Gil Scott-Heron: Remembering The "Godfather of Rap"

How the legendary poet inspired hip hop music

Gil Scott-Heron Rest in Paradise - Legendary spoken word musician and poet Gil Scott-Heron passed away Friday [May 27] in New York at age 62. Known for making political statements in his work and for creating the blueprint for hip-hop, Scott-Heron was a music pioneer. In honor of the memorial service and public viewing being held today [June 2] and tomorrow, BET.com reflects on why Scott-Heron is known as "the godfather of rap" by highlighting his most noteworthy albums and a few of the many hip hop artists who've sampled his work. 

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Gil Scott-Heron Rest in Paradise - Legendary spoken word musician and poet Gil Scott-Heron passed away Friday [May 27] in New York at age 62. Known for making political statements in his work and for creating the blueprint for hip-hop, Scott-Heron was a music pioneer. In honor of the memorial service and public viewing being held today [June 2] and tomorrow, BET.com reflects on why Scott-Heron is known as "the godfather of rap" by highlighting his most noteworthy albums and a few of the many hip hop artists who've sampled his work.

Small Talk at 125th and Lenox [1970] - This album, recorded live and entirely in spoken word form, was the first of Gil Scott-Heron's seminal works. It presented him as a socially aware conscious artist- a fundamental element for early hip hop artists- which he was known as at his death. It also featured one of his most notable songs "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," an often-sampled track and signature phrase used in hip hop culture throughout the years. (Photo: Flying Dutchman Records)

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Small Talk at 125th and Lenox [1970] - This album, recorded live and entirely in spoken word form, was the first of Gil Scott-Heron's seminal works. It presented him as a socially aware conscious artist- a fundamental element for early hip hop artists- which he was known as at his death. It also featured one of his most notable songs "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," an often-sampled track and signature phrase used in hip hop culture throughout the years. (Photo: Flying Dutchman Records)

"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" -  \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \rRecorded once on 1970's Small Talk at 125th and Lenox, and used again on his follow up LP, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" was also sampled by Masta Ace on "Take a Look Around," Queen Latifah's "The Evil That Men Do," Salt-N-Pepa's "Whatta Man Luvbug Remix 1" and Professor Griff's "Real African People 'Rap,' Pt. 2." \r(Pho...

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"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" - \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \rRecorded once on 1970's Small Talk at 125th and Lenox, and used again on his follow up LP, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" was also sampled by Masta Ace on "Take a Look Around," Queen Latifah's "The Evil That Men Do," Salt-N-Pepa's "Whatta Man Luvbug Remix 1" and Professor Griff's "Real African People 'Rap,' Pt. 2." \r(Pho...

Pieces of a Man [1971] - Scott-Heron's solo studio album, features the notable track "Home is Where the Hatred Is," a melodic narrative about living in the despair of the ghetto.\r(Photo: Flying Dutchman Records)

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Pieces of a Man [1971] - Scott-Heron's solo studio album, features the notable track "Home is Where the Hatred Is," a melodic narrative about living in the despair of the ghetto.\r(Photo: Flying Dutchman Records)

Yeezy Loves Scott-Heron - Kanye West is, perhaps, the biggest artist to repeatedly exhibit Scott-Heron's influences over his music. West sampled "Home is Where the Hatred Is" for his song "My Way Home" with Common off 2005's Late Registration. Common later sampled Scott-Heron's "We Almost Lost Detroit" on his 2007 track "The People" off his Finding Forever LP. West also names Scott-Heron as a muse for his 2010 LP My Dark Twisted Fantasy, which features portions of his work "Comment #1" on "Who Will Survive America?" the last track on the album. Scott-Heron returned the love by sampling Yeezy's "Flashing Lights" on his own last album, 2010's I'm New Here. \r(Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images)

