I can't remember when I've been so astonished.

Opened the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly on Sunday — a scant few hours before I ignored the Grammy ceremony — and discovered a very fine article about Gil Scott-Heron.

Actually, Entertainment Weekly occasionally veers away from their in-depth coverage of the writing career of Lauren Conrad and does some very nice work. This is one of those times.

Many's the time I've sung Gil Scott-Heron's praises over the years. He's the all-too-frequently overlooked founder of rap — at least insofar as any one person can be said to be responsible for such a thing.

I'd be curious to know how much Kanye, Lil Wayne, Jay Z, Key$ha, Mystikal, Trey Songz, 50 Cent and Eminem could tell you about Gil Scott-Heron.

I'm betting not much.

Figures.

I assure you Chuck D and Rakim and Eric B know who he is, though. You can tell.

Throw on Scott-Heron's "B-Movie" or "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" or "Whitey On the Moon" or "Johannesburg" or "Home Is Where the Hatred" is — and prepare to have your brain roasted. Brutal, scathing, inspired stuff.

Truth told, I wasn't sure where Scott-Heron was these days, or if he was even alive. He's been in and out of prison on drug possession charges. Thanks to Entertainment Weekly, I know he's out and living in East Harlem and preparing a new CD called I'm New Here. He himself says he isn't sure whether he has AIDS, and his health doesn't appear to be great. But I wish him well.

Meanwhile, check out this video for "Me and the Devil," the first single from the new album. If you ever wanted provocative testimony that hip-hop is the next step in the evolution of the blues, watch this. It's pretty cool.

I have no idea what the circulation for EW is, but maybe this will turn some folks onto Scott-Heron's amazing talent.