Slick Rick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Slick Rick
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Slick Rick performing in 2009
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Ricky Martin Lloyd Walters
January 14, 1965 Mitcham, London, England
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| Years active | 1984–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Mandy Aragones
(m. 1997) |
| Children | 2 |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
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Ricky Martin Lloyd Walters (born January 14, 1965), known as Slick Rick, is a famous English-American rapper and music producer. He became well-known in the mid-1980s with Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew. Their songs "The Show" and "La Di Da Di" are considered classic early hip hop tracks. "La Di Da Di" is one of the most-sampled songs in music history.
Slick Rick was one of the first artists to join Def Jam Recordings in 1986. His first solo album, The Great Adventures of Slick Rick (1988), showed off his unique way of telling stories with humor and clever rhymes. This album included his famous song, "Children's Story." Even when he faced legal challenges, Walters released more albums like The Ruler's Back (1991) and Behind Bars (1994). After some time away, he made a big return with his fourth album, The Art of Storytelling (1999). In 2025, he released Victory with Mass Appeal Records.
His music has been used in over 1,000 other songs by many artists. These include Eminem, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Beastie Boys, TLC, Nas, Miley Cyrus, Kanye West, MF DOOM, Czarface, Black Star, The Notorious B.I.G., Snoop Dogg, and MC Ren. Slick Rick is one of the most-sampled hip-hop artists ever. Many songs that use his samples have become big hits. He was also one of the first hip-hop artists to have his songs covered by others. For example, Snoop Dogg used almost all of Rick's lyrics from "La Di Da Di" in his song "Lodi Dodi" in 1993.
Slick Rick has received many honors for his work. VH1 recognized him on their Hip Hop Honors show. About.com ranked him No. 12 on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time. The Source magazine put him at No. 15 on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time.
Contents
Early Life and Music Start
Ricky Martin Lloyd Walters was born in Mitcham, London, England. His parents were from Jamaica. When he was a baby, he was blinded in his right eye by broken glass. This is why he wears his famous eye patch.
In 1976, when Walters was 11, his family moved to the United States. They settled in the Bronx, New York. He studied visual art at Fiorello H. Laguardia High School of Music & Art. There, he met Dana Dane. They became good friends and formed a group called the Kangol Crew. They performed in school shows, parks, and small local clubs.
Walters met Doug E. Fresh at a talent show in 1984. Doug was very impressed by Rick's skills. He asked Rick to join his Get Fresh Crew. Doug's beatboxing and Walters' smooth rapping made "The Show" and "La Di Da Di" huge hits around the world. These songs helped show what early hip-hop was all about. Walters became known as "hip-hop's greatest storyteller."
Music Career Highlights
Becoming Famous
Walters' career began in 1985. He first became successful in rap after joining Doug E. Fresh's Get Fresh Crew. He used the stage name MC Ricky D. He was featured on the song "The Show" and its very popular other side, "La Di Da Di." In "La Di Da Di," Walters rapped over Doug E. Fresh's beatbox sounds. Both songs became well-known. They even appeared on TV shows like Top of the Pops and Soul Train.
In 1986, Walters joined Russell Simmons's Rush Artist Management. He became the third artist to sign with Def Jam Records. This was the top rap and hip-hop record label at the time. Working with his friend, DJ Vance Wright, Walters made his first solo album. It was called The Great Adventures of Slick Rick and came out in 1988 on Def Jam. The album was very successful. It reached No. 1 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop chart. It also had four popular songs: "Children's Story", "Mona Lisa", "Hey Young World", and "Teenage Love". The album is famous for its storytelling and different character voices.
Later Albums and Legal Matters
In 1989, Walters' mother hired his cousin, Mark Plummer, as his bodyguard. By 1990, Plummer caused problems and tried to get money from Walters many times. Plummer was fired. He then tried to rob Walters and threatened him and his mother. Walters bought guns for protection after finding bullet holes in his front door. On July 3, 1990, Walters saw Plummer and fired shots. One bullet hit Plummer, and another hit a person nearby. Neither person had life-threatening injuries.
Walters later pleaded guilty to some charges, including assault and using a firearm. He said it was an act of self-defense. He spent five years in prison. Two years were for the charges related to the shooting. Three years were due to issues with his legal residency in the U.S. He was released from prison in 1997. While he was in prison, Russell Simmons interviewed Walters for a documentary film called The Show.
After being released on bail, Walters recorded his second album, The Ruler's Back. It came out in 1991. The album reached No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. However, it received mixed reviews and was not as popular as his first album.
Walters' third album, Behind Bars, was released in 1994. He was still in prison when it came out. This album also had lower sales and mixed reviews. Behind Bars reached No. 11 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It also reached No. 51 on the Billboard 200.
Walters stayed with the Def Jam label. He released a fourth album, The Art of Storytelling, on May 25, 1999. This album was a big comeback for him. It featured other famous rappers like Nas, OutKast, Raekwon, and Snoop Dogg. The Los Angeles Times called it the "triumphant return of rap's premier yarn-spinner." They praised the song "2 Way Street" for offering a different message in rap. This album charted higher than any of his previous ones. It reached No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
In June 2002, Walters faced more legal challenges. He was arrested by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) when he returned to the U.S. after performing on a cruise ship. He was told he would be deported because of past legal issues. Walters was held for 17 months without bail. He was released on November 7, 2003. In October 2006, the Department of Homeland Security tried again to deport Walters to the United Kingdom.
On May 23, 2008, New York Governor David Paterson gave Walters a full pardon for his past charges. The governor was happy with Walters' good behavior since then. Slick Rick had volunteered his time to help mentor kids about avoiding violence.
Recent Career and Life
Walters married Mandy Aragones in April 1997. They had met four years earlier at a club in Manhattan. He has two children from a previous relationship. The couple has given many items from Walters' collection to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Walters worked with the Soul Rebels Brass Band on June 21, 2012. They performed in Washington, D.C., at the historic Howard Theatre. This theater had just reopened in April 2012.
Walters received the Mixx Cares Humanitarian Award for his positive contributions.
On April 15, 2016, Walters became a U.S. citizen. He said he was "so proud of this moment" and "honored to finally become an American citizen." He also kept his UK citizenship.
On November 2, 2018, Walters released a new song called "Snakes of the World Today." In 2020, he was featured on Westside Gunn's album Who Made the Sunshine. In September 2023, it was announced that Walters was finishing a new solo album. This was his first new album since Art of Storytelling. In May 2025, it was confirmed that the album, titled Victory, was released through Idris Elba's 7Wallace record label and Mass Appeal Records. A film about the album premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 7. On June 13, 2025, Victory became available on streaming services. It was his first album in 26 years and featured artists like Giggs and Nas.
Honors and Awards
On October 6, 2008, Walters was honored on the VH1 Hip Hop Honors show. In 2018, he was added to the Bronx Walk of Fame. This honor recognizes people who have made important contributions from the Bronx.
Rapping Style and Influence
Music critics have praised Walters' rapping style. Music journalist Peter Shapiro wrote that "Children's Story" was important because of how it told a story. He noted Walters' use of small sound details, like a female voice and a yawning rap, which were key to hip hop style.
As Slick Rick, he is well-known for his story raps, such as "Children's Story" and "La Di Da Di." Shapiro wrote that Walters "largely introduced the art of narrative into hip hop." He added that no other storytellers who came after him did it with the same grace or humor. AllMusic says he has a "reputation as hip hop's greatest storyteller." In the book Check the Technique, Walters said, "I was never the type to say freestyle raps. I usually tell a story, and to do that well I've always had to work things out beforehand."
Kool Moe Dee said that "Slick Rick raised the lost art of hip hop storytelling to a level never seen again." Devin the Dude mentioned that Slick Rick's "Indian Girl" is a good example of the humor found in hip hop's golden era. Peter Shapiro even said that "he was funnier than Rudy Ray Moore or Redd Foxx."
Walters keeps some English pronunciations in his rap. This led Shapiro to say that Walters raps in the "Queen's English." O.C. stated that The Great Adventures of Slick Rick is one of the greatest albums ever. He noted how clear Walters' words were. Slick Rick is also famous for his unique "smooth, British-tinged flow" which has special structures. In the book How to Rap, it is noted that on the song "I Own America," he often pauses on certain beats. This makes each pair of lines start with a pause. Kool Moe Dee said that "Rick accomplished being totally original at a time when most MCs were using very similar cadences." He has what are called "singsong cadences." Andy Cat of Ugly Duckling mentioned that Slick Rick uses a melodic way of speaking on the song "Hey Young World." Walters is also known for using different voices for different characters in his story rhymes. Kool Moe Dee said Walters used "multi-voices to portray multiple characters."
Music Albums
- The Great Adventures of Slick Rick (1988)
- The Ruler's Back (1991)
- Behind Bars (1994)
- The Art of Storytelling (1999)
- Victory (2025)
Video Game Appearances
Walters appears as a character you can play in the video games Def Jam: Fight for NY and Def Jam Fight for NY: The Takeover.
Images for kids
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Slick Rick performing in 2009
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Slick Rick in 1997
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Slick Rick at the Out4Fame Festival in 2016
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The rapper Slick Rick performs at a basketball arena with backup dancers and the team mascot for the NY Liberty
See also
In Spanish: Slick Rick para niños
