Nas and Mass Appeal are doing the lord’s work with the recent announcement of their Legend Has It music series that promises new full-length albums from 7 legendary hip-hop artists. These include projects from Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, De La Soul, Mobb Deep, Big L and Nas himself. For weeks, Mass Appeal kept secret the identity of the seventh artist till a few days ago when it was announced that the one and only Slick Rick, aka Ricky D, aka The Ruler, will be joining the fray with a new project. Entitled Victory, nothing else is mentioned about the project besides its premiere in June at SXSW London and collaborations with Idris Elba, Giggs and Nas.
While it may catch a few by surprise, I for one, was wasn’t. Nas has been known to give Slick Rick his flowers and often said he inspired him as a young rapper, for his technical ability to tell complex stories with multiple characters and events with unprecedented eloquence and charisma. On the other hand, I and many others are anxious, happy and fearful for many reasons. One of which is, we just want the album to be not only good but GREAT. With the pen, Slick Rick has more hits than misses, but sadly, his last project was almost three decades ago. For a rapper, that is a lifetime ago and in some ways, he has always appeared, randomly in music videos, songs, video games and headlines. From collaborations with Jay-Z, Chamillionaire, Missy Elliott, etc, to appearing as a playable character on Def Jam’s classic fighting game, to battling US immigration, Slick Rick has been through it all.
As we await Victory, let us take a quick gander at his last album, The Art of Storytelling, which was released in May 1999. The 21-track Def-Jam Records–backed project is a product of its time and released at a time when rap music was at its all-time high. DMX, Jay-Z, Ja Rule and Nas were at their peak, and the competition was stiff. Regardless, the album remained Slick Rick’s highest-charting album on the Billboard 200 and got to the numero-uno spot on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and attained gold status within a month of its release. Looking back, this is a huge success for someone whose previous album, Behind Bars, was in 1994 while stuck in musical limbo and physically stuck in jail. Well, he did record the album while on a furlough from prison, and I must say, it was far from being good.
Back to Art Of Storytelling, this project is a master class in storytelling and a return to form for Ricky D. He sounds sharp, focused and in his element. The overall concept of leaving prison and going back to what he loved is a running skit and features a host of rappers rapping along classic lines from his debut album as he walks out of the big house. On the production tip, he recruits the top music makers of thhat era including the late DJ Clark Kent, Jazze Pha (yes the same guy who did those early Ciara joints), TrackMasters (We often forget to give these guys their flowers), Tyrone Fyffe (Another unsung producer), the legendary Dame Grease, and Kid Capri. The result is a cinematic piece with different scenes, different characters and engaging stories that range from street-savvy intentions, complex relationships, self-awareness, reflection and a wild story set in ancient Egypt amongst the usual braggadocio.
The project breaks the proverbial ice with the dark and ominous “Kill Niggaz” and follows it with the smooth, heartwarming “Street Talkin” featuring Outkast and a verse from Big Boi. Someone please tell me why 3 stacks didn’t rap on this but appeared in the video. “Me & Nas Bring It to Your Hardest” is a brilliant piece that pairs the eloquence of Rick D and Nasty Nas over a thumping TrackMasters beat( it flips the same sample from La The Darkman’s “Lucci”). Both of them show out and deliver quality verses with a simple hook to match. “I Own America pt 1” and its sequel are joints for the whip. Raw, cheeky Slick Rick expresses his fashion sense and reminds peasants to show respect or get dealt with. Lines like
“Who you low breed humans can’t be in the same room with?
Brief and sweet, wrap it up, thief excrete
Every rapper rap maggot underneath Rick’s feet
Evicted — why you tryin to find shit to lick with?
Even your kids tell you that you ain’t shit to Slick Rick”
Hit the gut with raw visceral intent.
This writer is a fan of the sequel; the beat used is just more majestic and royal for Slick Rick’s smooth flows. More stories follow on “Who Rotten ‘Em” and “2 Way Street.” The latter takes listeners to ancient Egypt and follows a young rapper who gets the attention of the Pharaoh and things go wild from there. The latter is a reflective tale on infidelity and sexual temptation, and leaves listeners with an open-ended question. “Trapped In Me” and “Impress The Kid” are solid joints that showcase Slcik Rick’s boastful and inventive lyricism. His laidback flow and use of tension and resolution to create emotional floods are prominent on these tracks and throughout the project. Speaking of bravado, my favourite cut “King Piece In The Chess game” featuring Canibus (You would be hard pressed to find a bigger Bis fan than me in 99) is a stone-cold lyrical onslaught brimming with quips and self-affirming bars.
“Command Rick, shower the firmament
Earning it, tremendous power is permanent
Unless frame interest dame
Let’s name who the king piece in the chess game”
Slick Rick doesn’t only sound regal over Fyffe’s punchy drum break and subtle horns, but he evokes an air of authority as well. Canibus, however, is relegated to the chorus but ends the project with a short verse on the outro that helps seal the deal. A young Bis fan like myself, couldn’t be happier, and till today I still say
“Yo, we can battle in front of the castle, I’ll disgrace you
I roast you, I burn you, I bake you
I cremate you — I motherfuckin hate you!
The king piece in the chess game’ll check mate you, nigga!”
The project continues to deliver solid cuts after another. From the throwback “I Run This,” the cinematic “Frozen” featuring Raekwon, the playful “Why, Why Why” to the X-rated “Adults Only.” Slick even brings back the previously released East/West Coast collab with Snoop Dogg on “Unify”, yes, the coastal beef was not exactly over, but it wasn’t as huge either. Another cut that may slip under one’s radar is the nostalgia “Memories” which bring Slick Rick’s storytelling skils and status as the godfather of tales in full circle. He goes back to memory lane and shares with audiences the good old days of Bazooka bubble gum Good times, Soul train, The Robot dance, Huggie Bear, Afros, Bruce Lee Mania and many more.
Overall, The Art of Storytelling, is exactly what it professes to do. The stories are jam packed, layered and Slick Rick sounds refreshing as a new born and most importantly, he sounds invested on each track.
As for Victory, we can only hope it holds up in today’s musical climate. Slick Rick doesn’t need to follow the crowd, he has never followed the crowd and has an established fanbased that span four decades and some change so that should count for something. In my opinion, Slick Rick should just keep things simple, give us another batch of stories with renwed vigour over dope beats.
Listen to The Art of Storytelling, i on Spotify
Watch The Victory Trailer on IG below
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