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.
Sex Education
Gil Scott-Heron Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I had never heard of Sigmund Freud but hell I was doin' it then
I was doin' it in my teenaged years when I was running the ghetto streets
Now I had never seen me no ink blot test but it still felt good to me
I was doin' it when I arrived in college searching for my degree
But Lord knows a degree wasn't all I got and that's the way it's supposed to be
I hope that when I have kids of my own they really don't get shook
The lyrics of Gil Scott-Heron's song Sex Education: Ghetto Style are a reflection on the sexual experiences of the artist during his formative years. He starts off by saying that he was engaging in sexual activities, which he calls "it," even when he was a young boy between eight to ten years of age. He amusingly comments that he had never even heard of Sigmund Freud, who was a much-revered figure in the field of psychology, but that did not stop him from indulging in sex. The tone of the lyrics is casual and maybe even a little flippant. The artist then moves on to talk about his teenage years when he was growing up in a ghetto, where he continues to have sex, even though he had never had an inkblot test, which is a test commonly associated with assessing one's psychological state. This statement seems to suggest that he was not too bothered about the psychological implications of his actions.
The artist then talks about his arrival in college, where he was not only pursuing a degree but also continuing with his sexual exploits. However, he highlights the fact that he gained other things besides a degree from his college experience. He brings the song to a close by saying that he hopes to teach his children things that cannot be found in books. This last statement could be interpreted to mean that the sexual activity will continue to be a part of the human experience and that it cannot be entirely explained or contained in literature or any other form of communication.
Line by Line Meaning
I was doin' it when I was a colored boy of eight or nine or ten
At a young age, before even knowing much about life, I was engaging in sexual activity
I had never heard of Sigmund Freud but hell I was doin' it then
Even without any knowledge of psychology or sexuality, I was still engaging in sexual behavior
I was doin' it in my teenaged years when I was running the ghetto streets
During my teenage years, I was still engaging in sexual activity despite my surroundings and lack of proper education
Now I had never seen me no ink blot test but it still felt good to me
I never received any formal sex education, but I still enjoyed the physical aspect of it
I was doin' it when I arrived in college searching for my degree
Even in a more educated environment, I still continued to engage in sexual activity
But Lord knows a degree wasn't all I got and that's the way it's supposed to be
Although I sought out an education, I also experienced the natural desire and pleasure of sex
I hope that when I have kids of my own they really don't get shook
When I have children, I hope they are not afraid or uneducated about sex
When I tell them that there are things they've got to learn that can't be found in books.
I will explain to my children that while education is important, sexuality is also a natural part of life and a topic that they need to learn about in order to have a healthy and fulfilling life.
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: GIL SCOTT-HERON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind