Slick Rick

Slick Rick

Ricky Walters (born 14 January 1965), better known by stage names Slick Rick, MC Ricky D and Rick the Ruler, is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper. He is considered a Legend by many Rappers and fans of Rap Music.

Career

Originally from South Wimbledon, London, England, he moved with his family to The Bronx in 1975 where he met Dana Dane, later forming a hip hop duo as Kangol Crew. Rick's characteristic eyepatch was acquired after being blinded in the right eye by broken glass as an infant. He is best known for a series of rap recordings during the 1980s, including "Hey Young World", "Children's Story" and "La Di Da Di", B-side of Doug E. Fresh single "The Show" (1985). Once he gained a degree of wealth, he earned a reputation for wearing an eyepatch over his right eye, an enormous amount of gold and diamond jewelry, including many large necklaces with giant pendants, bracelets, huge rings on each finger, and a gold tooth.

In 1990, Slick Rick shot a bystander and his cousin whom he had hired as a bodyguard and who later admitted to having Walters shot outside a club. Slick Rick was indicted on two counts of attempted murder and pled guilty to all charges which also included, assault, use of a firearm, and criminal possession of a weapon. Russell Simmons, head of Def Jam records, bailed him out and Rick quickly recorded The Ruler's Back before spending five years in prison, two for the second degree attempted murder charges he received for that shooting, and three while hassling with Immigrations Services over his residency in the US. In the documentary film, The Show, Russell Simmons interviews Rick while he was a prisoner on Rikers Island.

"La Di Da Di", "Mona Lisa" and "Children's Story" are among his best known songs, with "La Di Da Di" being covered nearly word-for-word by Snoop Dogg on his 1993 album Doggystyle, and lines from "La Di Da Di" being borrowed by multiple high profile artists. "Children's Story" was sampled by Montell Jordan for his 1995 hit, "This Is How We Do It", and Everlast covered it for his album Eat at Whitey's. Eminem also borrowed from the song extensively in his diss song "Can-I-Bitch". "Children's Story" was also covered with similar lyrics by the MC duo Black Star on their 1998 album, Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star, as well as by Tricky on the album Nearly God, with the same name and lyrics, Rapper The Game also did a similar song which was named "Compton Story" he puts on a voice like Slick Rick's throughout the track and tells a story, this rap was on the Mixtape BWS Radio 5 made in 2008. The chorus of Notorious B.I.G.'s song "Hyptonize" also comes from "La Di Da Di".

A third album Behind Bars was released while still in prison, and it was released to lukewarm sales and reviews. Released from prison in 1996, he remained with Def Jam and on May 25, 1999 released a fourth album, entitled The Art of Storytelling, generally considered the authentic follow up to his 1988 debut. Storytelling was also an artistically successful comeback that paired him with MCs like Nas, OutKast, Raekwon, and Snoop Dogg, among others.

On October 6, 2008, Rick was honored on the VH1 Hip Hop Honors show.

Personal life

In June 2002, after performing on a Caribbean cruise ship, Rick was arrested by the INS as he re-entered the United States through Florida. He was promptly told that he was being deported because he is a British citizen; since he had been born in London and moved to the States as a youth. In 1996, a law was passed which called for foreigners convicted of violent felonies to be deported, a ruling which was more vigorously enforced amid heightened security concerns after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Rick was continuously refused bail, but after 17 months in prison he was released on November 7, 2003.

Rumours suggested that Rick planned to release a new album, "The Adventure Continues," in 2007. However, in a recent XXL Magazine interview, he denied the claim. Rick is supposedly "waiting for a market to open up for a mature audience."

In October 2006, the Department of Homeland Security began a new attempt to deport Walters, moving the case from the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit based in New York to the more conservative Eleventh Circuit. The court is based in Atlanta, Georgia but the trial is expected to proceed in Florida, where INS agents originally arrested Walters.

On May 23, 2008, New York Gov. David Paterson granted Slick Rick a full and unconditional pardon on the attempted murder charges. The governor was pleased with his behavior since the mishap. He has volunteered his time to mentor youths about violence.

He has two children, Lateisha and Ricky, from two different mothers. He currently resides in the Bronx and lives with his son, Ricky.

Discography

Albums

• The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
  • Released: May 2, 1988
  • Billboard 200 chart position: #31
  • R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #1
  • Last RIAA Certification: Platinum
  • Singles: "Teenage Love", "Children's Story" & "Hey Young World"

• The Ruler's Back
  • Released: July 2, 1991
  • Billboard 200 chart position: #29
  • R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #18
  • Last RIAA Certification: Gold
  • Singles: "Mistakes Of A Woman in Love With Other Men", "It's A Boy" & "I Shouldn't Have Done It"

• Behind Bars
  • Released: November 22, 1994
  • Billboard 200 chart position: #51
  • R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #11
  • Last RIAA Certification: 350,000
  • Singles: "Behind Bars" & "Sittin' In My Car"

