Born on January 14, 1965, Richard Martin Lloyd Walters, AKA Slick Rick, unequivocally holds the name of hip-hop’s largest storyteller. Not like any MCs earlier than or after him, Slick Rick was once a brand new breed of rapper. Along with his funny narratives, melodic flows, trademark eyepatch, and unique British accessory, the most productive Slick Rick songs will likely be endlessly synonymous with hip-hop’s first golden generation.
After losing his vintage debut album, The Nice Adventures Of Slick Rick , in 1988, the British-born, Bronx-bred artist adopted it up with The Ruler’s Again (1991), In the back of Bars (1994), and The Artwork Of Storytelling (1999). At the side of offering a lot of visitor options and being some of the sampled artists in hip-hop historical past, Slick Rick is among the true innovators of hip-hop tradition. He’s influenced Snoop Dogg, Nas, Infamous BIG, Jay-Z, OutKast, Ghostface Killah, and a bunch of others – all of whom have paid tribute to The Ruler.
Concentrate to the most productive Slick Rick songs on Apple Song and Spotify, and scroll down for our 20 perfect Slick Rick songs.
20: Women, Women, Women (Jay-Z, that includes Q-Tip, Slick Rick, and Biz Markie)
Slick Rick’s affect may also be noticed and heard all over the historical past of hip-hop, so it was once becoming that Jay-Z enlisted The Ruler to accomplish the hook on his vintage ode to the women, “Women, Women, Women,” from The Blueprint. At the side of Q-Tip and Biz Markie, Rick introduced his clean drift and equipped the refrain on one in all Jay-Z’s most famed hits, serving to it top at No.17 at the Billboard 100.
19: Let’s All Get Down (that includes Great & Easy)
A fit made in hip-hop heaven, Slick Rick collaborated with the mythical duo Great & Easy on “Let’s All Get Down,” an underrated gem from his 3rd album, In the back of Bars. The trio sound unbelievable in combination over a minimalist, gritty drum monitor produced via Greg Great. It represents 90s New York hip-hop at its greatest and stays one of the vital perfect Slick Rick songs.
18: Sittin’ In My Automotive (that includes Doug E Contemporary)
Additionally from In the back of Bars, “Sittin’ In My Automotive” was once the primary collaboration between Slick Rick and Doug E Contemporary since 1985’s vintage “The Display”/“L. a.-Di-Da-Di.” Remaking Billy Stewart’s “Sitting In The Park,” Rick sings the refrain and rhymes on any other sensible tale, with Doug E Contemporary aiding on beatbox.
17: Simply Some other Case (Cru, that includes Slick Rick)
South Bronx trio and one-album marvel Cru now not simplest paid homage via sampling Slick Rick’s lyrics for the refrain of “Simply Some other Case,” however they enlisted The Ruler for a visitor verse at the monitor. Borrowing the hook from “Kids’s Tale,” “Simply Some other Case” helped to introduce the hip-hop icon to a brand new technology of lovers after the one went to No.68 at the Billboard Scorching 100 and No.8 at the Scorching Rap Singles chart.
16: In the back of Bars (Dum Ditty Dum Remix)
Whilst the album model of “In the back of Bars” was once exemplary, that includes manufacturing via the only and simplest Prince Paul, the remix, produced via fellow Def Jam labelmate Warren G, is a slept-on banger as smartly. An early instance of East and West Coast collaborations, the monitor discovered Rick and Warren G fusing the California G-Funk and New York boom-bap sounds.
15: We’re Unified (Observe Masters Remix) (Child Capri, that includes Snoop Dogg and Slick Rick)
With out query, Snoop Dogg’s laidback, melodic flows had been impressed via the most productive Slick Rick songs – The Ruler influenced Snoop such a lot that the latter lined the vintage “L. a.-Di-Da-Di” on his debut album, Doggystyle. When the 2 after all hooked up for a duet, the consequences had been ancient. From Child Capri’s Soundtrack To The Streets compilation, Slick Rick and Snoop Dogg business bars on “We’re Unified (Observe Masters Remix).” The chemistry between the 2 is plain, as the instructor and his celebrity scholar create a vintage.
