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Slick Rick attended the 46th Annual African-American Day Parade held in Harlem, NY alongside Kool DJ Red Alert and Wreckx-n-Effect. The mission of the African-American Day Parade is to provide an opportunity to celebrate African-American heritage and join together on a Special Day to honor our history and salute African people throughout the world for their outstanding achievements. Thank you to the committee for honoring Slick Rick!
You may have watched the 2015 Emmys and stumbled upon a music moment from Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, Mary J. Blige who joined forces with Taraji. P Henson and Kerry Washington in a new Apple Music commercial, featuring Slick Rick's "Children's Story" and other Hip-Hop classics. In case you missed it, watch the commercial HERE:
September is back to school season. Mikey Likes It has dedicated this month’s flavor to "The Ruler" aka Slick Rick. "The Ruler’s Back" comprises of honey ice cream with dry roasted peanuts and honey nuts Cheerios. Mikey enlisted Bronx-based artist Andre Trenier to create a mural.
Grammy-nominated rapper Slick Rick today announces a partnership with custom-apparel platform Teespring that will produce a limited-edition white tee featuring an array of Rick’s best-known gold and diamond chains. The T-shirts are available exclusively at www.teespring.com/slickrick now until September 2nd.
The hip-hop legend’s renowned jewelry collection is valued at more than a quarter-million dollars, and his flashy style made him the “founding father of bling.” Now fans can finally sport Rick’s “bull-choking” truck jewelry look for a fraction of the cost: $25.99!
"I’m very excited to offer the public this first-ever item of clothing from me,” said Slick Rick. “ I chose to partner with Teespring because their brand, like mine, is about self-expression and communicating a unique identity. The company’s raw materials as well as its printing is the highest quality I could find."
Upload a picture of yourself on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram wearing the stylish tee and tag it #BeLikeTheRuler for a chance to meet Slick Rick!
Grammy-nominated rap legend Slick Rick makes a special guest appearance on Miami emcee Dynas’ latest single, “Who U?,” whose video premiered today on Ambroisia4Heads.com. The whimsical, animated clip also features producer Tony Galvin, best known for his work with T.I., Young Jeezy and Snoop Dogg.
Ahead of today’s rollout, Dynas and Galvin released “What Up?,” a dedication to producer J. Dilla. The pair’s collaborative album, Big & Tall, releases next month on AVX Records.
"Who U?" is a mashup of boom-bap and dancehall, toasting to “Rick The Ruler” and Dynas’ Jamaican roots. Its rapped story fits perfectly within Rick’s canon of respected recordings. Beloved for his sense of humor and smooth lyrical flow, the hip-hop pioneer begins this tale at the gym “workin’ off the belly.” Trading conversational verses with Dynas, “rude-bwoy” hijinks ensues as an adventure-filled day progresses.
The last Slick Rick collabo was 2009's "Auditorium," from Mos Def's The Ecstatic album, dubbed "a hip-hop goodwill ambassador tour" by Pitchfork.com.
Purchase the single "Who U?" on Apple Music HERE.
Watch "Who U?" below...
Slick Rick performed at Culture Collide's Lollapalooza after party in partnership with the Hard Rock Hotel in Chicago and had the entire party rockin'! He performed hits "Children's Story," "The Show," "La Di Da Di," and even dropped a freestyle to Mobb Deep's "Quiet Storm". Those in attendance indulged barbeque chicken sandwiches from Parson's Chicken & Fish, along with New Amsterdam Vodka mango slushies. Additional sponsors included, Bandsintown, The A.V. Club, Lyft, Fender and Busy Beaver Button Co., which gifted partygoers with custom festival buttons
Read more about the event HERE.
BBE signee Dynas trades “Great Adventures” with the one and only Slick Rick on “Who U?” which will premiere exclusively on Ambrosia4heads.com this Thursday, August 6th at 12pm ET. The song "Who U?" is featured on Dynas and Tony Galvin's "Big & Tall LP, scheduled to drop this month. Take a sneak peek at the video HERE. Head over to iTunes and purchase "Who U"? HERE.
In 2012, rapper/actor Ice-T brought his documentary, "Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap, " to the Sundance Film Festival, in Utah and on Saturday, July 18th and Sunday, July 19th he showcased the first annual Art of Rap Fest Tour in Irvine, CA and San Francisco, CA. The lineup included hip-hop legends Slick Rick, Warren G, Rakim, Kool Moe Dee, Kurtis Blow, Bone Thugs "N" Harmony, Afrika Bambaataa and more.
