- https:/sites/default/files/music/10%20-%20New%20York%20Is%20Killing%20Me.mp3
Not to be confused with Jill Scott! I made that mistake once and was laughed at. Mainly because she isn't a man, but Gil Scott-Heron is. The GSH is an American poet and musician who was prolific in the late 70's and early 80's for his spoken word, soul, blues and jazz mashup.
The GSH developed a penchant for hard drugs including and has been largely AWOL since 1982, breaking his radio silence for his album "Spirits" in 1994. He has since gone undercover and save for a few appearances in prison and drugs rehab – so much so that the king of XL records, Richard Russell, employed a bounty hunter to track him down in 2006!
Ok, maybe not a bounty hunter, but he had no make more than the normal amount of phonecalls to track him down! Now signed to XL records the home of The Prodigy, White Stripes, Vampire Weekend and Radiohead, the GSH comes back with his first album for 16 years "I'm New Nere" and its a strange an beautiful cookie. It's less than 30 minutes long and and reverts largely to his spoken word roots. It certainly worth a listen especially if you want a few moments of reflection in your busy day. I'm a particular fan of the two-part poem "On coming from a broken home" which starts and ends the album and samples Kanye West's "Flashing Lights"
This track, "New York is Killing Me" is atypical to most of the album and one of the more "conventional" songs. Let us know what you think!
K*
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