His music fueled more than a few protests and counter-culture campaigns, and his best song is an argument against government spending. Watch it.
The obituaries popping up all over will tell you about the scope of his influence on hip-hop or call him the "godfather of rap"—a term Scott-Heron rejected. Or explain how he was a "voice of black culture" who considered his musical genre "black American music." Or you may read all about his struggles with addiction.
Here at GOOD, we offer you a tiny sampling of his music. If you don't know him, click play and see what the fuss is about. If you're a fan, take some time to remember the man.
Let's start off with the playful but biting Whitey on the Moon. Isn't this a far better argument for how to prioritize government spending—or against NASA—than anything ever laid down by fiscal conservatives on the House floor? I found it a little too relevant during the run up to the second Iraq war.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5smPcN8AoE
His seminal work is The Revolution Will Not Be Televised:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGaRtqrlGy8
Home Is Where the Hatred Is, from 1971, show's Scott-Heron's talent for honest and revealing details. In the first person, it describes a junkie's lonely struggle with addiction and the dangers of home:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOUMvjw9RlA
And finally, this is the title track from his last album I'm New Here, released last year. He was back to making music in recent years after a hiatus in the 1990s as he was dealing with substance addictions and serving time for it.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OET8SVAGELA
Scott-Heron was only 62.
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