Gil Scott-Heron (1949-2011)

It’s been a couple weeks since the passing of the great Gil Scott-Heron. I refrained from posting on Gil because truth is, I’m not as qualified to speak on him as some recently have. He more than underscores everything that is hip-hop and is beyond the myriad of soundbites he’s credited for. Below are some (and my opinion, the best) examples of recent Gil tributes. All touch on his music and history within different contexts beyond the revolution not being televised.

* Gilles Peterson’s fantastic tribute mix, a great primer of classics and rarities

* Greg Tate’s obit on Gil for the Village Voice

* Jamie Byng’s touching piece for the UK’s Guardian

* The Melting Pot Blog’s very thorough radio show tribute