They don’t make them like Gil Scott-Heron anymore. Artists are scared to speak up these days. They see what happened to the Dixie Chicks, so they stay mum. It’s why a song like “Katrina Clap” on Mos Def’s Tru3 Magic is almost startling. There’s no such thing as public censuring via music artists anymore since artists rarely muster up the fortitude to touch on social matters these days - at least not with any venom. Some say that musicians should stick to playing music, but that’s not how it used to be.

The 60s and 70s were flooded with artists that had intelligent things to say about the status quo and did so through their music, whether it was Marvin asking, “What’s Goin’ On?” or Edwin Star posing his own question about “War”.

Gil was a profound pioneer of this era, even if he isn’t widely recognized as one. Maybe he was too sharp, too honest, too forthright. “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” (from Gil’s 1970 debut album, Small Talk at 125th and Lenox) might be...