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.
No Knock
Gil Scott-Heron Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But just for the record you were talkin' shit
Y'all rap about no knock bein' legislated
For the people you've always hated
In this hell hole you, we, call home
No knock, the man will say
To keep that man from beating his wife
To keep people from themselves
No knockin', head-rockin', inter-shockin'
Shootin', cussin', killin', cryin', lyin'
And bein' white
No knock
No knocked on my brother Fred Hampton
Bullet holes all over the place
No knocked on my brother Michael Harris
And jammed a shotgun against his skull
For my protection?
Who's gonna protect me from you?
The likes of you?
The nerve of you?
Your tomato face deadpan
Your dead hands ending another freedom fan
No knockin', head rockin', inter-shockin'
Shootin', cussin', killin', cryin', lyin'
And bein' white
But if you're wise, no knocker
You'll tell your no-knockin' lackeys
Ha!
No knock on my brother's head
No knock on my sister's head
No knock on my brother's head
No knock on my sister's head
And double lock your door
Because soon someone may be no-knockin'
Ha, ha!
For you
Gil Scott-Heron's No Knock is a song that speaks to the issues present in the United States in the 1970s. It speaks specifically about the no-knock warrants that were used by police at the time. The lyrics to the song are powerful and speak to the pain that people felt as a result of these police raids.
The first verse begins by stating that the singer was previously unaware of the problem of no-knock warrants until someone "explained it" to them. However, the singer asserts that the person who explained it was "talking s**t." The lyric suggests that many people who were not living in the same conditions as the marginalized communities affected by these raids were unable to fully comprehend their impact. The following lines reference "y'all" rapping about no-knock warrants being "legislated for the people you've always hated." This line is provocative as it suggests that these laws were not made for everyone, but rather for specific groups whom the lawmakers did not have a positive view of.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "no knock" and interjects a deeper meaning through juxtaposition. The first lines discuss how police claim that no-knock warrants help protect victims of domestic abuse by preventing the abuser from preparing themselves during the time it takes officers to acquire a traditional warrant. The second part of the chorus flips the script and suggests that police use no-knock warrants to keep people from "themselves." In this way, the song is highlighting the insidious nature of these police raids which are often touted as being for the public's protection while actually causing harm.
The second verse of the song recounts two specific examples of people who were impacted by no-knock warrants. The use of the phrase "no knocked on my brother" conveys the sense of urgency and violence in these situations. The lines "For my protection? Who's gonna protect me from you? The likes of you? The nerve of you?" are a direct challenge to the police who claim that no-knock warrants are necessary for their own protection. The last phrase of the song "And double lock your door because soon someone may be no-knockin'" serves as a warning to anyone who might be tempted to support these raids or believe that they could not be impacted by them.
Line by Line Meaning
You explained it to me I must admit
I acknowledge that you explained it to me
But just for the record you were talkin' shit
However, what you were saying wasn't true
Y'all rap about no knock bein' legislated
You all talk about laws allowing no-knock police raids
For the people you've always hated
To target the people you already dislike
In this hell hole you, we, call home
In this terrible place that we live
No knock, the man will say
Police will say they need to use no-knock raids
To keep that man from beating his wife
To stop a man from harming his spouse
To keep people from themselves
To prevent individuals from causing self-harm
No knockin', head-rockin', inter-shockin'
Describing the violence and aggression of no-knock police raids
Shootin', cussin', killin', cryin', lyin'
More descriptors of violent police tactics
And bein' white
Implying that the perpetrators of these raids are mostly white police officers
No knocked on my brother Fred Hampton
Referencing the killing of Black Panther member Fred Hampton in a no-knock raid
Bullet holes all over the place
Describing the aftermath of the no-knock raid on Fred Hampton's apartment
No knocked on my brother Michael Harris
Referring to another victim of a no-knock raid
And jammed a shotgun against his skull
Describing the excessive force used in the raid on Michael Harris
For my protection?
Questioning the idea that these raids are necessary for safety
Who's gonna protect me from you?
Asking who will protect citizens from violent police tactics
The likes of you?
Asking whether people who conduct these raids are actually protectors
Your tomato face deadpan
Insulting the police officers conducting the raids
Your dead hands ending another freedom fan
Suggesting that the raids are used to oppress people's rights and freedoms
But if you're wise, no knocker
Suggesting that stopping these raids is the more intelligent choice
You'll tell your no-knockin' lackeys
Police officers who conduct no-knock raids are referred to as lackeys
No knock on my brother's head
Demanding that police stop using these raids to harm people
No knock on my sister's head
Demanding that women are not targeted by no-knock raids
And double lock your door
Encouraging people to protect themselves against these raids
Because soon someone may be no-knockin'
A warning that anyone could be targeted by these violent police tactics
Ha, ha!
An ironic laugh at the absurdity of the situation
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: GIL SCOTT-HERON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind