Slick Rick
Hip-Hop/Rap
The next Slick Rick concert is scheduled for Friday, July 18, 2025 at Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion in Portsmouth, VA, United States. See all 5 upcoming concerts
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About Slick Rick
Hometown
London, England
Born
January 14, 1965
Genre
Hip-Hop/Rap
Slick Rick is rap’s storyteller laureate. The hip-hop legend is also known for his captivating flow and flashy fashion sense.
• He was born and raised in London to Jamaican parents. The family moved to the Bronx in 1976.
• Slick Rick regularly dons an eyepatch to cover an injury he suffered as a child.
• As a high school student at Fiorello H. Laguardia High School of Music & Art, Slick Rick and classmate Dana Dane formed the hip-hop group Kangol Crew. Both would later become elite rap storytellers.
• Slick Rick’s 1988 debut album, The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and achieved platinum certification less than one year after its Def Jam release.
• His classic song “Children’s Story” was adapted into a children’s book in 2017.
• In 1990, at the peak of his success, Slick Rick plead guilty to attempted murder following a dispute with his cousin and former bodyguard. He remained behind bars until 1997.
• The rapper’s fourth album, 1999’s The Art of Storytelling, became Rick’s second LP to reach No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
• Facing deportation related to his past conviction, Slick Rick was pardoned by New York Governor David A. Paterson in 2008.
• Slick Rick songs have been covered by Snoop Dogg, Black Star, and The Roots.
Slick Rick has also released music as a member of The Get Fresh Crew.
Influenced by Slick RickSlick Rick has influenced the music of 2Pac, Sir Mix-A-Lot, JAY-Z and more.
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