Letters to Gil tells the story of Gil Scott-Heron (who had been in kinship care as a child) mentoring a young Malik Al Nasir (or Mark T. Watson as he was known then). Malik Al Nasir was born to a Welsh mother and Guyanese father and taken into care when he was 9 after his father was paralysed. He later sued the government for the way he was treated when in care. An accidental meeting between Gil Scott-Hron and Malik Al Nasir contributed significantly to Malik's becoming a performance poet and social commentator.