? Whats the big deal about that? Plenty of people just like him die everyday.

susan, the word "rap" has been around forever (e.g. "the guy took the rap in court for someting he didn't do"),....or the criminal had a long rap sheet,...or the singer rapped at the start of the song that he was in love etc.....but rap in the modern sense of the genre has a specific music structural essence that makes it stand out as a distinct art form! So no,....rap as we know it today was not around in the 60s!

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