Me and the Devil - Gil Scott-Heron
Gil Scott-Heron is no stranger to the music world in fact, we suffered a great loss as he passed away earlier this year. Regardless of his absence, his legacy is worth carrying on, not that we need to do it. It really stands up on its own.
Known for his spoken word in the 70s and 80s, Scott-Heron was deeply influenced by Langston Hughes. His discography is extensive spanning more than two decades. The track above was released off of a remixed album called We’re New Here produced by Jamie xx. The original album, released by Scott-Heron in 2010, was entitled I’m New Here. It was his first studio recorded album in 16 years after being in and out of prison cocaine.
Gil Scott-Heron passed away after getting sick in Europe and was admittedly HIV positive. He died on May 27, 2011.
The tragedy of such a great musician haunts this song and possibly makes it less of a song and more of a diary. And if you stick through the whole song, Scott-Heron creates a haunting finish with some spoken word.
