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I am a black man dedicated to expression expression of the joy and pride of blackness. I consider myself neither poet, composer, or musician. These are merely tools used by sensitive men to carve out a piece of beauty or truth that they hope may lead to peace and salvation.

Gil Scott-Heron

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Gil Scott-Heron
Age: 62 †
Born: 1949
Born: April 1
Died: 2011
Died: May 27
Composer
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Performing Artist
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Poet
Rapper
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Chicago
Illinois
Glibert Scott-Heron
Gil Scott Heron
Gilbert Scott-Heron
Men
Joy
Merely
Blackness
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Peace
Neither
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Hope
Lead
Sensitive
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Salvation
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More quotes by Gil Scott-Heron

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Nobody can do everything, but everybody can do something.
Gil Scott-Heron
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I work hard at it [delivery of lyrics], just like I worked hard at getting my masters degree. It's not just something I sit down and do. You have to learn and keep learning.
Gil Scott-Heron
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Every once in a while, you live long enough to get the respect that people didn't want to give while you were trying to become a senior citizen.
Gil Scott-Heron
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If someone comes to you and asks for help, and you can help them, you're supposed to help them. Why wouldn't you? You have been put in the position somehow to be able to help this person.
Gil Scott-Heron
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I tour more than I need to, more than is good for you. But it's my favorite part of music. I much prefer it to studio work.
Gil Scott-Heron
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All the dreams you show up in are not your own.
Gil Scott-Heron
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I was born in Chicago, but I was raised in a town called Jackson, Tennessee. And a lot of these changes that were necessary and talked about it as important have been made, like, people go to school where they want to go. They work for equal pay, they work for - they can go school and have an equal shot at a job.
Gil Scott-Heron
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Everything that's bad for you catches on too quickly in America, because that's the easiest thing to get people to invest in, the pursuits that are easy and destructive, the ones that bring out the least positive aspects of people.
Gil Scott-Heron
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Paul Robeson once said that the artist has the responsibility to either help liberate the community or further oppress it. And I think that when Eldridge Cleaver wrote it down it was interpreted as his, but there's a history of people saying things of that nature and meaning it. And what I do is in that tradition, in that mode.
Gil Scott-Heron
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A good poet feels what his community feels. Like if you stub your toe, the rest of your body hurts.
Gil Scott-Heron
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The way you get to know yourself is by the expression on other people's faces.
Gil Scott-Heron
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If we meet somebody who has never made a mistake, lets help them start a religion. Until then, were just going to meet other humans and help to make each other better.
Gil Scott-Heron
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If you aren't having no fun, die, because you're running a worthless program, far as I'm concerned.
Gil Scott-Heron
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America .. the international Jekyll and Hyde ... the land of a thousand disguises, sneaks up on you but rarely surprises
Gil Scott-Heron
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I think a whole lot of stuff gets by people - I could name half a dozen groups that do songs that are openly supportive of experimentation with drugs, nobody ever said anything to them.
Gil Scott-Heron
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I don't see any independent position that I'm in it's rather inter-dependent.
Gil Scott-Heron
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I would say if you are familiar with our history and the history of our art and literature that you see a clear cut pattern of people wanting to contribute, not only artistically, but in some practical purpose, for the benefits of the community.
Gil Scott-Heron
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The first revolution is when you change your mind
Gil Scott-Heron
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I find it not just strange but almost ridiculous that people could take a song like the one I was doing and interpret it is corroding anything. Folks have the feeling that oftentimes if you don't talk about something it will go away.
Gil Scott-Heron
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Every show that sells out is like a hero's welcome for me.
Gil Scott-Heron