• The Art of Storytelling
  • Released: May 25, 1999
  • Billboard 200 chart position: #8
  • R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #1
  • Last RIAA Certification: Platinum
  • Singles: "Street Talkin'"

Singles

Year	Single	Chart positions			Album
		U.S. Hot 100	U.S. R&B	U.S. Rap
1988	"Children's Story"	-	5	2	The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
	"Hey Young World"	-	42	17
	"Teenage Love"	-	16	8
1991	"I Shouldn't Have Done It"	-	50	2	The Ruler's Back
	"Mistakes of a Woman in Love with Other Men"	-	-	-
	"It's a Boy"	-	-	-
1994	"Behind Bars"	87	63	12	Behind Bars
1995	"Sittin' in My Car"	-	56	11
1999	"Street Talkin'"	-	65	22	The Art of Storytelling

Featured Singles

Year	Single	Chart positions				Album
		U.S. Hot 100	U.S. R&B	U.S. Rap	UK
1999	"Da Art of Storytellin' (Pt. 1)" (Outkast featuring Slick Rick)	-	67	-	-	Aquemini
2001	"Girls, Girls, Girls" (Jay-Z featuring Slick Rick, Q-Tip & Biz Markie)*	15	4	9	11	The Blueprint
2007	"Hip Hop Police" (Chamillionaire featuring Slick Rick)	101	76	-	50	Ultimate Victory

• no featured artist on "Girls, Girls, Girls" was credited

Appearances

• 1989: "If I'm Not Your Lover (12" remix from the Al B. Sure! album In Effect Mode)
• 1994: "Let's All Get Down" (from the Nice & Smooth album Jewel of the Nile)
• 1994: "Move On..." (from the compilation The Show (Original Soundtrack))
• 1996:I Like (From the Montell Jordan album More)
• 1996: "Got To Give It Up" (from the Aaliyah album One in a Million)
• 1997: "Just Another Case" (from the CRU album Da Dirty 30)
• 1998: "Fresh" (from the Jermaine Dupri album Life In 1472)
• 1998: "Faces Of Def" (bonus track on Jayo Felony's Watcha Gonna Do?)
• 1998: "Unify" (from the Kid Capri album Soundtrack to the Streets)
• 1998: "Pimpin' Ain't Easy" (from WWF Aggression with Ice-T & Charles Wright)
• 1999: "If We Give You A Chance" (from the Warren G album I Want It All)
• 1999: "Your Moms House"
• 1999: "Night Riders" (from the Rahzel album Make The Music 2000)
• 1999: "So Fresh" (from the Will Smith album Willennium)
• 1999: "Don't Come My Way" (from the Whiteboys soundtrack with Common)
• 1999: "Da Art of Storytellin' (Pt. 1)" (from the OutKast album Aquemini)
• 2000: "So What" (from the Erick Sermon album Def Squad Presents Erick Onasis)
• 2001: "What We Do (For Love)" (from the De La Soul album AOI: Bionix)
• 2001: "Pie" (from WWF The Music, Vol. 5 with The Rock)
• 2001: "Girls, Girls, Girls" (from the Jay-Z album The Blueprint)
• 2001: "Guidance Counselor"(from the Little-T And One Track Mike album Fome Is Dape)
• 2001: "Hey Young World, Part 2" (from the Macy Gray album The Id)
• 2002: "Women Lose Weight" (from the Morcheeba album Charango)
• 2004: "The Return (Remix)" (from the Jay-Z/R. Kelly album Unfinished Business)
• 2005: Performs live for Vox Entertainment @ Club Strata NYC
• 2005: "The Sun" (from the Ghostface Killah album Put It on the Line)
• 2005: "Irresistible Delicious" (from the Missy Elliott album The Cookbook)
• 2006: "Vows" (from the Juggaknots album Use Your Confusion)
• 2007: "Hip Hop Police" (from the Chamillionaire album Ultimate Victory)
• 2008: "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" (Honoree)
• 2009: "Y.O.U." (from the Asher Roth album Asleep in the Bread Aisle - UK bonus track)
• 2009: "Auditorium" (from the Mos Def album "The Ecstatic" )
• 2009: WaMu Theather at MSG "Childrens Story" (With Doug E Fresh)

Filmography

• Backstage appearance on Jay-Z's Fade to Black DVD.
• Cameo in Ludacris's music video for the single, "Number One Spot."
• Cameo, wearing his excessive jewelry in the New York Shit music video (2:56) by Busta Rhymes featuring Swizz Beatz.
• Himself in the game Def Jam: Fight for NY.
• Drug kingpin in the 1999 movie Whiteboyz, co-starring fellow rappers Doug E. Fresh, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Fat Joe, Dead Prez and Mic Geronimo.
• Cameo in the film Brown Sugar, which starred Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan.
• Himself in the seminal Run DMC film, Tougher Than Leather, performing the song Treat Her Like a Prostitute.

External links

• Slick Rick Fan Site
• Village Voice Article
• Slick Rick Video Interview with Scion Broadband
• Interview with Submerge Magazine, June 2008