He began recording in 1970 with the LP Small Talk at 125th and Lenox with the assistance of Bob Thiele Flying Dutchman Records, co-writer Brian Jackson, Hubert Laws, Bernard Purdie (who later recorded "Delights of the Garden" with The Last Poets), Charlie Saunders, Eddie Knowles, Ron Carter and Bert Jones, all jazz musicians (see 1970 in music). The album included the aggressive diatribe against white-owned corporate media and middle-class America's ignorance of the problems of inner cities in songs such as Whitey On The Moon.
The 1971 Pieces of a Man used more conventional song structures than the loose, spoken word feel of his first, though he didn't reach the charts until 1975 with "Johannesburg". His biggest hit was 1978's "The Bottle", produced by Heron and longtime partner Brian Jackson, which peaked at #15 on the R&B charts (see 1978 in music).
In 2001, Gil Scott-Heron was sentenced to one to three years' imprisonment in New York State for possession of cocaine. While out of jail in 2002, he appeared on the Blazing Arrow album by Blackalicious. He was released on parole in 2003. On July 5, 2006, Scott-Heron was sentenced to two to four years in a New York State prison for violating a plea deal on a drug-possession charge by leaving a drug rehabilitation center. Scott-Heron's sentence was to run until July 13, 2009. He was paroled on May 23, 2007. The reason given for the violation of his plea was that the clinic refused to supply Scott-Heron with HIV medication. This story led to the presumption that the artist is HIV positive.
After his release, Scott-Heron began performing live again, starting with a show at SOBs in New York on September 13, 2007. On stage, he stated that he and his musicians were working on a new album and that he had resumed writing a book titled The Last Holiday, previously on long-term hiatus, about Stevie Wonder and his successful attempt to have the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. declared a federally recognized holiday in the United States.
He was arrested October 10, 2007, the day before a scheduled (but ultimately cancelled) second SOBs performance, on felony possession of cocaine charges. However, he has continued to make live appearances at various US venues during the course of 2008 and 2009, including further appearances at SOBs in New York. He has also stated in interviews that work is continuing on his new album, which will consist mainly of new versions of some of his classic songs plus some cover versions of other artists' work.
Having originally planned to publish The Last Holiday in 2003, before it was put on hold, Canongate Books now tentatively intend to issue it in January, 2011. The book was due to be previewed via a website set to be launched on April 1, 2009, but this did not appear.
Mark T. Watson, a student of Scott-Heron's work, dedicated a collection of poetry to Gil titled Ordinary Guy that contained a foreword by Jalal Mansur Nuriddin of The Last Poets. The book was published in the UK in 2004 by Fore-Word Press Ltd. Scott-Heron recorded one of the poems in Watson's book Black & Blue due for release in 2008 as part of the album Rhythms of the Diaspora by Malik & the OG's on the record label CPR Recordings.
Gil Scott-Heron released his new album I'm New Here on independent label XL Recordings on February 9, 2010. Produced by XL label owner Richard Russell, 'I'm New Here' is Scott-Heron's first album in thirteen years.The pair started recording the album in 2007, with the majority of the record being recorded over the last twelve months with engineer Lawson White at Clinton Studios in New York. In 2009, a new Gil Scott-Heron website, www.gilscottheron.net , was launched with a brand new track 'Where Did The Night Go' made available as a free download from the site.
In 2011, Scott-Heron released "We're New Here" a remix album which was a collaboration with Jamie xx, a member of the British indie band The xx. Scott-Heron died in New York City on May 27, 2011.
King Alfred Plan
Gil Scott-Heron Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Places are being prepared and readied night and day, night and day
The white boy's plan is being readied night and day, night and day
Listen close to what rap say bout traps like Allenwood P.A.
Already in D.C. to preventatively detain you and me
How long you think it's going to be before even our dreams ain't free
You think I exaggerate check out Allenwood P.A.
And night and day, night and day - the white boy's plotting night and day, night and day
The thought of slavery far behind
But white paranoia is here to stay
The white boy's scheming night and day, night and day
What you think bout the King Alfred Plan
You ain't heard; where you been man
If I may paraphrase the government notice reads:
"Should there at anytime become a clear and present danger initiated by any radical element threatening the operation of the government of the United States of America, members of this radical element shall be tranported to dentention centers until such time as their threat has been eliminated - code KING ALFRED"
Bullshit I bet you say there ain't no Allenwood P.A.
And people ain't waiting night and day, night and day, night and day
There will be without the Motown sound and thunderbird
Wollowing in the echoes of Mlcolm's words
There must be black unity, there must be black unity
For in the end unity will be thrust upon us and we upon it and each other
Lock in cages penned, hemmed in shoulder to shoulder - arms out-stretched
For just a crust of bread,watermelon, mirages and oasis that does not exist
Cuntured up by the bubbling stinch of unwash bodies and unsanitary quarters
Concrete and bobbed-wire, babies screaming
Stumbling around in a mental circle because you never cared enough to be black
In the end unity will be thrust upon us - lanketed, stipled
A salty taste in your mouth from blood oozing from cracks and wooly heads
Red pools becoming thicker than syrup slow down your face
Spurs matte from the life force sprung loose from wells
Welled deep by the enforcers of mock justice of the red, white and blue
In the end unity will be thrust upon us
Let us unite because of love and not hate
Let us unite on our own and not because of bobbed-wired death
You dare not ignore the things I say
Whitey's waiting night and day, night and day, night and day, night and day
The Gil Scott-Heron's song "King Alfred Plan" is a political commentary on the presence of racism and oppression in the United States. The lyrics warn of a potentially dystopian future where a plan is being hatched (the titular "King Alfred Plan") by the white establishment to capture and remove any individual or group that threatens their power. Scott-Heron urges his listeners to take action and unite against this perceived threat before it is too late.
