Scott-Heron, Gil
1949-2011 · Contribution: 1970-2011
Poet & Musician
Poet, musician, and author widely called the 'Godfather of Rap'; his socially conscious spoken-word recordings, above all 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised', fused poetry with jazz, blues, and soul and became a foundational influence on hip-hop.
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Quick facts
- Born
- 1949
- Active since
- 1970
- Category
- Arts, Music & Entertainment Tech
- Best known for
- "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised""Godfather of Rap"Jazz-poetry fusion
Impact on the world
Scott-Heron married poetry and music into a politically urgent form that directly anticipated hip-hop. His voice gave protest a new sound.
An alternative history
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Sources
- Book or scholarly workFind
Britannica (Gil Scott-Heron)
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Related visionaries
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1968-
Harlem spoken-word collective, formed in 1968, whose confrontational, socially conscious poetry set to conga rhythms is widely credited as a direct forerunner of rap; often called 'the godfathers of hip-hop.' (Group/collective entry.)
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1933-2003
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Shakur, Tupac Amaru
1971-1996
Became one of the most influential and best-selling recording artists in hip-hop history, selling more than 75 million records worldwide, and in 2017 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as the first solo rap artist so honored, in his first year of eligibility