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Slick Rick

Born in London, England

Slick Rick's Genre:

East Coast Rap, Hardcore Rap, Golden Age, Rap

Biography

Slick Rick foreshadowed and epitomized the pimpster attitude of many rappers during the late '80s and early '90s, with gold chains, his trademark eye-patch, and recordings that were no less misogynistic -- "Treat Her Like a Prostitute," for example, became an underground hit in 1988, though it was justly criticized for its view of women. His 1989 album, The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, was a certified-platinum classic, but before he could record a follow-up, Slick Rick was arrested for attempted murder. Out on bail thanks to Def Jam Records' label head Russell Simmons, Rick recorded The Ruler's Back in three weeks and released the album in 1991. After his release from prison two years later, he recorded Behind Bars for a 1994 release.

Born to Jamaican parents in South Wimbledon, London, on January 14, 1965, Ricky Walters was blinded by broken glass as an infant and took to wearing an eyepatch from an early age. He emigrated with his family to the Bronx in the late '70s and attended the La Guardia High School of Music & Art, where he became friends with future rapper Dana Dane. The two formed the Kangol Crew, and began performing in hip-hop battles around the city. At one 1984 battle in the Bronx, Rick met Doug E. Fresh, and began playing with his Get Fresh Crew (which also included Chill Will and Barry Bee). Fresh's number four R&B hit, "The Show," exploded just one year later, and MC Ricky D. -- as Rick was then known -- leaped to a solo contract two years later, after an acquaintance with Russell Simmons led to his signing to Def Jam Records, the biggest label in hip-hop at the time.

Slick Rick recorded his debut record, The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, and released the album in 1988. "Treat Her like a Prostitute" became a sensation on the streets but R&B radio stations were understandably reluctant to play the track; instead, they pushed his duet with Al B. Sure!, "If I'm Not Your Lover," and it made number two in 1989. "Children's Story" hit the R&B Top Five that same year, but early in 1990, Slick Rick was arrested after shooting at his cousin -- who allegedly harassed Rick's mother -- and leading police on a high-speed cruise. Before his sentencing, 21 songs were recorded and hastily released as The Ruler's Back. The album failed to move at all, though Rick's confession track "I Shouldn't Have Done It" scraped the R&B charts later in 1991. Featured in the rap documentary The Show (released in 1995) -- in a segment where Russell Simmons actually visits the prison -- Slick Rick was released on a work program in 1996, although his Behind Bars album appeared in 1994. Art of Storytelling was issued in 1999, an artistically successful comeback that paired him with MC's like Outkast and Snoop Dogg but did more the emphasize his talents as a solo artist.

While performing live on a Florida cruise ship in the summer of 2002, INS officials seized the rapper and brought him to a prison. Although the organization had unsuccessfully been trying to deport Rick since 1991, they finally appealed enough times to get the Board of Immigration Appeals to make a ruling in favor of sending him back to England. Although his wife, children, and parents are all American citizens, the fact that Rick was born in England is enough of a technicality to warrant his deportation. The situation was even more frustrating because of the INS's insistance on deporting the rapper, spending more than ten years trying to send him back despite the ridiculous circumstances surrounding the situation. His parents had lived in London because of their job situation, and moved him back to the United States at the age of 11. He had never bothered to change his citizenship because of the young age at which he had been relocated. Held in prison through the end of the year, famous friends like Russell Simmons and Will Smith attempted to help his cause but he was continually refused bail. ~ John Bush

AOL Radio Stations Slick Rick is Featured on (9)

Old School Rap

Yo, yo, it's Old School Rap radio taking you on a ride to when hip-hop was in its truest form. Rhymin', beatboxing and the dopest beats ever made. From Run-DMC to Snoop Doggy Dogg, you'll only hear the illest joints on this station.

Backpack Rap

The term "backpack rap" provokes many different reactions. Some hip hop fans think of it as pretentious, while others find it truly authentic. Slacker's Backpack Rap features tracks from classic artists like the Native Tongues collective through contemporary poets like those on the Def Jux roster. Lyricists and the craft; less boasting, more reality--that's Backpack Rap on Slacker.

