English/Nat SLICK RICK LEAVES PRISON BEHIND
Story: Slick Rick
Location: U.S.A
Date: 19th June 1999
English-born, Bronx-raised rapper SLICK RICK, who as MC RICKY D, made one of hip-hop's breakthrough records, 1985's "THE SHOW"/"LA-DI-DA-DI" with DOUG E. FRESH and the GET FRESH CREW, is back on the music scene again with a new album, THE ART OF STORYTELLING. APTN caught up with him on the set of his latest video .
The jewelry-laden, eyepatch-wearing Ricky D had a novel rapping style--sing-song with an arch English accent--and prodigious lyrical skills. His 1988 solo debut THE GREAT ADVENTURES OF SLICK RICK, which came across as a wit-filled narrative cross between Bob Dylan (the storytelling) and Richard Pryor (the motormouth delivery), was a platinum hit, but Rick's life was changed by an incident that closely mirrored the plot of his track "CHILDREN'S STORY": He shot his cousin on a Bronx street corner on July 3, 1990, and crashed his car after a police chase.
Rick was sentenced to three-and-a-half to ten years for attempted murder in the second degree. While out on three weeks' bail he hastily chopped out two albums worth of material and several promo videos. The records, 1991's THE RULER'S BACK and 1994's BEHIND BARS, sold moderately well but were disappointing after the pioneering Great Adventures.
There was more trouble in 1995 when the INS threatened the imprisoned Rick with deportation upon his release, and he was removed from a prison work-release program, to which he was later restored.
Summer 1996, the date of his release, brought the rapper a hit single, "I Like," recorded with R&B star Montell Jordan for the soundtrack of Eddie Murphy's THE NUTTY PROFESSOR. (Jordan's breakthrough hit "This Is How We Do It" sampled "Children's Story.")
And so to the Art of Storytelling. Collaborations on the album highlight Slick Rick's obvious influences on the new crop of emcees currently on top. Included on the album are NAS, RAEKWON of Wu-Tang and BIG BOI of Outkast.
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