Slick Rick!

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Reveal your inner thoughts and deeply-hid emotions about my favorite rapper of them all.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 20:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Da Art of Storytelling is about 1/2 of a great album, but seeing him do La Di Da Di and the Show live with Doug E. Fresh was one of the greatest live-show experiences I've ever had.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 5 March 2003 20:31 (twenty-two years ago)

College roadtrip listening to Tears for Fears, Sam Cooke's reissued live album, and "Six minutes...six minutes, Doug E. Fresh, you're on." My blue-blood college roommate got hooked, and now I call him up and we give a big growl like Tony the Tiger.

― Neudonym, Wednesday, 5 March 2003 20:33 (twenty-two years ago)

i used to listen to slick rick back in fifth grade (88-89) and i knew all the words to that song where the girls crabs sing a song (is that how it goes? it's been a long time).

lil kids shouldn't be listening to such filth

― JasonD (JasonD), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 20:39 (twenty-two years ago)

The original 12" of "The Show" b/w "La-Di-Da-Di" was one of the first records I bought and loved to death. My hero Detroit dj Electrifying Mojo played the heck out of it. I made my mom take me to the local mall's crappy ass Musicland and they didn't have it so we special ordered it. It remains a top 10 all-time single for me, and I can still recite MC Ricky D's (as he was known) raps on both sides.

For some reason I never got that into Great Adventures. I know it gets tons of respect. I mean I definitely like it but it just wasn't the same as that magical early single. Maybe I missed Doug E. Fresh.

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 20:39 (twenty-two years ago)

I've only got his first album (3 bucks on cassette at PYE or something) and its great. Admittedly nasty, profane, absurd or whatever but easy to listen to. Laugh at or laugh with or just dance. Great. Classic.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 20:40 (twenty-two years ago)

"All Alone (No One to Be With)" is now one of my favorite all-time tracks, and I am a bit embarassed to say that i first heard it on the EBTG backtomine.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 20:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Was listening to Great Adventures the other day and re-appreciated it; his flow always holds my attention, rhythmically interesting and smoooooth. On 'The Moment I Feared', esp., he rides the beat really well--complex and simple at the same time (which is something I strive for in any music I create)

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 20:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I still hear faint echoes of Slick Rick's accent in the styles of 100% non-British MCs.

The most blatant accent-biters, of course, were the guys from Black Sheep, but Snoop gives them a run for their fake British money at times.

― EC, Wednesday, 5 March 2003 21:08 (twenty-two years ago)

"The Ruler's Back" is one of my favorite albums of all time. I could spend hours trying to decipher all the words. I love him.

― Jess Hill (jesshill), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 21:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Could it be? Have we found the universal solvent, the one true rapper that everyILMer loves? Could it be Sl---[rest of post deleted to avoid jinx]

― Neudonym, Wednesday, 5 March 2003 21:14 (twenty-two years ago)

My hero Detroit dj Electrifying Mojo...

YEAH!

(Or should I say 'WHOA'?!)

― Andy K (Andy K), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 21:19 (twenty-two years ago)

damn, that black sheep - slick rick connection maks so much sense! now i have to dig out both albums again.

i find the production on 'great adventures' pretty dated, but the rhymes are so great that you can pretty much overlook it.

― Dave M. (rotten03), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 21:51 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't understand why "dated" should be a mark against it (or anything for that matter).

― Amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 21:53 (twenty-two years ago)

(I picture Amateurist walking around w/a big fedora, Beatle boots, a Hypercolor t-shirt, and polyester bell-bottoms while listening to music on his transistor radio)

Some things are classic, they are always in fashion. Other things are played out after a few months. I have no idea what differentiates the two, but I'm pretty sure it's a subjective thing.

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 22:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Could it be? Have we found the universal solvent, the one true rapper that everyILMer loves?