Arnette Audio

Welcome to Arnette Audio, brought to you by Arnette Eyewear, a station for artists that were bold enough to do things differently and ended up changing the game—from A Tribe Called Quest to Blink 182 to the Beastie Boys . That’s why we still turn their songs up to ten. That’s what it means to Live Arnette.

Masters Of Hip Hop

This station represents the G.O.A.T. of hip hop. Your Slacker curators have created a station with only two criteria: is it one of the greatest hip hop tracks of all time? And is it from one of the greatest MCs of all time? If the answer is yes to both, then you'll hear it on Slacker's Masters Of Hip Hop. Only the hottest jams and biggest hits from 4 decades of rap and hip hop.

SVP & Russillo Music Show

SVP & Russillo play the music they love and it’s all right here. You’ll hear music from the show while Scott Van Pelt and Ryen Russillo take you inside the studio and share how the show decides what makes the cut. Plus… Dan “The Duke” Davis raps, visits from “The Pulse of the Nation” and other moments from the show.

Underground Hip Hop

Underground Hip Hop is something that rap fans could easily define in the 90's. However, as rap music has grown, it has branched off into many sub-genres. So, to keep it simple, this station features artists you won't find too often in the mainstream. It features true lyricism, bangin' beats, dj's cutting up vinyl, and music that embraces the original gritty sound made popular in the mid 90's. The station spans the 80's, 90's and today. Yes, underground hip hop is alive and well today. You'll find it right here.

'90s Hip Hop

'90s Hip Hop on Slacker Radio is dedicated to the era when Hip Hop became a worldwide music revolution. You'll hear the bling-bling sounds of the South, the West Coast G-Funk and the hardcore East Coast rhymes. Artists include everything from the one hit wonders to the genre-defining greats like The Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac, Nas, Dr. Dre and many more.

Hip Hop

Hip Hop not only represents a genre of music, but a social culture. It’s the collective talent of all the artists that have made it what it is today. On Hip Hop on Slacker you’ll hear deeper album cuts as well as the hits, including Jay-Z, Run DMC, Kanye West, Notorious B.I.G and Common. The evolution of Hip Hop is here on Slacker.

Slick Rick

This station plays the best music from and music from related artists like Eric B. & Rakim, Naughty by Nature, N.W.A, Run DMC, Ice Cube, Digital Underground, LL Cool J, Geto Boys, Public Enemy, Wu-Tang Clan and more.

All Stations

Slick Rick's Selected Discography (13)

The Great Adventures of Slick Rick Album Cover

Artists Related to Slick Rick (50)

