Gil Scott-Heron

I was listening to Radio 6 the other day when Gil Scott-Heron's new single came on, "Me and the Devil." The impact was immediate: it caught me, put its hands around my neck, and then tried to throttle the living crap out of me. This isn't some song which sounds okay on a first listen and then may gradually grow on you over time. This song grabs you by the balls. Now I had no idea who the composer was, just that he was supposedly the "Godfather of Rap." So I did a little research. "Me and the Devil" is from Scott-Heron's first album in over fifteen years. He's been in and out of prison since 2001 for various drug-related charges, most of them for possession of cocaine. He's been making music since 1969, his biggest hit to date being "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" from 1971. He's now 60 years old. Well if this new single is a good representation of the album that's to come, the game most certainly isn't up yet for Mr. Scott-Heron. Phenomenal.