Slick Rick
Slick Rick (born
January 14,
1965) is an East Coast rapper, known for a series of recordings that practically defined
1980s gangsta rap. Born
Richard Walters in
South Wimbledon,
London,
England, he emerged from
New York City in
1989 with
The Great Adventures of Slick Rick (
1989 in music). The album was a massive success by
hip hop's standards at the time, going platinum, but he was unable to capitalize on his fame due to an arrest for attempted murder. Russell Simmons, head of
Def Jam records, bailed him out and Rick quickly recorded
The Ruler's Back before spending two years in prison.
When Rick was released in 1994, Rick immediately recorded Behind Bars. In 2002, Rick was arrested by INS agents while performing on a cruise ship in Florida; he was promptly told that he was being deported because he was technically a British citizen; he had been born in London to American parents and moved to the States as a youth. Rick has been continuously refused bail.