Rhythm Review: Slick Rick Makes Grand and Positive Return on Victory
Slick Rick - Jamie McCarthy/adam balcombe
26 years is a long time to make fans wait for your next album, but eyepatch-wearing rap legend Slick Rick has had to deal with being arrested, immigration complications, and so much more. Having been sampled thousands of times, Slick Rick decided to finally come back on a winning note, with Victory being a lesson on elite storytelling rap.
A Legendary Life and Career
Ricky Walters, despite being a prominent figure in the rap game, was not born in America. Born in South Wimbledon to Jamaican parents, he would unintentionally adopt his iconic look after going blind in one eye after an accident with broken glass. The look would follow him when his family emigrated to the Bronx.
Being in the Bronx in the 80s-90s, it was destined for Slick Rick, or MC Ricky D at that time (so eighties), to get integrated into the rap game. It seemed that all the best collaborations of early rappers came from battles, and little did both Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh (don’t even have to say it) know that their battle would result in some of the biggest early hits of the rap genre.
Both “The Show” and “La-Di-Da-Di” became charting hits, with the latter cementing itself into sampling folklore. Sampled in over 1000 songs, the list of artists that used the sample is nothing short of iconic, with names like Biggie, Beyoncé, and MF DOOM using the track.
In 1988, Slick Rick would take his current mantle and release his debut album, The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, under a then-small record label, Def Jam Records, being the third artist signed to the label. “Children’s Story” would be the huge hit for him on this record, with Slick Rick starting to develop his titular storytelling style that many would soon emulate.
Then the legal problems came. Slick Rick was arrested for shooting a former bodyguard who was trying to extort money from him. Fortunately, no one was fatally hurt, but it did result in a five-year stint in prison for the rapper. However, this setback did not stop him from releasing both The Ruler’s Back and Behind Bars while (funnily enough) being behind bars. The Art of Storytelling would come out in 1999 to a positive reception, but the rapper was soon arrested by the Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) while on a Florida cruise ship in 2002.
They really wanted him deported back to the UK, but it ended up failing, as New York Governor David Paterson pardoned the rapper in 2008. Slick Rick got himself some US citizenship in 2016, which finally allowed him to focus fully on his music again.
A couple of singles were released here and there, but meeting Idris Elba seemed to be the push he needed to break out into a full project. “We met at a party and then we clicked,” Slick Rick said, “His people reached out to me, and they wanted an album.” The album was also accompanied by a 30-minute film executive-produced by Elba. Victory was released on June 13th of this year, a very long-awaited return.
Mixing it Up in the Production
Despite the 26-year gap between releases, Slick Rick showed no signs of rust, even demonstrating his ability to adapt to modern trends in the rap game. One of those trends is the integration of more house-type beats, and on “Cuz I’m Here”, he certainly understands the assignment, while retaining the storytelling structure he so dearly loves. “Come On Let’s Go” continues the house trend, with more shuffling production and less forefronted sampled vocals that allow for more focus on the verse.
Slick Rick uses some very unique production styles throughout the album. On “So You’re Having My Baby,” it sounds like a typical simple piano chord loop with an easy snare and click, till the interjecting baby screams come in. “Another Great Adventure” has a grimey, distorted saxophone (could really be anything) on a blaring loop, but also gets interjected, this time cues to old Victorian orchestral snippets.
Slick Rick is not even afraid to venture into some singing on the album, with “Spirit To Cry” showcasing his surprisingly soft voice. Besides his singing, the production is some of the best on the album, with the soft horns and guitars, the trickling piano loop, and simple percussion of a high-pitched cymbal coming together to create a perfect soundscape.
A True Lyrics Genius
A true showcase of Slick Rick’s masterful storytelling, “Landlord” vividly narrates a day in the life of a landlord— complete with people being late with rent, rooms and apartments getting dirty, and tenants being loud. His flow, whether he is doing a story or not, is so calming but still confident, showcasing why he is a pioneer of the genre.
“We’re Not Losing” lyrics may seem shocking, but some of the subtext of the lines makes what he is saying truly important. He believes America is not going in the best direction, forcing him to diss and ridicule others, including Asians; however, he disagrees, saying, “Plus, the cat Buddhist.” He continues, even saying “Bout to be a nuclear disaster,” insinuating that they are focusing on the wrong things.
On the complete opposite end of irony, “I Did That” offers Slick Rick being completely open. A spoken word piece with waves washing away in the background may seem tonally out of place, but the track demands attention to his words. He speaks of what his legacy is, even starting off the words with “I flipped bein’ blind to a luxury brand.” His flow remains calm, but instead of the tone being confident, the tone is fully proud. The constant repeating of “I did that” showcases his true status as a hip-hop icon.
“Documents” emerges as not only a song with great lyrics, but with entrancing production, making it a top track on the album一oh and it includes a Nas feature. The amazing string loop matched with a jangly but pumping beat lays down a perfect groundwork for Slick Rick and Nas to rap over. The constant spy references like Slick Rick being dubbed “008” and constant action pieces like “Now they got me on a plane, Madrid, cats saying must get documents.” Of course, Nas’s verses are astronomically good, with more spy references and clever wordplay like, “Hit the switch, drop oil and slide safe safe to home base, Goyard, place your bets, Subway series, Yank and Mets.”
Slick Rick has been around in the rap game since before some of the greats of today were even born, and this album continues his teachings on how to excel in the genre. It would be a little bit on the nose to say this album was a massive Victory, but it is so much more than that, a glorious return for a rap legend.