Scott Heron release date

'Godfather of Rap' announces new album will be ready in early 2010

15 September 2009 - Earlier this year we told you that Gil Scott Heron was writing and recording new music with XL recordings in London.

It’s now been confirmed that his new album will be out early next year.

Four songs have already been finished; these include A.M., I'm New Here, Me And The Devil and I'll Take Care Of You.

You can listen to tracks from the album on his website.

Gil’s often refered to as the 'Godfather of Rap', he’s also well known for his outspoken lyrics.

He explained: "As long as you pay taxes you’re political. You can pay them and not say nothing but that doesn’t mean you’re not political. I speak on things that effect me."

"To do an album, you do that out of your notebook, but to continue that as a career you need people to come and see how you in fact are".
Gil Scott Heron

He told the BBC he tries to document all aspects of life in his work.

"There’s some kindness as well as some anger, there’s some disappointment as well as some victories. You want to be 360 degress. You want to see the point of view of people who stand at all different angles on that," he explained.

After a long absence, we could soon be seeing him back on stage: "To do an album, you do that out of your notebook, but to continue that as a career you need people to come and see how you, in fact, are".

But the musician feels there's a fine balance in the way you go about it.

"There has to become some consistency there so they recognise your voice and your tone of voice, and your sarcasm and your poking fun at things, because all of those things are part of people’s lives," Gil added.

Alex Waez