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.