	Eric B. & Rakim	They never had a mainstream hit of their own, but during rap's so-called golden age in the late '80s, Eric B.
	Naughty by Nature	Naughty by Nature pulled off the neat trick of landing big, instantly catchy anthems on the pop charts while maintaining their street-level credibility among the hardcore rap faithful; one of the first groups to successfully perform such a balancing act.
	N.W.A	N.W.A, the unapologetically violent and sexist pioneers of gangsta rap, are in many ways the most notorious group in the history of rap.
	Run DMC	More than any other hip-hop group, Run-D.M.C. are responsible for the sound and style of the music. As the first hardcore rap outfit, the trio set the sound and style for the next decade of rap.
	Ice Cube	Ice Cube was the first member of the seminal California rap group N.W.A. to leave, and he quickly established himself as one of hip-hop's best and most controversial artists.
	Digital Underground	While hip-hop was consumed by the hardcore, noisy political rap of Public Enemy and the gangsta rap of N.
	LL Cool J	Hip-hop is notorious for short-lived careers, but LL Cool J is the inevitable exception that proves the rule.
	Geto Boys	Though the controversial subject matter of gangsta rap wasn't much of a barrier to popular success during the '90s, the Geto Boys' recordings proved almost too extreme for widespread exposure.
	Public Enemy	Public Enemy rewrote the rules of hip-hop, becoming the most influential and controversial rap group of the late '80s and, for many, the definitive rap group of all time.
	Wu-Tang Clan	Emerging in 1993, when Dr. Dre's G-funk had overtaken the hip-hop world, the Staten Island, New York-based Wu-Tang Clan proved to be the most revolutionary rap group of the mid-'90s -- and only partially because of their music.
	Nas	Beginning with his classic debut, Illmatic (1994), Nas stood tall for years as one of New York City's leading rap voices, outspokenly expressing a righteous, self-empowered swagger that endeared him to critics and hip-hop purists.
	The Notorious B.I.G.	In just a few short years, the Notorious B.I.G. went from a Brooklyn street hustler to the savior of East Coast hip-hop to a tragic victim of the culture of violence he depicted so realistically on his records.
	EPMD	On the surface, the sample-reliant productions and monotone rapping styles of Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith had little to recommend them, but the duo's recordings as EPMD were among the best in hip-hop's underground during the late '80s and early '90s.
	Big Daddy Kane	Emerging during hip-hop's massive creative expansion of the late '80s, Big Daddy Kane was the ultimate lover man of rap's first decade, yet there was more to him than the stylish wardrobe, gold jewelry, and sophisticated charisma.
	Method Man	Method Man was the first -- and biggest -- solo star to emerge from the groundbreaking Wu-Tang Clan.
	Dr. Dre	More than any other rapper, Dr. Dre was responsible for moving away from the avant-noise and political stance of Public Enemy and Boogie Down Productions as well as the party vibes of old-school rap.
	Snoop Dogg	As the embodiment of '90s gangsta rap, Snoop Dogg blurred the lines between reality and fiction. Introduced to the world through Dr.
	2Pac	2Pac became the unlikely martyr of gangsta rap, and a tragic symbol of the toll its lifestyle exacted on urban black America.
	Too Short	Born in Los Angeles, but an Oakland resident by the age of 14, Too Short was the first West Coast rap star, recording three albums on his own before he made his major-label debut with 1988's gold album Born to Mack; his next four all went platinum.
	Doug E. Fresh	The first human beatbox in the rap world, and still the best of all time, Doug E. Fresh amazed audiences with his note-perfect imitations of drum machines, effects, and often large samples of hip-hop classics.
	DJ Quik	One of the premier West Coast gangsta rap artists of the early '90s, DJ Quik was a rapper as well as a producer whose career carried on well into the next decade, as he put his career aside and began working primarily as a beat-maker.
	Redman	Never quite a superstar, Redman was nonetheless one of the most off-the-wall, beloved, and enduring rappers of the '90s and 2000s.
	A Tribe Called Quest	Without question the most intelligent, artistic rap group during the 1990s, A Tribe Called Quest jump-started and perfected the hip-hop alternative to hardcore and gangsta rap.
	Ice-T	Ice-T (born Tracy Morrow) has proven to be one of hip-hop's most articulate and intelligent stars, as well as one of its most frustrating.
	Scarface	Scarface quickly became the South's most admired rapper and remained so throughout the '90s after breaking away from the Geto Boys to launch his solo career in 1991.
	Cypress Hill	Cypress Hill were notable for being the first Latino hip-hop superstars, but they became notorious for their endorsement of marijuana, which actually isn't a trivial thing.