14: The Second I Feared
With such a lot of gem stones on The Nice Adventures Of Slick Rick, each and every of the album’s 12 tracks will have featured in this record of the most productive Slick Rick songs. “The Second I Feared” is any other instance of Rick giving a masterclass in storytelling. From confrontations within the streets, to striking out within the mythical Latin Quarter and all of the drama that inevitably is going down, it’s all right here in vibrant element.
13: Auditorium (Mos Def, that includes Slick Rick)
What do you get whilst you mix two of hip-hop’s maximum respected, enigmatic MCs on one monitor? A jewel of a collaboration, that’s what. Produced via the grasp himself, Madlib, “Auditorium” options two of the most productive within the sport buying and selling verses over some beautiful beats. The combo of Yasiin Bey and Rick produced one of the vital perfect hip-hop collaborations of the 00s and one of the vital perfect Slick Rick songs of all time.
12: Da Artwork Of Storytellin’ (Pt.1) (OutKast, that includes Slick Rick)
On OutKast’s vintage Aquemini album, André 3000 and Giant Boi already had an improbable monitor, however they summoned Slick Rick to give a contribution a visitor verse after the tune was once remixed and launched as a unmarried. “Da Artwork Of Storytellin’ (Pt 1)” sees the MCs element private relationships, each and every one providing a brand new narrative standpoint and exhibiting the throughline that hooked up those two generations of rappers.
11: I Personal The us, Section 1
“I Personal The us” floated round on mixtapes earlier than sooner or later completing on The Artwork Of Storytelling album. Displaying endless quantities of hubris in true Slick Rick style, it options a few of his maximum boastful rhymes. He even addresses his deportation problems when he raps, “And despite the fact that I were given deported, I personal The us.” The Ruler was once again once more.
10: I Shouldn’t Have Performed It
“I Shouldn’t Have Performed It” was once the primary unmarried launched from Slick Rick’s sophomore album, The Ruler’s Again. With manufacturing from Vance Wright, Rick’s assured, nonchalant taste merged extraordinarily smartly with the New Jack Swing sound that was once taking up the golf equipment and the charts throughout the early 90s. A dance favourite using a couple of James Brown samples, “I Shouldn’t Have Performed It” tells the tale of Slick Rick regretting an affair that results in a sad conclusion.
9: Lick The Balls
Regardless of its provocative name, this Nice Adventures… monitor captures Rick website hosting a hospital on MCing. Produced via Public Enemy’s Bomb Squad, the one stays a favourite of die-hard Slick Rick lovers. Whilst a lot of Rick’s legacy facilities on his stories of knowledge (“Kids’s Tale”), his debut album nonetheless had a couple of cruder cuts.
8: The Ruler’s Again
“The Ruler’s Again” was once each an creation to and coronation of his royal highness to the throne of hip-hop – its jazzy horns had been the easiest supplement for Rick’s clean drift about his plans to reign over the contest. The monitor was once so influential that Jay-Z remade it on his vintage Blueprint album. From one king to any other.
7: Side road Talkin’ (with Giant Boi)
After Rick guested on OutKast’s “Da Artwork Of Storytellin’ (Pt.1),” Giant Boi returned the desire via leaping at the first unmarried from Rick’s The Artwork Of Storytelling. Rick’s laidback taste mixed with Giant Boi’s rapid-fire supply was once a continuation of the chemistry they shared on their earlier collaboration. Sounding reinvigorated on what was once his first unmarried in over 5 years, “Side road Talkin’” is among the perfect Slick Rick songs.
