"Godfather of Rap" Gil Scott-Heron dead at 62

Musician, author and poet Gil Scott Heron, well-known for his 1970 single "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," died Friday afternoon (5/27) in a New York City hospital, according to published reports.

The exact cause of death has not yet been revealed, though fans have known about the soul and jazz musician's long-time struggle with drug addiction and his HIV positive status for some time.

The Chicago native made a name for himself in the early '70s with an inventive style of mixing his syncopated delivery and music with his revolutionary poetry, leading to the nicknames "Godfather of Rap" and "The People's Poet." His 1970 debut album, "Small Talk at 125th and Lenox," was recorded in a New York City nightclub on that street corner, leading to the set's moniker.

Over the years, Scott-Heron -- who never bought into his reputation as a hip-hop forefather -- released 14 more albums, including last year's "I'm New Here." A mixture of blues and spoken word, the XL Recordings effort marked the artist's first collection of new material in 16 years. Jamie xx of The xx released a remix of the album in February.

Many in the music world have made mention of Scott-Heron's passing in recent Twitter postings, including Radiohead, Common and Public Enemy's Chuck D. Enimem tweeted, "RIP Gil Scott-Heron. He influenced all of hip-hop," while Usher messaged, "I just learned of the loss of a very important poet R.I.P. Gil Scott Heron. The revolution will be live!!"