Read more over at Examiner.com.
You're invited...
Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos teams up with Culture Collide to present the "Chicago After Parties" – a series of music-infused post-event celebrations – at Hard Rock Hotel Chicago in conjunction with the city's famed festival weekend. Sure to be the weekend's hottest entertainment and lifestyle venue, the Culture Collide Chicago After Parties Series will roll out the red carpet on the nights of July 31, 2015 and August 1, 2015 at Hard Rock Hotel Chicago – the city's most coveted music-inspired destination adjacently located to the festival grounds.
"The after parties at Hard Rock Hotel Chicago have always been the place to see and be seen during the festival weekend, and this year is certainly no exception," says Matt Watts, director of music and marketing at Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos. "With our 10th and most exciting year yet, we're looking forward to continue to build upon this annual party and provide music fans with a truly unique and intimate setting to see performances from an icon like Slick Rick; as well as one of the most exciting new bands this year, Bleachers."
Guests in attendance will enjoy delectable food and wine pairings, as well as creative creations by a fully sponsored open bar. Sponsors of the Culture Collide Chicago After Parties Series include media partners The A.V. Club, as well as Bandsintown, Fender, Shellback Caribbean Rum, E&J and Busy Beaver Button Co., which will be gifting partygoers with custom festival buttons.
RSVP HERE. Event is strictly 21 + up. RSVP does not guaranty entry.
Need a ride to the Culture Collide afterparty? First-time Lyft users, get your first ride free up to $20 — just download the app and enter the code COLLIDE in the Payment section. The Hard Rock Hotel is waiting for you!
They don't call him "The Ruler" for nothing! Slick Rick took the stage at the Coca Cola Art of Hip-Hop Superlounge on Friday night at the 2015 Essence Festival and reminded fans why they fell in love with his music. Essence.com put together a list of why Slick Rick is indeed still "The Ruler", check it out HERE.
Slick Rick was, and still is, one of the greatest storytellers in hip-hop history. After the promotion and success of his first album, The Adventures of Slick Rick, the British MC continued his ascent to stardom with his sophomore effort The Ruler’s Back.
Slick Rick’s second album was finished rather quickly due to the fact he was hit with a five year stint behind bars. The first and hit single off the album was “I Shouldn’t Have Done It”, reaching number two on the Hot Rap Charts.
Following “I Shouldn’t Have Done It,” Slick Rick released the singles “Mistakes of a Woman in Love With Other Men” and “It’s A Boy.” The project also features production from Mr. Lee and Slick Rick himself. Russell Simmons served as executive producer.
Source: The Source
It’s going down at #ESSENCEFEST! If you’re not in NOLA July 4th weekend, you’ll miss Slick Rick perform & SO much more!!
Here’s how to make that happen: www.essencefestival.com
Entrepreneur and style innovator will.i.am has partnered with Hip Hop icon Slick Rick to create a limited edition ill.i Optics capsule collection. The ill.i x Slick Rick series co-created by the duo includes three variations of unisex sunglass styles with modern, minimalist appeal.
Rapper, storyteller and Hop Hop pioneer Slick Rick’s legendary style and swagger mixes with will.i.am’s futuristic, avante-garde approach to design in the first installment of ill.i Optics’ ongoing series of artist collaborations; part of the innovative eyewear brand’s recently launched Spring/Summer 2015 collection.
As Slick Rick explained, “Music and fashion have always been parallel, and both are my true passions. ill.i x SlickRick represents our vision for the next level of fresh, fly, and classic eyewear.”
ill.i Optics is designed in Los Angeles, hand finished in Italy, and born out of will.i.am’s life-long passion for experimental fashion. The ill.i x Slick Rick collaboration draws inspiration from vintage silhouettes and classic Hip Hop aesthetics in a way that is both progressive and timeless, resulting in unparalleled style and a unique alternative to the status quo.
For more information, please visit ill.i.am.