6: Teenage Love
As the primary unmarried from The Nice Adventures Of Slick Rick, “Teenage Love” was once a reflective monitor in regards to the ups and downs of relationships. Tapping into the burgeoning rap ballads subgenre, “Teenage Love” was a success, making it to No.8 at the Scorching Rap Singles chart. Rick even sings the refrain of Diana Ross’ “Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know?)” at the monitor, growing an early prototype of as of late’s sung-rap vocal taste. “Teenage Love” additionally is going down in hip-hop historical past thank you to 2 cameos within the video: Brooklynites Giant Daddy Kane and a then-unknown Lil’ Kim.
5: Hiya Younger International
The 3rd unmarried from The Nice Adventures Of Slick Rick, and produced via Rick himself, “Hiya Younger International” is an aspirational tune on which The Ruler stocks his knowledge with the adolescence of The us. By no means preachy, it’s a street-savvy anthem that advises the following technology on making higher alternatives, respecting their folks, and now not “following the dopes,” within the artful approach that simplest Rick may just pull off. One of the vital perfect Slick Rick songs, “Hiya Younger International” has been remade and sampled a number of occasions over.
4: Mona Lisa
What many imagine to be one of the vital perfect tracks from The Nice Adventures Of Slick Rick, “Mona Lisa” was once by no means launched as a unmarried, but it surely may well be heard blasting out of each and every automotive stereo, membership speaker, and block-party boombox when the album dropped in 1988. In true Slick Rick narrative style, he chronicles his come upon with a tender woman at a pizza store whilst referencing Nat “King” Cole’s well-known song, turning it into a regular of his personal.
3: The Display (Doug E Contemporary & The Get Contemporary Workforce)
Relating to the most productive Slick Rick songs of all time, “The Display” without a doubt earns its spot. With an unforgettable pattern of the theme song to the 80s caricature Inspector System, Doug E Contemporary and Slick Rick launched a vintage that modified the face of hip-hop tradition. Their back-and-forth banter introduced the are living efficiency part of hip-hop to radio, all whilst hanging the 2 MCs at the map. In case you realize some parts of New Jack Swing within the manufacturing, it’s as a result of a 15-year previous generating genius named Teddy Riley crafted the monitor’s sound.
2: Kids’s Tale
“Dave, the dope fiend shootin’ dope/Who don’t know the that means of water nor cleaning soap” are one of the crucial maximum recognizable lyrics in hip-hop historical past, and “Kids’s Tale” is the blueprint for narrative storytelling in hip-hop. A cautionary story of police officers, robbers, and dope boys, Rick masterfully raps in regards to the penalties of succumbing to the enticements of road lifestyles. “Kids’s Tale” went directly to be a Most sensible 5 hit on each the Scorching R&B Singles and the Scorching Rap Tracks charts, and stays one of the vital perfect Slick Rick songs of all time. Shooting Rick at an inventive top, it’s additionally some of the sampled hip-hop songs in historical past.
1: L. a.-Di-Da-Di
Slick is among the uncommon artists whose first recorded tune was an immediate vintage. Arguably the best B-side in hip-hop, “L. a.-Di-Da-Di” is Slick Rick’s first solo monitor – and he knocked it out of the park. After Doug E Contemporary recruited him for The Get Contemporary Workforce’s “The Display,” the dynamic duo traded verses to create hip-hop gold. On “L. a.-Di-Da-Di,” on the other hand, MC Ricky D rhymes solo over Contemporary’s well-known beatboxing. The remainder is historical past.
Slick has such a lot of quotable one-liners in “L. a.-Di-Da-Di” – it’s one of the vital most-referenced songs in hip-hop, and only a trace of the greatness that might come. From Biggie to Beyoncé, Kanye West to Miley Cyrus, loads of musicians have referenced his rallying cry: “To the tick tock, you don’t prevent.” Acknowledging the tune’s lasting have an effect on, Rock and Doug E Contemporary reunited for a are living model that was once integrated as an advantage monitor on Rick’ 1999 album, The Artwork Of Storytelling.
Suppose we’ve neglected one of the vital Best Slick Rick songs? Tell us within the feedback segment under. Searching for extra? Learn our unique interview with Slick Rick.
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