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.
evolution
Gil Scott-Heron Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Until 1865, a slave
In 1900 I was a nigger
Or at least, that was my name
In 1960 I was a negro
And then brother Malcom came along
And then some nigger shot Malcom down
Martin is dead
With Martin as our leader
We prayed, and marched
And marched, and prayed
Things were changing
Things were getting better
But things were not together
With Malcom as our leader,
We learned
And thought
And thought we had learned
Things were better
Things were changing
But things were not together
And now it is your turn,
We are tired of praying, and marching, and thinking, and learning
Brothers wanna start cutting, and shooting, and stealing, and burning
You are three hundred years ahead in equality
But next summer may be too late
To look back
In 1600 I was a darkie
And until 1865 a slave
In 1900 I was a nigger
Or at least that was my name
In 1960 I was a negro
And then Malcom came along
Yes, but some nigger shot Malcom down
Though the bitter truth lives on
Well now I am a black man
And though I still go second class
Where as once I wanted the white man's love
Now he can kiss my ass
The lyrics of Gil Scott-Heron's song "Evolution" are a powerful commentary on the marginalized history of African Americans, showcasing how their societal status and names have changed over the centuries. The song begins with a prologue, describing how in 1600, African Americans were called "darkies" and were then enslaved until the Civil War ended in 1865. In 1900, they were known as "niggers," and in 1960, they were called "Negroes." During this decade, Malcolm X rose to prominence as an influential voice in the Civil Rights Movement, ultimately leading to his assassination by another black man. With Martin Luther King Jr. as their leader, African Americans marched and prayed for change, but this wasn't enough as King was eventually assassinated as well.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the change in the singer's identity, first as a darkie, then a slave, a nigger, a Negro, and now as a black man. Though things have changed over the years, and there have been advances in equality, the song suggests that perhaps not enough has changed. The final stanza emphasizes the frustration and anger the singer has felt during this long and difficult struggle for equality. He states that he no longer wants the white man's love and instead suggests that the white man can "kiss my ass." The song poignantly deals with the psychological scars left behind by the legacy of slavery and oppression and calls for a more radical approach to achieving true equality.
Line by Line Meaning
In 1600 I was a darkie
I existed as a person of dark skin color in the year 1600
Until 1865, a slave
I was enslaved until the year 1865
In 1900 I was a nigger
In the year 1900 I was referred to using a derogatory term for black people
Or at least, that was my name
People commonly referred to me using a derogatory name but that was not my actual name
In 1960 I was a negro
In the year 1960, I was referred to as a 'negro,' a term which was seen as a more acceptable reference for black people
And then brother Malcom came along
Malcom X became a prominent figure in the Civil Rights Movement
And then some nigger shot Malcom down
Malcom X was assassinated by an unknown person
But the bitter truth lives on
The sad reality continues to exist and influence society despite Malcom X's death
Martin is dead
Martin Luther King Jr. is deceased
With Martin as our leader
Martin Luther King Jr. was a prominent leader in the Civil Rights Movement
We prayed, and marched
We participated in religious and peaceful protests to fight for our freedom
And marched, and prayed
We continued the act of protesting and participating in religious practices
Things were changing
The movement was making progress
Things were getting better
Our situation was slowly improving
But things were not together
Despite the progress, our society was still heavily divided
With Malcom as our leader,
Malcom X became another leader in the Civil Rights Movement
We learned
We sought knowledge and information on how to progress
And thought
We reflected and contemplated on our experiences and how to move forward
And thought we had learned
We believed we had gained sufficient knowledge and experience to initiate progress
Things were better
Our movement was making more progress and gaining support
Things were changing
The movement was progressing at a faster pace
But things were not together
Despite the progress, our society was still heavily divided
And now it is your turn,
The younger generation must take on the fight for progress
We are tired of praying, and marching, and thinking, and learning
We are exhausted from the constant pursuit of progress, and we need young people to take on the fight
Brothers wanna start cutting, and shooting, and stealing, and burning
Some individuals are becoming impatient with the lack of progress and are resorting to extreme measures to bring attention to the issue
You are three hundred years ahead in equality
Society has made progress, and young people have more resources to make change than previous generations
But next summer may be too late
The fight for progress is urgent, and there is no time to waste
To look back
We must move forward to create a better future
Well now I am a black man
I am identifying myself as a black person
And though I still go second class
Despite progress, discrimination still exists
Where as once I wanted the white man's love
I used to seek validation and approval from the white community
Now he can kiss my ass
I no longer seek validation from the white community and refuse to bow down to their expectations
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: GIL SCOTT HERON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind