Gil Scott-Heron Died At 62

CNN confirmed that 62-years old Gil Scott-Heron, dubbed the "godfather of rap" for his mix of poetry and music, died Friday in New York, his publicist at XL Recordings said. Influential in R&B, spoken word, and hip-hop, Scott-Heron had a strong run of albums in the 1970s.

His 2010 album, "I'm New Here," was released to praise from critics. Scott-Heron's recording work is often associated with black militant activism and has received much critical acclaim for one of his most well-known compositions "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised".

The cause of death was not immediately reported. A friend who answered the telephone listed for his Manhattan recording company confirms he died Friday afternoon at a hospital. Scott-Heron died at 4 p.m. at a New York hospital, said Lisa Gottheil, his publicist at XL Recordings.

Dr. Drew Pinsky spoke to TMZ.com Friday to clarify that his former patient did not die from a drug overdose, as many gossip sites had reported. In a 2008 interview with New York magazine, Scott-Heron revealed he had contracted HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, after years of batting drug and alcohol addictions.

Gil Scott-Heron primarily for his late 1970s and early 1980s work as a spoken word performer and his collaborative soul works with musician Brian Jackson.