We caught with one of the coolest storytellers of Hip-Hop.

Words by Shanice Mears

With weeks ahead of his first ever UK Tour, we had a chat with the Legend that is Slick Rick.

Shannie: You’re known for great story telling, was this always your approach to your music or did it develop over time?

Rick: I was into stories as a child, and as I grew up it just transferred into real life, but I was naturally good at it from a young age too.

Shannie: Where do you think most of your support comes from, the American fans or U.K ones?

Rick: I definitely would say it’s even! Wherever the fans are they will support me so I think that’s even. I have fans all over Europe.

Shannie: How was the move from England to America?

Rick: It wasn’t that difficult for me, there was and is a lot more culture to experience and a lot of urban influence in the U.S. Almost like a Disney land from England *chuckles*

 Shannie: Living in the Bronx were you ever pressured to start rapping in an American accent?

Rick: N’aw that just came naturally. I was raised in England until I was 11, so my puberty and everything came about whilst in America. It just came out naturally like that- my voice.

Shannie: I’ve got two similar questions, can you tell us your favourite song of your own and then your favourite In general?

Rick: I would say Childrens story, that was a really cool song and related a lot at the time.

 I love a Jamaican group called the Heptones their song- Love me always

 Shannie: How did your nicknames Rick the ruler and Ricky Dee come about?

Rick: They were just catch phrase names yano, everyone at the time had a name like something t something d so mine just became Ricky Dee at that moment. Then over time it just became more colorful yano and evolved to slick rick.

Shannie: How do you feel about hip-hop today with rappers like ASAP Mob, Joey Badass, Flatbush Zombies & More?

Rick: I like some of todays hip hop movement it’s cool and makes me wanna dance yano, I like that. I like Future, Drake, Lil Wayne and Missy Elliot. 

Shannie: What did going to jail teach you and how did you rise above it?

Rick: It was a Life experience and you go through a dark experience sometimes in life for a period in your life. But you build friendships and relationships with people for the better. You Build everything around you and find where you fit and when things happen you keep it moving. Because you know when life throws you lemons you make lemonade *chuckles*

Shannie: There’s a shop in London called slick ricks – do you have anything to do with it?

Rick: Ah No, no I haven’t LOL

Shannie: When you were making songs like “Children Story” and “La Di Da Di” did you think they would be worldwide successes?

Rick: I wasn’t aware that was gonna happen. There’s a lot to take from La Di Da Di and make your own. With the chorus that’s really something the people did I didn’t know that would happen.

Shannie: Artists like Snoop Dogg have referenced you, are there any re-makes that are your personal favourite?

Rick: Color me bad that had a real cute melody. Snoop did the whole song and that was dope! 

 Shannie:What’s your favorite album and why?

 The Heptones, Dionne Warwick and Diana Ross and the Supremes they all inspire me and were influential.

Shannie: What made you decide to do a UK Tour now?

Rick: It was more a request and everything just worked out at this time, I got pardoned and all the bad energy was behind me. Also I have never toured England so it was just time for me to come back and enjoy my hometown.

Shannie: What really inspired you to do all your philanthropy work and mentoring?

Rick: The community and the politicians were a big impact for me and I just built new relationships, so I try and give back to the community you know. I just had to show them we’re all in this together.

Shannie: So my last question for the day thank you so much for your time. Is there anything still pending for slick rick to do?

Rick: Sky is the limit yano and as long as you have the energy to keep doing what your doing then there’s gonna be more music

more fashion and more glits and glamour. It’s like Picasso yano he grew as he got older and wiser. So you build and get better as you get older!

Tour dates:

Friday, Nov. 25:              Mantra, Manchester