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Yeezy Loves Scott-Heron - Kanye West is, perhaps, the biggest artist to repeatedly exhibit Scott-Heron's influences over his music. West sampled "Home is Where the Hatred Is" for his song "My Way Home" with Common off 2005's Late Registration. Common later sampled Scott-Heron's "We Almost Lost Detroit" on his 2007 track "The People" off his Finding Forever LP. West also names Scott-Heron as a muse for his 2010 LP My Dark Twisted Fantasy, which features portions of his work "Comment #1" on "Who Will Survive America?" the last track on the album. Scott-Heron returned the love by sampling Yeezy's "Flashing Lights" on his own last album, 2010's I'm New Here. \r(Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images)

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Winter in America [1974] -  \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \rWinter in America was Scott-Heron's first commercially successful album because of it's only single "The Bottle," a commentary on alcohol abuse to an infectious Carribbean beat, which debuted at number 6 on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart and sold more than 300,000 copies in the U.S., lending validity to Scott-Heron's infamous statement that "pop music doesn't have to be sh-t." Also, the aptly...

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Winter in America [1974] - \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \r \rWinter in America was Scott-Heron's first commercially successful album because of it's only single "The Bottle," a commentary on alcohol abuse to an infectious Carribbean beat, which debuted at number 6 on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart and sold more than 300,000 copies in the U.S., lending validity to Scott-Heron's infamous statement that "pop music doesn't have to be sh-t." Also, the aptly...

Grand Moment\r - In 1995, rapper Grand Puba, one-third of the hip hop group Brand Nubian, sampled "We Almost Lost Detroit" off Scott-Heron's 1997 album Bridges, for his song "Keep On," off his second studio album, 2000. \r(Photo: Retna)

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Grand Moment\r - In 1995, rapper Grand Puba, one-third of the hip hop group Brand Nubian, sampled "We Almost Lost Detroit" off Scott-Heron's 1997 album Bridges, for his song "Keep On," off his second studio album, 2000. \r(Photo: Retna)

Photo By Photo: Retna

Brownie Points - Black Star sampled "We Almost Lost Detroit" as well, for their soulful tribute to brown-skinned women, "Brown Skin Lady," which challenged the prevailing white standard of beauty upheld in many rap songs and music videos. \r(Photo: Mat Szwajkos/Getty Images for Prada Linea Rossa)

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Brownie Points - Black Star sampled "We Almost Lost Detroit" as well, for their soulful tribute to brown-skinned women, "Brown Skin Lady," which challenged the prevailing white standard of beauty upheld in many rap songs and music videos. \r(Photo: Mat Szwajkos/Getty Images for Prada Linea Rossa)

Mass Appeal\r - London born hip-hopper MF Doom sampled "We Almost Lost Detroit" on his instrumental song, "Camphor" off 2004's Special Herbs, Vol. 7-8

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Mass Appeal\r - London born hip-hopper MF Doom sampled "We Almost Lost Detroit" on his instrumental song, "Camphor" off 2004's Special Herbs, Vol. 7-8

Legendary Message - Mos Def sampled Scott-Heron's "A Legend in His Own Mind" (1980) on his 1999 album Black on Both Sides for a track called "Mr. N---a." The song explores the fallacy of the upwardly mobile African-American man who, despite all of his degrees, success, and money, is still seen as "just another n---a." 

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Legendary Message - Mos Def sampled Scott-Heron's "A Legend in His Own Mind" (1980) on his 1999 album Black on Both Sides for a track called "Mr. N---a." The song explores the fallacy of the upwardly mobile African-American man who, despite all of his degrees, success, and money, is still seen as "just another n---a."

West Coast Love\r - Dr. Dre's 1996 compilation album Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath features "Blunt Time," a song on which west coast rapper RBX uses the opening lyrics from Scott-Heron's 1978 recording "Angel Dust." This song was borrowed again by Compton rapper Game for his third studio album LAX on the song "Angel," which featured Common and was produced by Kanye West. \r(Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

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West Coast Love\r - Dr. Dre's 1996 compilation album Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath features "Blunt Time," a song on which west coast rapper RBX uses the opening lyrics from Scott-Heron's 1978 recording "Angel Dust." This song was borrowed again by Compton rapper Game for his third studio album LAX on the song "Angel," which featured Common and was produced by Kanye West. \r(Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)