Before pursuing a recording career, Gil Scott-Heron focused on a writing career where he had a volume of poetry and his first novel, The Vulture, published in 1970. Jazz producer Bob Thiele encouraged Scott-Heron to record and release a live album, which he did later the same year and was received well by music critics.
Fast forward to 1971, and Pieces of a Man marks Gil’s first studio album which was recorded in RCA Studios, New York City. Released on the label Flying Dutchman Records, the album is their best-selling LP’s to date, though only earning modest success after its initial release.
Pieces of a Man has received retrospective praise from critics. Music critics have suggested that Heron’s combination of R&B, soul, jazz-funk, and proto-rap influenced the development of electronic dance music and hip hop. The album was reissued on compact disc by RCA in 1993.