Kanye Performs at Gil Scott-Heron Memorial

A memorial service in honors of the recently-passed away music legend Gil Scott-Heron was held in Harlem’s Riverside Church today. Kanye West was one of the artists that paid respect to the spoken word artist. ‘Ye performed an emotional rendition of “Lost in the World” that samples the refrain “Who will survive in America?” from Scott-Heron’s well-known poem, “Comment #1.”

Furthermore, three of Scott-Heron’s frequent backup musicians turned in a moving performance of “Better Days Ahead” and “The Bottle.” In addition, Grammy-winning producer Malcolm Cecil, Abiodun Oyewole of the Last Poets, Scott-Heron’s wife of 10 years Brenda Sykes, daughter Gia-Scott Heron, and assorted family and friends were in attendance. The emotional highlight was given by Scott-Heron’s daughter Gia who read the prose “Time” in honors of her father and sang “The Rose” by Amanda McBroom, popularized by Bette Midler.

Source: Billboard