Information About this Event
Ricky Martin Lloyd Walters, better known to the world as “Slick Rick”, is a Grammy-nominated, English-born performer and the most successful British-American rapper in music history who is known as Hip-Hop’s Greatest Storyteller. Originally from London, the hip-hop veteran began his career in 1983 as a member of Doug E. Fresh’s Get Fresh Crew, pioneering what is referred to as the “Golden Age of Hip- Hop”. With four albums to his credit – the landmark The Great Adventures of Slick Rick (1988), The Ruler’s Back (1991), Behind Bars (1994) and The Art of Storytelling (1999). Rick has collaborated with a range of musical icons, from Jay-Z and Missy Elliot to Outkast, Mos Def and Aaliyah. His music has been sampled and interpolated over 600 times, by such artists as Beyonce, Beastie Boys, TLC, Nas, Miley Cyrus, Kanye West, Black Star, The Notorious B.I.G., Snoop Dogg and Color Me Badd. In the process, he became the most sampled hip-hop artist ever. Many of the new songs became hit singles, underscoring his timeless influence. He’s been a VH1 Hip-Hop Honors honoree; About.com’s “Top 50 MCs of Our Time,” ranked him #12; The Source’s roundup of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time placed him at #15 and Complex called him “The Best Rapper Alive” at the peak of his career. Ever the influence, he has been referenced in over 35 songs from the early 1990’s to present day by recording artists such as Nicki Minaj, J Cole, Pitbull. will.i.am. Amy Winehouse and Big Sean. Slick Rick has also acted and cameo’d in 10 movies and videos. He has four Billboard 200 records, and 14 Top 100 Singles worldwide.
Music isn’t his only passion; on top of being a uniquely gifted lyricist, Rick is an actor and music producer known his fashion sense and for a growing list of business and philanthropic endeavors. The artist is known for his infamous eye-patch and heavily adorned jewelry. This self-expression through personal style has become his signature and has never been successfully duplicated. Recognizing the need for positive influences, he has devoted his time to mentoring youth on the dangers of violence. Additionally, Rick has partnered with various organizations to raise awareness and funds for the issues impacting underserved communities.
With more than three decades in the world of music, this legacy artist is still striving, still working, still giving back to his community and still ruling!