A moment in hip-hop history occurred this past weekend as music veteran Slick Rick the Ruler kicked off his 50th birthday celebration with a memorable performance at their annual Brooklyn Bowl bash. The man behind timeless classics such as “Children’s Story”, “Hey Young World,” and “La Di Da Di” to name a few, manages to maintain his presence amongst his present day peers. Over the years, fellow hip-hop heavyweights like Missy Elliott, MC Lyte, Raekwon and Q-Tip have honored Ricky D during his birthday soirees, but for his half-century celebration, none other than Queens MC and fellow legend Nasir Jones, better known as Nas, surprised his idol on stage in front of a sold out crowd. Nas ultimately played hype man to the living legend, as Slick Rick, draped in his signature larger-than-life jewelry, ran through his classics and received “so much love”, as Rick would say, from his dedicated fans.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3UxaetgYJI[/embed]
A two-sided smash credited to Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew and released on a tiny independent label in the summer of 1985, “The Show/La Di Da Di” is esteemed today for having introduced the world to one of hip-hop’s most enduringly influential talents — Slick Rick.
Just 19 years old when he stepped up to the mic, MC Ricky D (as he was then billing himself) was clearly ready for his close-up. Anyone with ears could hear that he could write and rap at a world-class level. His voice was a thing of wonder, boasting the trace of a British accent and a cartoonish elasticity. He also displayed a wonderful sense of humor…including the ability to laugh at himself.
But it may have been as a writer that Rick really distinguished himself. Very few rappers before Rick had attempted to sustain a narrative over the course of an entire record. Rick did it on both sides of his debut single. “The Show” finds him backstage with Doug Fresh, counting down the minutes before a live performance. “La Di Da Di” describes a day in Rick’s life, from the time he wakes up, showers, and gets dressed, to his confrontation with the sexually aggressive mother of one of his girlfriends. Both of these stories were so well told that millions of young people memorized them word for word.
And they were just as influential to a generation of aspiring artists. Salt’n’Pepa made their debut (under the name Super Nature) with a sassy little answer record to “The Show” entitled “The Showstopper.” Snoop Dogg remade “La Di Da Di” as “Lodi Dodi” on his debut album in 1993. And Biggie Smalls’s “Hypnotize” (1997) took both its title and its hook from “La Di Da Di.” Miley Cyrus sings the title of “La Di Da Di” in “We Can’t Stop,” a hit single from 2013.
According to whosampled.com, “The Show” has been sampled at least 96 times, by artists including Eminem, Jay Z, Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill, LL Cool J, and Redman. “La Di Da Di” has been sampled some 613 times, by artists as various as Eminem, Jay-Z, Ludacris, Big Daddy Kane, Ini Kamoze, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Beyonce, E-40, and the Beastie Boys. It is one of a handful of the most sampled rap songs in the history of all genres of music.
Rick’s original version reached number three on Billboard’s Hot Black Singles chart and cracked into the top five in England achieving multi-platinum status world wide. It was also released in Spain, Italy, France, Australia, and New Zealand.
More importantly perhaps, the success of “The Show/La Di Da Di” led directly to Rick’s 1986 contract with Def Jam, which released Rick’s debut solo album, The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, in October of 1988. The rest is history.
Words by Bill Adler
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When Mandy Aragones watches a movie or television show with her husband, Ricky Walters, she is ready for a running commentary.
“Anything we watch, he always has another scenario,” she said. “He always finds an alternate ending.”
In the 1980s, his ability to spin a tale earned him fame as Slick Rick, the gold-draped rapper, also known as Rick the Ruler, with an eye patch and an English accent whose adventures propelled him to stardom. That was followed by prison time for a shooting, immigration problems and — to his relief — a 2008 pardon from Gov. David A. Paterson of New York.
View the full article on New York Times
Guerilla Union sits down with Ghostface Killa and talks about Slick Rick, Rakim, Wu-Tang and more! The 36 Chambers rapper cited Slick Rick as one of his influences. “That’s like my idol right there. I get a lot of my storytelling from Slick Rick,” he says. “Even when I got my eagle on and all those jewels, I got it from this man right here. I was going through a lot of shit when he put The Adventures of Slick Rick out. I was in the era of getting fly, selling drugs and dust and it was just everything all in one and Rick was the nigga.”
Watch the full interview above as Ghost discusses the Clan, Rakim and more.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-eyZR6u9EA[/embed]
Early Days with the Get Fresh Crew! Can you spot each member of the legendary group??