Gylan Kain facts for kids
Gylan Kain (born in 1942, died in 2024) was an American poet and playwright. He was born in New York and later passed away in the Netherlands.
In 1968, Kain helped start a famous group called the Original Last Poets. He was known for creating a strong, rhythmic way of performing poetry, which we now call spoken word. He often used hand drums or played with musicians like saxophonists and bass guitarists during his performances.
Music and Collaborations
Sometimes, parts of Kain's performances were used in songs by well-known artists without his permission. For example, the group The Prodigy used a piece of his work in their song Voodoo People. Also, Dr. Dre used a part of Kain's poem "The Shalimar" in the intro to his album "The Chronic."
After The Prodigy used his work, Kain was able to get paid for it. The Prodigy's team said they tried to find Kain to ask for permission, but he was hard to reach because he liked his privacy. However, Dr. Dre has not yet paid Kain for using his work without asking first.
Kain also worked with other artists. He did multimedia projects with percussionist Z'EV. He also appeared with a Dutch jazz and hip-hop group called Electric Barbarian. He was featured on their album él in 2004.
His Family
Gylan Kain's daughter, Amber Kain, is an actress and playwright. His adopted son, Khalil Kain, is an actor. Khalil is well-known for playing the character "Raheem" in the 1992 movie Juice, which also starred 2Pac.
His Albums
- 1970 – KAIN: The Blue Guerrilla
- 1997 – Baby Kain: Feel This
- 2004 – Electric Barbarian: él
Films About Him
- 1971 – Right On!: Poetry on Film (featuring the Original Last Poets). Directed by Herbert Danska.
- 1990 – Wings of Fame. Directed by Otakar Votocek.
- 1995 – The Turner Revelation directed by Aryan Kaganof
- 1995 – Reflections on Dead Weight directed by Aryan Kaganof
- 2018 – "Ultramarine" directed by Vincent Meessen (Belgium)
