Gil-Scott Heron, RIP

Poet, social activist, novelist and musician Gil Scott Heron passed away recently at the age of 62. Heron wrote the 1970 spoken-word musical piece The Revolution Will Not Be Televised and was considered the godfather of hip-hop music, influencing young artists today like Mos Def, Kanye West and Common.

Heron was one of the first to open dialogue on taboo subjects of his time like racism and war. He also played a role in getting Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday declared a national holiday in the U.S.