Video: Gil Scott-Heron, “New York is Killing Me”

September 28, 2010


There's no better way to visually express New York's oppressive heft than through the turgid monotony of the subway tunnels. How did director Chris Cunningham know this? He is British, but then he's an artist, too—this is his second video to grace the halls of MOMA, where it premiered last night, the first being his award-winning robot fantasia for Bjork's "All is Full of Love." This clip is similarly cold and distant, and to be honest we're catching some Lynch Fire Walk With Me vibes (happy 20th anniversary, Fire Walk With Me). But then there's no better analogue to the oppressive heft than the troubled genius Gil Scott-Heron, who never said or sang a word we didn't believe. The best thing about both is that the grit don't lie. (via Nah Right)

Video: Gil Scott-Heron, “New York is Killing Me”