Slick Rick: The Enigmatic Ruler of the Hip-Hop Nation

“Fresh Dressed Like a Million Bucks…,” I can still hear it in my head like it came out yesterday. After hearing Slick Rick rhyme for the first time, I almost immediately sensed that Hip-Hop would be moving in a new direction. After seeing Slick Rick perform for the first time, I knew that my assessment was correct.

Slick Rick, Hip-Hop’s premier storyteller, has the ability to weave the art of storytelling into the fabric of Hip-Hop. He is also one of the few MC’s who has been able to successfully tell stories from both the humorous and serious perspectives.

Slick Rick can also lay claim to being Hip-Hop’s first metrosexual superstar. Slick Rick introduced the concept of being clean and meticulously dressed to the Hop-Hop world when he released “La Di Da Di” with his partner Doug E. Fresh back in 1985. “La Di Da Di” was also a Hip-Hop phenomenon because of its meteoric rise in popularity. The song was bootlegged during a live show performance that made its way around the tri-state area without the benefit of radio airplay.

Already established as a star with the very successful 12” single “The Show” and its B-Side “La Di Da Di”, Slick Rick flipped Hip-Hop upside down with the release of his solo album The Great Adventures of Slick Rick in 1988. The Album became an instant classic in the Hip-Hop community. It is acknowledged among the greatest Hip-Hop albums of all time. The album featured some of Hip-Hop’s greatest hits including “Children’s Story”, “Mona Lisa”, “Teenage Love”, and “Hey Young World”.

Hard times soon saddled the burgeoning rap star’s career, as Slick Rick was imprisoned in 1990 and served 3 years for shooting his cousin, whom Rick says was attempting to extort money from him. Slick Rick’s Hip-Hop status was cemented during this time period. Five years away from the Hip-Hop spotlight would normally be the death knell for most rappers careers, but Rick was able to comeback and still maintained his immense popularity.

Although Slick Rick has been facing a long battle with the INS, who arrested the rapper in June 2002 after returning to the U.S. from performing on a cruise ship, and is threatened with possible deportation, he still maintains widespread popularity. He is still one of the most talented and respected artists in Hip-Hop history, and his family, friends and fans remain hopeful that the Ruler can continue to reign in the U.S.