Brother

Gil Scott-HeronGil Scott-Heron 

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Gil Scott-Heron

Gilbert "Gil" Scott-Heron (April 1, 1949 – May 27, 2011) was an American soul and jazz poet, musician, and author, known primarily for his work as a spoken word performer in the 1970s and '80s. His collaborative efforts with musician Brian Jackson featured a musical fusion of jazz, blues, and soul, as well as lyrical content concerning social and political issues of the time, delivered in both rapping and melismatic vocal styles by Scott-Heron. His own term for himself was "bluesologist", which he defined as "a scientist who is concerned with the origin of the blues." His music, most notably on Pieces of a Man and Winter in America in the early 1970s, influenced and helped engender later African-American music genres such as hip hop and neo soul. more »

Year:

1970

2:36

66 Views

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We deal in too many externals, brother
Always afro's, handshakes and dashikis
Never can a man build a working structure for black capitalism
Always does the man read Mao or Fanon

I think I know you would-be black revolutionaries too well
Standing on a box on the corner, talking about blowing the white man away
That's now where it's at yet, brother

Calling this man an Uncle Tom and telling this woman to get an afro
But you won't speak to her if she looks like hell, now will you brother
Some of us been checking your act out kinda close

And by now its looking kinda shaky
The way you been rushin' people with your super black bag
Jumping down on some black men with both feet cause they're after their B-A
But you're never around when your BA is in danger, I mean your black ass
I think it was a little too easy for you to forget that you were a negro before Malcolm
You drove your white girl through the village every Friday night
While the grassroots stared in envy and drank wine, do you remember?
You need to get your memory banks organized brother.

Show that man you call an Uncle Tom just where he's wrong
Show that woman that you're a sincere black man
All we need to do is see you shut up and be black
Help that woman
Help that man
That's what brothers are for brother.

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