"Let's not start sucking each others' dicks just yet, gentleman"

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 5 March 2003 23:06 (twenty-two years ago)

So what was the place of Slick Rick in the hiphop universe c. 1987-88? Was he perceived as reactionary? Progressive? Irrevelant? Remember this is the era of Public Enemy and NWA, etc.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 6 March 2003 20:01 (twenty-two years ago)

one month passes...

Aaww, Amateurist beat me to it. Classic. Cos he's English (kind of)!!!

Hey Young World is great, and reminds me of that A.R.E. Weapons song.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Tuesday, 15 April 2003 08:54 (twenty-two years ago)

what is going on with his deportation from the US? last i heard it was being appealed.

― H (Heruy), Tuesday, 15 April 2003 09:10 (twenty-two years ago)

oh yeah, Slick Rick was great, still sometimes find myself breaking into la di da di while working

― H (Heruy), Tuesday, 15 April 2003 09:13 (twenty-two years ago)

seven months pass...

I'm reviving this for a second time! More love for Ricky.

Why are songs like "A Teenage Love" and "Hey Young World" so sad and moving? It's some sort of magic!

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Friday, 12 December 2003 16:24 (twenty-one years ago)

80s synths in emotional manipulation shocker!!

― not being the madd rapper but mad at rap niggas shocker, Friday, 12 December 2003 19:53 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

"Adults Only" is the grossest sex rap ever made. the dripping sound effects just push it way over the top.

But his first album is a classic, "Hey Young World" especially.

― eman (eman), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 23:25 (twenty years ago)

great rapper, and the most enjoyable listen of the class of '89

― Shmool McShmool (shmuel), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 23:35 (twenty years ago)

four months pass...

ok i think i've reached the conclusion that Slick Rick is the The Perfect Rapper. convince me otherwise.

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 22 June 2005 03:49 (twenty years ago)

i was just thinking of him this weekend. was thinking of having a monie love vs. slick rick take sides, but it was stupid because it's obvious who would win.

― The Amazing Jaxon! (jaxon), Wednesday, 22 June 2005 04:42 (twenty years ago)

i never rated him. but, yeah, he'd probably beat monie.

― mullygrubbr (bulbs), Wednesday, 22 June 2005 04:49 (twenty years ago)

slick rick by a mile

― ken taylrr (ken taylrr), Wednesday, 22 June 2005 05:26 (twenty years ago)

gary, you should hear his album "the adventures of". amazing story telling skills, fun samples, all around great songs. and if i remember a song where he goes down on an indian girl and she has crabs that sing? i haven't listened to it since like Jr High on tape. need to download it.

but monie love's verse on queen latifah's "ladies first" showed she had some talent.

― The Amazing Jaxon! (jaxon), Wednesday, 22 June 2005 05:29 (twenty years ago)

ah, maybe. i only have the rulers back. and the 12 of the show (which is, admittedly, pretty great)

― mullygrubbr (bulbs), Wednesday, 22 June 2005 08:29 (twenty years ago)

"The show"/"la di da di" is the best rap 12" ever. Two classics on one 12" that aren't on any album. It gets no better than that.

The original beatbox version of "treat her like a prostitute" is slightly better than the studio versio i think.

"Great adventures.." is such a great album. You have all the obvious classic cuts like "childrens story", "teenage love" and "hey young world" next to album cuts like "the moment i feared", "mona lisa" and "lick the balls" which are just as strong.

"The ruler's back" is slept on. There are some really good cuts on there like "king", "i shouldn't have done it", "bond", "mistakes of women in love with other men". It's not on the album but the Large Professor remix of "it's a boy" is essential.

The albums inbetween while he was in prison were kinda eh but "the art of storytellin'" was a return to form. Really good album that didn't get the attention it deserved, although i believe it went gold. "kill n*ggaz", "adults only", both parts of "i own america", "who rotten' em", "me and nas bring it to you hardest"..lots of fine tracks.