	Biz Markie	Biz Markie's inclination toward juvenile humor and his fondness for goofy, tuneless, half-sung choruses camouflaged his true talents as a freestyle rhymer.
	Busta Rhymes	The most idiosyncratic personality in rap and possessor of its most recognizable delivery, a halting, ragga-inspired style with incredible complexity, inventiveness, and humor, Busta Rhymes formed Leaders of the New School in 1990 and released two albums with the group before breaking out with a 1996 solo hit single, "Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check.
	2 Live Crew	No rap group (save, perhaps, N.W.A) has stirred more controversy or provoked more heated debate than the 2 Live Crew.
	Mobb Deep	As golden age rap suddenly gave way to West Coast gangsta in the early '90s, an East Coast variety of hardcore rap arose in turn, with Mobb Deep initially standing tall as one of New York's hardcore figureheads on the basis of their epochal album The Infamous.
	Ol' Dirty Bastard	One of the founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan, who recorded some of the most influential hip-hop of the '90s, Ol' Dirty Bastard was the loose cannon of the group, both on record and off.
	OutKast	OutKast's blend of gritty Southern soul, fluid raps, and the low-slung funk of their Organized Noize production crew epitomized the Atlanta wing of hip-hop's rising force, the Dirty South, during the mid to late '90s.
	DMX	Following the deaths of Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G., DMX took over as the undisputed reigning king of hardcore rap.
	Eazy-E	Whether as a member of N.W.A., a solo act, or a label head, Eazy-E was one of the most controversial figures in gangsta rap.
	De La Soul	At the time of its 1989 release, De La Soul's debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, was hailed as the future of hip-hop.
	Warren G	Born Warren Griffin III, Warren G exploded out of the burgeoning Long Beach rap scene in 1994 with the smash single "Regulate," a duet with longtime friend Nate Dogg, and its accompanying album, Regulate.
	KRS-One	KRS-One (born Kris Parker) was the leader of Boogie Down Productions, one of the most influential hardcore hip-hop outfits of the '80s.
	Sir Mix-A-Lot	Inextricably linked with his pop culture touchstone "Baby Got Back," Sir Mix-A-Lot parlayed a gonzo tribute to women with large buttocks into hip-hop immortality, even despite his failure to score another hit of its magnitude.
	Bone Thugs-N-Harmony	Graced with a quick and sometimes sung delivery, along with a unique sense of melody, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony burst out of Cleveland, Ohio in the mid-'90s with a pair of massive hits ("Thuggish Ruggish Bone" and "Tha Crossroads") along with a great first album, as well as a successful follow-up, and then quickly unraveled.
	Fugees	The Fugees translated an intriguing blend of jazz-rap, R&B, and reggae into huge success during the mid-'90s, when the trio's sophomore album The Score hit number one on the pop charts and sold over five million copies.
	Black Sheep	Remembered for a couple of striking singles and their membership in the Native Tongues family of groups, Black Sheep also recorded one of rap music's most entertaining debuts, A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing.
	Big Punisher	The first solo Latino rapper to go platinum, Big Punisher was also yet another member of the hip-hop community to fall victim to an early death -- though in his case, it was due to health problems, not violence.
	Gang Starr	The most influential MC-and-DJ tandem of the 1990s, Gang Starr set new standards for East Coast rap with a pair of early-'90s touchstones, Step in the Arena (1991) and Daily Operation (1992), whose appeal has only grown over the decades.
	Boogie Down Productions	Boogie Down Productions was one of the most important and influential hip-hop groups of the latter half of the '80s.
	DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince	To many present-day listeners, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince are best-remembered for launching the superstar music/acting career of the latter, now known by his real name of Will Smith.
	Onyx	Onyx's shouting, in-your-face brand of high-volume rapping proved to be more at home in the slam pit than on the dancefloor and brought the rap quartet instant chart success.
	Junior M.A.F.I.A.	Junior Masters at Finding Intelligent Attitudes, or Junior M.A.F.I.A., were able to grab instant notoriety with two hit singles, "Get Money" and "Player's Anthem," thanks to their childhood crony and producer, the Notorious B.
	Mase	Best known as Puff Daddy's favorite sidekick, Mase secured his place as a Bad Boy label favorite through a series of guest appearances on hit singles by other artists.
	Queen Latifah	Queen Latifah was certainly not the first female rapper, but she was the first one to become a bona fide star.
	Das EFX	Das EFX's wildly playful, rapid-fire stuttering -- dense with rhymes and nonsense words -- was one of the most distinctive and influential lyrical styles in early-'90s hip-hop.