The first stanza sets the scene for the song, illustrating the paranoia and power dynamics at play. The second stanza reveals the contents of a government notice detailing the "King Alfred Plan", which is essentially a contingency plan for the government to detain and eliminate any group that poses a threat to its power. The third and final stanza details what life would be like for those captured under this plan, highlighting the inhumane conditions and suffering that would be inflicted upon them.
Some possible interpretations of the song are that it critiques the ongoing legacy of systemic racism in the United States, critiques the role and power of government in such systems, and encourages the public to actively oppose such systems.
Line by Line Meaning
Brothers and sisters there is a place for you in America
The US is a place for everyone regardless of race.
Places are being prepared and readied night and day, night and day
Facilities are being set up for potential detainees nonstop.
The white boy's plan is being readied night and day, night and day
A plan to oppress people of color is in motion constantly.
Listen close to what rap say bout traps like Allenwood P.A.
Rap songs can provide insight about oppressive detention centers like Allenwood P.A.
Already in D.C. to preventatively detain you and me
Authorities are already detaining people without a clear reason in Washington D.C.
How long you think it's going to be before even our dreams ain't free
At some point, our basic liberties will be restricted, even up to what we can imagine for ourselves.
You think I exaggerate check out Allenwood P.A.
For skeptics, look at Allenwood P.A. which can confirm the dangers of such a plan in action.
And night and day, night and day - the white boy's plotting night and day, night and day
The oppressive system is always scheming and preparing to take away our rights.
The Jews and Hitler come to mind
The historical power dynamic between Jews and Hitler reflects the current tension between people of color and white oppressors.
The thought of slavery far behind
Although slavery has ended, its legacy still haunts the oppressed.
But white paranoia is here to stay
White fear of losing power and control is an enduring problem.
The white boy's scheming night and day, night and day
Oppression is an active and constant effort.
What you think bout the King Alfred Plan
Have you heard about the King Alfred Plan (a plan to oppress people of color)
You ain't heard; where you been man
If someone isn't aware of this issue, they've been neglectful in their engagement with society.
If I may paraphrase the government notice reads:
The government states that if any radical groups threaten the US, they will be imprisoned under code KING ALFRED until the threat is eliminated.
Bullshit I bet you say there ain't no Allenwood P.A.
Perhaps skeptics would claim that the reality of Allenwood P.A. is exaggerated.
There will be without the Motown sound and thunderbird
The future is bleak and without the vibrancy of Motown and Thunderbird (symbolic of Black culture).
Wollowing in the echoes of Mlcolm's words
The echoes of Malcolm X's legacy will still be present in the future of oppression.
There must be black unity, there must be black unity
Unity among people of color is crucial to resist white oppression.
For in the end unity will be thrust upon us and we upon it and each other
Although unity can be a choice, it will eventually become a necessity for the oppressed.
Lock in cages penned, hemmed in shoulder to shoulder - arms out-stretched
The oppressed will be physically confined en masse, packed tightly and unable to move.
For just a crust of bread,watermelon, mirages and oasis that does not exist
People will desperately crave basic necessities, symbolized by food and water, but they won't be attainable.
Cuntured up by the bubbling stinch of unwash bodies and unsanitary quarters
Their confinement will lead to unclean conditions, breeding sickness and unpleasant odors.
Concrete and bobbed-wire, babies screaming
The oppression will be symbolized by concrete and barbed wire, with babies screaming from either distress or death.
Stumbling around in a mental circle because you never cared enough to be black
Those who aren't visibly Black or ignorant of their ethnic identity will struggle to understand the oppression that others face.
In the end unity will be thrust upon us - lanketed, stipled
People will be forced to unite under oppressive circumstances, but it may be strained and ineffective.
A salty taste in your mouth from blood oozing from cracks and wooly heads
The struggle against oppression will literally be painful and bloody.
Red pools becoming thicker than syrup slow down your face
Blood loss from the violence will be so great that it will slow down movement like syrup.
Spurs matte from the life force sprung loose from wells
Death will be abundant and grim, with life energy lost and wasted.
Welled deep by the enforcers of mock justice of the red, white and blue
The oppressors will participate in unjust and hypocritical violence under the American flag.
Let us unite because of love and not hate
Unification should come from the desire to help one another rather than a desire for revenge.
Let us unite on our own and not because of bobbed-wired death
People of color should unite voluntarily rather than because of the forced confinement by the oppressors.
You dare not ignore the things I say
You can't ignore this warning about oppression.
Whitey's waiting night and day, night and day, night and day, night and day
Oppressors are always waiting and scheming to oppress people of color.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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