There's a mixtape you can get by the dj J.Love with lots of unreleased Slick Rick. J.Love/Slick Rick "legends".

http://www.j-loveonline.com/slickrick2tracks.html

^ That's a link to the J.Love website where you can get it from and the full tracklisting.

― Ellis From Die Hard, Wednesday, 22 June 2005 09:04 (twenty years ago)

3) WOMEN LOSE WEIGHT ( UNRELEASED )

really? not the Morcheeba collab? (which = totally STILL GOT IT)

― kit brash (kit brash), Wednesday, 22 June 2005 13:11 (twenty years ago)

It's the remix version produced by Alchemist that was only on limited 12".

Not technically unreleased but, um, kinda..i guess.

― Ellis From Die Hard, Wednesday, 22 June 2005 13:49 (twenty years ago)

i find the production on 'great adventures' pretty dated

I think what is really a testament to Slick Rick's talent/persona is the fact the the production seemed kinda dated upon release, but no one cared.

Uber-classic.

― PappaWheelie (PappaWheelie), Wednesday, 22 June 2005 14:13 (twenty years ago)

HEY YOUNG WORLD

we should talk about his influence on NAS. Which is actually all over his "I Can" style ish.

― deej.., Wednesday, 22 June 2005 14:32 (twenty years ago)

ok i listened to return of and its much much better than i remember.

― mullygrubbr (bulbs), Wednesday, 22 June 2005 21:12 (twenty years ago)

i was just listening to "great adventures" this weekend, which is what prompted the revive. sure i guess some of it sounds dated, but who cares? if i, someone who listens to hip hop mainly for the beats, can still appreciate it then everyone can.
mully, since it's taking me so long, i'll copy it for you and send it with the rest of the stuff i owe you.
i've never heard "ruler's back"!

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 22 June 2005 22:32 (twenty years ago)

mully, you're trading cds with him too?! i think it's time for a divorce.

― The Amazing Jaxon! (jaxon), Wednesday, 22 June 2005 22:39 (twenty years ago)

i only did it the once jaXon! we were drunk!

― mullygrubbr (bulbs), Wednesday, 22 June 2005 22:54 (twenty years ago)

also nice to see you got a job working for lars ulrich too

― mullygrubbr (bulbs), Wednesday, 22 June 2005 22:55 (twenty years ago)

i should go...

― oops (Oops), Wednesday, 22 June 2005 23:04 (twenty years ago)

TAKE YOUR SHORT SKIRTS AND YOUR FUCKING CDS WITH YOU YOU HOME WRECKER!!!

― The Amazing Jaxon! (jaxon), Wednesday, 22 June 2005 23:29 (twenty years ago)

isn't he coming to SF soon (The Independent, I think?) I probably won't go - fun as he was before, I don't think he can beat that initial excitement of seeing him return to the stage w/Doug E. after being in prison/exile for so long.

(I have NEVER seen a crowd go as apeshit as when they started in on "The Show")

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 22 June 2005 23:40 (twenty years ago)

i saw him in maybe 96/97 with De La Soul and he came out with a whole closet full of gold dookie chains. it was impressive he could still stand up straight.

― The Amazing Jaxon! (jaxon), Wednesday, 22 June 2005 23:48 (twenty years ago)

i wouldn't go to the show. especially for some one who hasn't had new material in how many years? and it'll prolly cost $20+. hip hop shows bore me so much anymore. saw Digable Planets this past sunday. they're the wife's all time favorite band. it was sorta fun and it was good to see ladybug looking so good, but man, i'm getting old and just don't want to stay up till 2.30 on a work night.

― The Amazing Jaxon! (jaxon), Wednesday, 22 June 2005 23:51 (twenty years ago)

i wouldn't go to the show. especially for some one who hasn't had new material in how many years?

about three! and Women Lose Weight was great!

― kit brash (kit brash), Thursday, 23 June 2005 05:32 (twenty years ago)

six months pass...

Is it just me, or (I'm listening to 'The Ruler's Back' for the first time now) does Rick bite Q-Tip's style quite a lot for his second album? Or maybe it's the other way around?

As for the original question, the first album is sublime.

― baboon2004 (baboon2004), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:13 (nineteen years ago)

does Rick bite Q-Tip's style

are you shitting me

― ,, Tuesday, 17 January 2006 16:22 (nineteen years ago)

No. Why would I want to shit you?

Particularly on 'I Shouldn't Have Done It'. Or maybe it's one of the other ATCQ rappers - I get confused, as you can tell.

― baboon2004 (baboon2004), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:02 (nineteen years ago)

Second album?

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:40 (nineteen years ago)

yeah apparently

heres a handy guide -- every rapper who sounds like slick rick is biting slick rick

― ,, Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:53 (nineteen years ago)

haha! I love Slick Rick because he never sounds outdated.

― deej.. (deej..), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:06 (nineteen years ago)

i heard a slick rick track last night, in a set that included depeche mode and the knife. it barely sounded like him though -- the brit/carib cartoon accent was barely there, and i didn't recognize the song. it was great, though.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 18:13 (nineteen years ago)

three months pass...

Similarly:

Dana Dane: You suck, you two-bit carbon-copy!!

― Confounded (Confounded), Friday, 21 April 2006 15:00 (nineteen years ago)

I like Slick Rick and all, but do you think this guy deserves $10,000+ for a performance? Cuz that's what he's charging, which is un-fucking-believable to me.

― trees (treesessplode), Friday, 21 April 2006 15:15 (nineteen years ago)

Yes. Yes he does. More even.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 21 April 2006 15:18 (nineteen years ago)

The new Coup album has a song where Boots affects a british accent for his tale of street hustling turned revolutionary agitation. I think there may be some influence at work here.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Friday, 21 April 2006 15:19 (nineteen years ago)

one year passes...

Am I the only one who didn't know Slick Rick was British? Isn't that always the weirdest, when you are totally off-base about someone's nationality for years and years?

― musically, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 07:14 (seventeen years ago)

1. Yes
2. No, not really.

― The Reverend, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 07:20 (seventeen years ago)

two months pass...

just listening to "behind bars". didn't even know about this album.

― am0n, Sunday, 27 January 2008 17:19 (seventeen years ago)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eprfUhL_n8

― am0n, Sunday, 27 January 2008 17:32 (seventeen years ago)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xah6-cPRMI

― am0n, Sunday, 27 January 2008 17:32 (seventeen years ago)

behind bars video is amazing

― am0n, Sunday, 27 January 2008 17:34 (seventeen years ago)

http://idolator.com/340040/ringing-in-08-with-slick-rick-gucci-mane-and-more

― and what, Sunday, 27 January 2008 18:27 (seventeen years ago)

seven months pass...

Hi.

"Venus" is one of the most beautiful songs in the English language.

xokjb

― Kevin John Bozelka, Wednesday, 17 September 2008 22:03 (sixteen years ago)

the world is yours

― tony orlando and dawng (PappaWheelie V), Friday, 19 September 2008 04:06 (sixteen years ago)

two months pass...

okay "Children's Story" is easily one of my 50 favorite songs of all time

― Black Seinfeld (HI DERE), Monday, 24 November 2008 15:50 (sixteen years ago)

I listened to "Indian Girl" on Friday after watching a bunch of 30s and 40s era b&w cartoons replete with horrible racist caricatures and had a brilliant and utterly offensive on many levels idea for a video.

― UEK - Big Tempin' (Oilyrags), Monday, 24 November 2008 15:54 (sixteen years ago)

Slick Rick's insensitivity makes songs like "Teenage Love" all the more poignant...

― henry s, Monday, 24 November 2008 16:23 (sixteen years ago)

six months pass...

