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Lupe Fiasco Writes 'Revolution' Tribute to Gil Scott-Heron

Posted May 31st 2011 6:00PM by Georgette Cline
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Lupe Fiasco is a rapper of substance, which is why he would not let the passing of Gil Scott-Heron go by without paying tribute to the hip-hop pioneer. Inspired by Scott-Heron, who Lupe called a "guiding light of a human being," the Chicago MC expressed his sentiments on his blog, using the prolific poet and musician's 1970 work, 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,' as the spark needed to ignite his own words.

In the 'Words I Never Said' creator's piece, titled 'The Television Will Not Be Revolutionized,' Fiasco rhymes about the ills seen on TV, among other things, from shows featuring "small claims court drama" to "teenage baby mamas." He also dubs the screen a "one-eyed monster" that had a hand in raising "most of the world." While the rhymer's post is rather long, the message is clear: there's more thoughtlessness that comes from television viewing than thought provocation.

Gil Scott-Heron died on Friday (May 27) at the age of 62. An admitted cocaine user and a battler of an HIV infection, the spoken-word artist was resilient and focused on his creativity, combining music and poetry and inspiring many artists after him to include spoken-word artistry into their own craft.

Read Lupe Fiasco's Tribute to Gil Scott-Heron below.

The Television Will Not Be Revolutionized.

Idiot boxes of the world unite! To fight off the effects of intelligence, replace smart quotes with fart jokes, substitute sense with scenes from Martin, let the baby's bathe in that glow and learn all manner of things they don't really need to know!

The Television Will Not Be Revolutionized!

Channel the content of some rambling nonsense deep into the annals of yo' subconscious, deprogram and depress chasing some televised success, be them, that, they and those be everything but in control,

The Television Will Not Be Revolutionized!

Small claims Court drama, teenage baby mamas, Osama watching Osama, Celebrity Endorsed indoor saunas, the perfectly cooked piraña and other cannonfodder for you to ponder, all at the speed of imitations of life while the smoke of war gets inhaled thru the peace pipes, be still my beating heart and scare my brain from thinking thoughts as i sit intoxicated by the delights, sarcasm and 3 strikes thrown by my favorite pitcher in a sound surrounded, 3 dimensional, high death, full color mixture, wholly unsocializing and completely uncensored,

The Television Will Not Be Revolutionized!

By this one-eyed monster most of the world was raised, and by this hero most of the world was saved, and to this master most of the world is slaves, it factors your fears with actors and cheers from a live studio audience pushing you to engage in a heroic act of thoughtlessness for the grand prize of a little bread, fleeting fame in the circus and every thought in yo head,

The Television Will Not Be Revolutionized!

"Ain't no changing me" said my flat screen TV, No More Che's to the rescue, or Black Panthers to correct you, just coaxial cables and satellite signals to connect you to a world that doesn't really look like it does on TV, where everything is much shorter, fatter, uglier and in disorder, where u have to do it now because there are no digital recorders where if the present gets boring you can just fast forward,

The Television Will Not Be Revolutionized!

So there will be no revolution, or paradoxically ironic televised public execution of the entire worldwide televising institution, there wont even be a celebritized, televised trial of old baby blue, cuz you see my dear friends the television will not be revolutionized but what about the revolution that should taking place inside......................of you?

By Wasalu "Lupe Fiasco" Jaco in Dedication to that guiding light of a human being Gil-Scott Heron.

Watch Lupe Fiasco's 'Words I Never Said'

Download Lupe Fiasco Songs | Buy Lupe Fiasco Albums

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Mitcholos S Touchie

Thank Lupe And Gil Scott Heron- I'm Struggling To Complete My Speeches- I Do Not Know Why- I Am Uninspired- I Look Up To These Men- I Will N.E.R.D Out On Them All Day Today... OneLove

May 31 2011 at 9:08 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply