He Got Soul: Slick Rick

Slick Rick to perform at Soul Train Awards. Dec 1st @ 8pm/7C

He's Got Soul: Slick Rick - Slick Rick is known as Hip Hop's Greatest Storyteller. He epitomized the pimpster attitude of many rappers during the late '80s and early '90s, with gold chains, his trademark eye-patch. Brilliant word play, the effort-less ability to bring life to the stories he rhymes about, dead on pop-culture references and hilarious one-liners make him the wittiest rapper of all time.(Photo:  JLN Photography / Wenn)

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He's Got Soul: Slick Rick - Slick Rick is known as Hip Hop's Greatest Storyteller. He epitomized the pimpster attitude of many rappers during the late '80s and early '90s, with gold chains, his trademark eye-patch. Brilliant word play, the effort-less ability to bring life to the stories he rhymes about, dead on pop-culture references and hilarious one-liners make him the wittiest rapper of all time.(Photo:  JLN Photography / Wenn)

The Show - Slick Rick attended the La Guardia High School of Music & Art, where he became friends with future rapper Dana Dane. The two formed the Kangol Crew, and began performing in hip-hop battles around the city. At one 1984 battle in the Bronx, Rick met Doug E. Fresh, and began playing with his Get Fresh Crew. Fresh's number four R&B hit, "The Show," exploded just one year later, and MC Ricky D. -- as Rick was then known -- leaped to a solo contract two years later, after an acquaintance with Russell Simmons led to his signing to Def Jam Records, the biggest label in hip-hop at the time.(Photo: Press photo for Hip Hop Awards 2011 Jonathan Mannion)

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The Show - Slick Rick attended the La Guardia High School of Music & Art, where he became friends with future rapper Dana Dane. The two formed the Kangol Crew, and began performing in hip-hop battles around the city. At one 1984 battle in the Bronx, Rick met Doug E. Fresh, and began playing with his Get Fresh Crew. Fresh's number four R&B hit, "The Show," exploded just one year later, and MC Ricky D. -- as Rick was then known -- leaped to a solo contract two years later, after an acquaintance with Russell Simmons led to his signing to Def Jam Records, the biggest label in hip-hop at the time.(Photo: Press photo for Hip Hop Awards 2011 Jonathan Mannion)

The Adventures of Slick Rick - His first album was a certified-platinum classic, but before he could record a follow-up, Slick Rick was arrested for attempted murder. Out on bail thanks to Def Jam Records' label head Russell Simmons, Rick recorded The Ruler's Back in three weeks and released the album in 1991. After his release from prison two years later, he recorded Behind Bars for a 1994 release. (Photo: Jerritt Clark/Getty Images)

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The Adventures of Slick Rick - His first album was a certified-platinum classic, but before he could record a follow-up, Slick Rick was arrested for attempted murder. Out on bail thanks to Def Jam Records' label head Russell Simmons, Rick recorded The Ruler's Back in three weeks and released the album in 1991. After his release from prison two years later, he recorded Behind Bars for a 1994 release. (Photo: Jerritt Clark/Getty Images)

The Art of Storytelling - After being released from prison in 1996, Slick Rick remained with the Def Jam label and on May 25, 1999, released a fourth album entitled The Art of Storytelling. Generally considered the authentic follow up to his 1988 debut, The Art of Storytelling was an artistically successful comeback album that paired him with prolific MCs like Nas, OutKast, Raekwon, and Snoop Dogg among others. (Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images)

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The Art of Storytelling - After being released from prison in 1996, Slick Rick remained with the Def Jam label and on May 25, 1999, released a fourth album entitled The Art of Storytelling. Generally considered the authentic follow up to his 1988 debut, The Art of Storytelling was an artistically successful comeback album that paired him with prolific MCs like Nas, OutKast, Raekwon, and Snoop Dogg among others. (Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images)

Slick Rick  - Hip hop pioneer Slick Rick makes an appearance on stage this year as part of a special throwback performance. 

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Deportation - While performing live on a Florida cruise ship in the summer of 2002, INS officials seized the rapper and brought him to a prison. Although the organization had unsuccessfully been trying to deport Rick since 1991, they finally appealed enough times to get the Board of Immigration Appeals to make a ruling in favor of sending him back to England. Although his wife, children, and parents are all American citizens, the fact that Rick was born in England is enough of a technicality to warrant his deportation. He was released in 2003. (Photo: James Devaney/WireImage)

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Hip- Hop Honors - In 2008 Slick Rick was honored by VH1's Hip-Hop honors shows which celebrated all his contributions to Hip Hop. (Photo: C Flanigan/WireImage)

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Hip- Hop Honors - In 2008 Slick Rick was honored by VH1's Hip-Hop honors shows which celebrated all his contributions to Hip Hop. (Photo: C Flanigan/WireImage)

Photo By Photo: C Flanigan/WireImage

The Sampling of Slick Rick - "La Di Da Di", "Mona Lisa" and "Children's Story" are among Walters most well known songs, with "La Di Da Di" being covered nearly word-for-word by Snoop Dogg on his 1993 album Doggystyle. Lines from "La Di Da Di" were borrowed by other multiple high profile artists. "Children's Story" was sampled by Montell Jordan for his 1995 hit, "This Is How We Do It", and rapper Everlast covered the song for his album Eat at Whitey's. Rapper Eminem also borrowed from the song extensively in his diss track "Can-I-Bitch". "Children's Story" was covered with similar lyrics by the MC duo Black Star on their 1998 album Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star, as well as by Tricky on the album Nearly God. It was also paid tribute to by A Tribe Called Quest on their song "8 Mill...

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The Sampling of Slick Rick - "La Di Da Di", "Mona Lisa" and "Children's Story" are among Walters most well known songs, with "La Di Da Di" being covered nearly word-for-word by Snoop Dogg on his 1993 album Doggystyle. Lines from "La Di Da Di" were borrowed by other multiple high profile artists. "Children's Story" was sampled by Montell Jordan for his 1995 hit, "This Is How We Do It", and rapper Everlast covered the song for his album Eat at Whitey's. Rapper Eminem also borrowed from the song extensively in his diss track "Can-I-Bitch". "Children's Story" was covered with similar lyrics by the MC duo Black Star on their 1998 album Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star, as well as by Tricky on the album Nearly God. It was also paid tribute to by A Tribe Called Quest on their song "8 Mill...