Treat Her Like A Prostitute is today's workplace JAM
<3 u slick rick

― qui9 (jergins), Sunday, 14 June 2009 00:13 (sixteen years ago)

one year passes...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTNN8HFzD-8

― still drinks canned american beer and listens to bad brains (admrl), Tuesday, 17 August 2010 14:28 (fourteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

Da Art of Storytellin' is a prime example of an album that came out in modern times that had an old school flavor to it. still sounds fresh 11 years later

― funky brewster (San Te), Thursday, 2 September 2010 00:47 (fourteen years ago)

I love 1st Slick Rick album and Dana Dane, and am pretty hard to annoy, but even allowing for everything found "adults only" kind of icky.

― dlp9001, Thursday, 2 September 2010 01:34 (fourteen years ago)

six months pass...

if you dont like slick rick i hate you

― deej, Saturday, 12 March 2011 02:42 (fourteen years ago)

otm

― Whiney On The Goon (Whiney G. Weingarten), Saturday, 12 March 2011 02:43 (fourteen years ago)

The Ruler's Back v. underrated compared to Adventures Of

― thank you ilxor for starting this much needed thread (ilxor), Saturday, 12 March 2011 03:00 (fourteen years ago)

five years pass...

Listening to The Ruler's Back and it's really great, shame it's rep is that it was a disappointing follow-up

― rockpalast '82 (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Sunday, 5 June 2016 12:59 (nine years ago)

From today's perspective Rick seems like the most modern of all the golden age MCs, even Rakim as innovative as he was was still very bound to the the bar rhythmically, Slick's so fluid changing rhyme patterns and cadences and does such interesting things with overdubs how he tends to punch in the next line right over the end of the previous, lending that sense he's having a conversation with himself

― rockpalast '82 (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Sunday, 5 June 2016 13:03 (nine years ago)

Yeah, Ruler's Back is insane

― queen elseq of ærendelle (Whiney G. Weingarten), Sunday, 5 June 2016 14:40 (nine years ago)

The art of storytelling isnt bad either

― Οὖτις, Sunday, 5 June 2016 15:36 (nine years ago)

even Rakim as innovative as he was was still very bound to the the bar rhythmically,

Nah, Rakim was the king of flow. Like you said, Ricky was very conversational, but he achieved that with punch-ins and multiple takes. Rakim just said, "I got this" and did it in one take.

Both are ridiculously great.

― Austin, Sunday, 5 June 2016 16:46 (nine years ago)

I dont see why one take approach is superior

― Οὖτις, Sunday, 5 June 2016 16:47 (nine years ago)

(Even if its true, which i kind of doubt)

― Οὖτις, Sunday, 5 June 2016 16:48 (nine years ago)

I didn't mean to disparage Rakim who is great and probably still the most important MC ever
Just that Rick's more #hemiola relationship to the beat and use of overdubs etc makes him feel and frequently going in and out of singing makes him more of a precursor to rap today than Rakim... more modern in a way not better or worse

― rockpalast '82 (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Sunday, 5 June 2016 19:29 (nine years ago)

otm

― Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Monday, 6 June 2016 06:04 (nine years ago)

"Top Cat" is the best hip hop song written from the perspective of a cat of all time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPDuvlmcdhI

― rockpalast '82 (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 6 June 2016 13:45 (nine years ago)

four years pass...

i've had children's story memorized for like 30 years now. the song gets more and more frightening as i age

― Heez, Thursday, 13 May 2021 20:29 (four years ago)

four years pass...

anybody heard Victory yet? it's odd because it's a visual movie but I'm streaming so I can't see the visual part, and some of the 'songs' are just interludes or narrative bits. but the proper songs are pretty good on first listen, especially "Landlord".

― Neanderthal, Friday, 13 June 2025 15:55 (two weeks ago)

Yeah it’s good!

― (•̪●) (carne asada), Thursday, 19 June 2025 21:46 (one week ago)

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