Slick Rick
THE ART OF STORYTELLING

The Ruler's back! With a 1999 album on Def Jam Slick Rick lets the world know he didn't lose his storytelling flow.
'The Art Of Storytelling' is the fourth album Slick Rick made and the first one that comes close to his debut-Classic of 1988 'The Great Adventures of Slick Rick'. (Who can't lipsinc the lyrics of 'Children's Story'?)
Slick Rick's got a legendary voice. His lines, or parts out of them have been used over and over again as samples or sources of lyrical inspiration by other rap artists like Notorious BIG ("Ricky, Ricky, Ricky, can't you see...") and Snoop Dogg, who almost literally redid 'La Di Da Di'. No bad words on Snoop: he's uniting with Slick Rick on this new album in a track called (how to the point) 'Unify'. For Snoop this was an honor, for he's been a Slick Rick fan since the early days.

Back with Doug E Fresh.
On 'The Art Of Storytelling', Da Slicksta is unifying with a lot of other artists, including Doug E Fresh, who was MC Ricky D's (as Slick Rick was known back in days) vocal partner in The Get Fresh Crew, known for their absolutely unforgettable 1985 double sided 12" 'The Show b/w 'La Di Da Di'. They are reminiscing those top days of HipHop with three tracks. 'We Turn It On' is a new track: (Doug e Fresh:) "Here's a blast from the past/ crowd moving on the future/ unlimited/ kickin' it like we used to/ boost the tracks son/ we all last son/ where you been, Rick? (SR:) Me? Missing in action..."
The other tracks with Doug E Fresh are live 1999 versions of 'La Di Da Di' and 'The Show'. On all these three tracks you can hear the musical chemistry between the two of them and it's fresh to hear the crowd rapping along with the lyrics.

Doing time in jail.
It's understandable Rick's referring to his success of the 80's and wants to enjoy life again: his career as a successful rapper was interfered by a jail sentence of seven years for attempted murder. A hard period. He was charged for shooting his cousin and friend, then caught up in a high speed car chase that resulted in a crash. He and his then girlfriend broke their legs.
During this long period Slick Rick recorded his second and third album that never really kicked ass. He himself admits he rushed those albums, going in and out of jail to record, being under heavy pressure and tension.

The new album.
In 'The Art Of Storytelling' Mr. Rick starts off with closing the jail doors behind him. The intro gives the sounds: (Guard:) "Inmate 91849618, pack your stuff, you're free to go...". As a free man Slick Rick married the girl who stood by his side during his jail time. And after that he went up the mountains to record this album, far away from the city's craziness. Def Jam provided him with top notch producers like Large Professor, Dame Grease (DMX and The Lox), DJ Clark Kent and Thomas Rusiak. Lyrically Rick got assisted by heavy caliber rappers like Redman, Canibus, Nas, Run, Q Tip, Reakwon and more.

The results of this all is an album with a very laid back flow. Slick Rick's voice does it: as relaxed as can be.
The first thing that's remarkable about 'The Art Of Storytelling' are the many links to older SR-material. Slick Rick lyrics quoted by other artists in between tracks, with a little twist to it: "Ran upstairs up to the top floor/ opened up the door, yo guess who I saw/ Redman the dopefiend puffin' smoke/ who don't know the meaning of water nor soap..." (feat. Redman in 'Jail Skit') and a lot of samples like "MC...Rickyyy...Deee..." or "Michelle my belle..."
In between some tracks jail doors are closed once again. These links to old days and jail doors show how much of an impact jail must have been in his life. But Rick is not only looking back. There are track on this album with a very 1999 flow, like the master track 'Frozen' featuring Reakwon over a DOPE beat created by Thomas Rusiak. 'Me And Nas Bring It To The Hardest', a track with a very Nas sound to it or a track like 'Kill Niggaz' in which Ricky D's again rapping about what can happen when you've been in jail too long: "Hoes ask kisses 'cause I'm like Jason/ vision/ releasing me a basket case from prison/ pissed/ blood fiend in the villain -what's up y'all?- deep down skeemin' how to kill'em/ misleading a bit although proceeding a hit/ I made them feel I never jeopardise my freedom for shit/ play the empty headed hard/ know the moment the dreaded start me/ I went ahead and took their credit card/ seemed properly deceased/ I made it look like an everyday robbery to please...
...Pleasure in poppin' that flea/ should have heard mister Tough Guy coppin' mad please/ not insane nor am I biased/ tho' it feels good to watch a motherfucker die before my fly ass..."
Slick Rick didn't loose his art of storytelling for sure. The summon of this art is the very X rated 'Adults Only' in which his storytelling makes you visualize some of- the- hook sex dripping in all the juicy details the Slicksta and the chicken do to each other. Oh shit, it's funny, but slightly on the sick side, too.
Tracks like 'Why, Why, Why'. (He's even singing the chorus to give it more Slick Rick flavor) and 'Memories' have that special Slick Rick sound. Slick Rick doesn't want to compete with the younger rap generations, he sounds like a 34 year old rapper who's been there and just wants to be himself: the eye patched, trunk gold jewelry wearing rap star who likes to talk about what's going on in the mind of a 34 year old, weather it's fidelity to his wife, anal sex or the days of afro's and soul food:

"...when soul was at its highest rate like James Brown and 'em/ suiting every black thing/ a groovy error acting/ remember seeing Shaft in the movie theatre back than?/ I feel Richard Rowntree got him a fly deal/ black man wearing bell bottom and high heel/ laughed a lot swung action/ mad production/ remember Wayne Carls with long hair half a block long/ singing songs to that crap/ bunch of sweet memories to us older rap cats..." -'Memories'

In combination with the beats on this album, the overall impression is a very relaxed, very Slick Ricked album. We definitely recommend to listen to this album more than one time, because it's an album that needs to be listened to a couple of times before you get to where Rick wants to take you to. It's not an album to be pumping on a jam, but more for back at the crib, when you chill. Just like tha Slicksta.