Poet, songwriter, and activist Gill Scott-Heron died yesterday at the age of 62. Having recently broken retirement with a solo album, his body of work spans four decades, a career bookended by the death of Martin Luther King Jr and the election of the first black president.

While descriptions of his legacy in early media reports of his death seem to be highlighting his activism, too much emphasis on that important factor betrays his prowess as a songwriter and his diversity as an artist; Scott’s political funk and pre-slam poetry was tempered by plaintive ballads wrought with an emotional vulnerability that even the most audacious emcees of today remain too substantially under confident to bare. All are highlighted in this 45 minute retrospective of his work.

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Gun
Hello Sunday, Hello Road
Johannesburg
Lady Day and John Coltrane
Small Talk at 125th and Lenox
We Almost Lost Detroit
Give Her a Call
Did You Hear What They Said?
Pardon Our Analysis (We Beg Your Pardon)
Song For Bobby Smith
Your Daddy Loves You
The Other Side, Part I
Peace Go With You, Brother

Electric Adolescence – For Gil Scott-Heron 45 mins/ 320 kbps/

Download audio file (electric adolescence – for gill scott heron.mp3)