Over at Cuepoint today, author Marcus Baram offers scenery from his new book Gil Scott-Heron: Pieces of a Man, explaining the origins of his seminal track, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.” Aside from being a classic record in itself, the song has been sampled on hip-hop tracks such as Common & DJ Premier’s “The 6th Sense,” Jay Electronica’s “Exhibit C,” Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth’s “It’s On You,” and Masta Ace’s “Take A Look Around,” among others.

Why Gil Scott-Heron Wrote “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”