Legendary musician Gil Scott-Heron, remembered by many for laying the groundwork for modern rap and hip-hop music, passed away last weekend at St. Luke's Hospital in New York City after falling ill following a trip to Europe. He was 62 years of age.

Scott-Heron has often been referred to as the "Godfather of Rap," for his use of the spoken word in music, though he rejected the title himself.  "If there was any individual initiative that I was responsible for it might have been that there was music in certain poems of mine, with complete progression and repeating `hooks,' which made them more like songs than just recitations with percussion," Heron wrote in his 1990 book of poetry, "Now and Then." He has also been called the "Black Bob Dylan."

An accomplished (and published) author, Scott-Heron began his recording career in 1970 when he released the album "Small Talk at 125th and Lenox."  The track "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" is perhaps Scott-Heron's most critically-acclaimed and best remebered work.  He continued working in music throughout his life, releasing his 15th and final record, "I'm New Here," just last year.

Scott-Heron has been cited as an influence by many of the biggest names in hip-hop, and his work has been sampled by  a number of top artists including Kanye West.  Upon hearing of his death, artists from Public Enemy's Chuck D to Usher to Eminem took to their Twitter accounts over the weekend to remember the legendary musician.