New York Is Killing Me

Gil Scott-Heron, one of the greatest American poets of our era, died yesterday at 62. He recently released his first recording in years, I'm New Here. His piece, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, has been referred to as the birth of hip hop, rap from 1969. It may be one of the most referenced and parodied performance pieces in pop culture. Gil's tragic story is worth reading. You must read this heart wrenching portrait of a brilliant man who self destructed and resurrected, the story of being consumed by his own demons and gaining strength from them at the same time was published in the New Yorker in 2009. Stand back, you might get burned, but rather than condemn the man for his life, maybe one can gain some real insight into the soul of a great American poet.