Customer Reviews

The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick [Explicit]

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is the kind of album you HAVE to give props to. It is one of the most important albums in Hip-Hop's history, taking in account the lyrical advancements it made. Although the rhymes here are neither as complex as Rakim or Kool Keith's, nor were they as conscious as Chuck D or KRS-One (which all came out in '88), his style was on a different level. Before tracks rarely where held tight to one theme throughout their entire length and never had raps sounded like believable narratives. "The Great Adventures of Slick Rick" pretty much set the standard and became the blueprint for story-telling raps for every generation that followed.

Lyrically, Rick's raps still hold up well even by today's standards (which ironically seem to have taken a step backwards). His smooth voice & British accent draw the listener in as his flow takes you through a seamless ride. He has one of those voices that people instinctively like. There really is no rapper that can match Slick Rick's style and delivery. Only a young Snoop Dogg could be considered to be on that same level.

I can say that many of these beats do not hold up well over time (and for the casual rap fan, that's probably more than enough to discourage them). The horns and bass on "The Ruler's Back" sound corny, the Casio keys for "Teacher, Teacher" & "Teenage Love" are pretty lame and more often than not do the songs completely rely on Slick Rick to carry them. Fortunately, Rick's one of the best ever and does more than save these tracks - frequently he turns them into classics.

Obvious favorites are "Children's Story", (which shouldn't need explaining since it's the probably the most sampled song both lyric and production wise) "Mona Lisa", (silly and downright stupid at times, yet undeniably fun and catchy) and of course "Indian Girl" (which is hilarious). "Let's Get Crazy" is a solid 80's party jam & battle raps fly on "Lick the Balls". Other highlights that Rick's storytelling really make worth it are "The Moment I Feared", "Kit", & "Treat Her Like a Prostitute". Without a fail, Rick always manages to engage the listener with his meticulous tales where the rhymes never sound forced, yet are always creative.

If this where released a bit later, the beats on this album would definitely detract from the quality of the album. But, during this time great beats where really not as prevalent as they were even two years later. "The Great Adventures of Slick Rick" is a lyrical masterpiece (by any standards) and its influence can't be measured. For that alone it's considered a classic and should find its way to any rap aficionado's collection.

Giving this album more praise is like beating a dead horse. You see the 5 star reviews and know how great Slick Rick is when it comes to his story telling abilities (except a few people, like the reviewer who doesn't know how to spell). What I believed is that Slick Rick was ahead of his time when he made this album, because no one could rhyme like he can (and people today still cannot do that). Everybody knows his huge classic single "Children's Story". My favorite from this album would be "Teenage Love" which is an excellent story about love. Other favorites would be the funny "Treat Her Like A Prostitute", "The Ruler's Back" (guess who made a cover of that song???), and the even funnier track "Lick The Balls".

Production here is great too. Handled by Slick Rick himself, Jam Master Jay, Hank Shocklee, and Erick Sadler, expect some nice production here. It may sound a little dated for younger ears, but trust me, you'll love it. Slick Rick opened the door for a new rhyme style in rap music. If you don't have this, you need to purchase this right away. Slick Rick would put together more excellent albums down the line, but everyone is going to remember him for this one here. Peace.

Lyrics: A+
Production: A
Guest Appearances: N/A
Musical Vibes: A+

Top 5 Tracks:
1. Teenage Love {personal favorite}
2. Children's Story
3. Lick The Balls
4. Treat Her Like A Prostitute
5. The Ruler's Back

Slick Rick is one of the most important Old School rappers,one of the first Def Jam's artists that have made a cd for the discographic label and one of the first rappers that have sold one million of copies."Great Adventures Of Slick Rick" is the Slick Rick's carrier's diamond.Produced by Rickie,Hank Shocklee and Jam Master Jay,the cd contains incredible songs that speak of the ghetto life,the teenager's world,but of funny situations like Indian's love stories,too.In "Great Adventures" we find a lot of Rickie Walter's hits like "Children's Story",beautiful storytellin' (you can listen it also in Grand Theft Auto San Andreas,Playback FM);"The Ruler's Back",famous song with a medieval beat;"Hey Young World",dedicated to all the young brothers and teenagers,here we can listen a ultradoped beat and the sweet voice of the Ruler...The cd and his singles aren't supported by radios becuse there are a lot of explicit songs like "Lick The Ba**s"or "Treath Her Like A Prostitute",first Rickie's single.Notwithstanding this problem,the cd is certified as "Classic" and real hip hop lovers can't say only <>.This is probably the best cd of the year,and we are in 1988,where start the Cold Chillin'era! In 1988,Slick Rick enter automatically in rap's heaven,with his adventures and his flow,the same flow hat will be an example for artists like Notorious B.I.G. and Snoop Dogg.Thank you Rick.

Slick Rick is one of the greatest rappers to ever grace the mic. Trace JZ and Snoop (and even Nas, ODB, and Guru!) back to the roots and you get Ricky D. This cat is simply a brilliant performance artist. When Slick Rick grabs the mic he's going to tell you a story and this means that he's going to sing some parts, talk like a girl, make all kinds of crazy noises, and do whatever else he's got to do to express himself and his message. Slick Rick is still (even now in 2003) ahead of his time. Eventually someone will come along and widen the rap game by once again drawing off Slick Rick's style. And while DJ Vance Wright is not on the level of Ricardo, this man's beats are still banging. Although the beats are not as refined as the lyrically inferior "The Ruler's Back" the production compliments R's style very well. The best songs? Almost all are good (let's be honest there are a couple weak tracks) but "Hey Young World" "Children's Story" "Indian Girl" and the much underlooked "The Moment I Feared" are all classics that still take their place as some of the best written hip-hop songs ever.

Although we haven't heard much from Slick Rick since this, it was a fine way to start his career. I don't think any other rapper sounds like Slick Rick (even though some try) and none ever will. As you've probably heard he was hip hop's best storyteller, no one could paint a mental picture of a situation like Rick. "Children's Story" is one of the top 10 rap songs of all time, most would probably recognize the beat from a popular Montel Jordan song. If you're into hip hop, buy this.

I bought Slick Rick "Adventures" when it first came out. I like Music from the Indigo Girls to the Beastie Boys and this is still one of the Best CD's I have ever owned. Ricks style is the most Unique Rap that has come out. He has Copied no one. Nowadays most Rap sounds the same, People have tried to copy Rick but have failed. He is the Best out there.

Slick Rick is one of my favorite hip-hop artists and without a doubt this album is an example of the genre's finest old school sound. He is so original that you can recognize instantly his style from the rest and why he is The Ruler and one of the best. Also, understand why newer artists cover him, and mix in some of his cool lyrics, cause even they know, it doesn't get much better than this. Treat Her Like A Prostitute, and the well-known Children's Story are classics I never get tired of hearing, but the absolute treasure on this album is Hey, Young World. This song exceeds all standards and sends nothing but love, and Rick's message is one needing to be played often and to as many people as will listen. If I were to ever attempt to cover a hip-hop song, Hey, Young World would be it. Here is my tip or call it a helpful hint: Buy this CD now and when you receive it, bust it open, pop it in, and skip the player til you get to track number 10. Listen to it twice and then play the entire disc from beginning to end. And you heard it straight from the girl known as The One Woman Riot, real-deal Holyfield, and that means alot.

i bought this cd today and i was lucky because it was the last one they had. great album from front to back. but as i said its strickly for people who appreaciate old school because i had a friend who was with me when i purchased it he was like "WTF is this slick rick sucks" and when i shown him Public Enemy It takes a nation of millions to hold us back he was like "Who the hell is this" and when he was at the 50 cent cds he was like "i should purchase all of 50 cents albums, and im like 50 cent is garbage. just to tell everyone this is only for the people of the old school and as for you people who are like me friend, turn away.

YES!!!!! this has to be in the top five of my favorite hip hop albums of all time. from beginning to end, this album goes right to your head. love the stories and the delivery of them. GREATEST HARMONIZER IN HIP HOP EVER!!!! forget the ja rules and the 50 cents and all the others who immulated that!!!! everything on here bumps. check it out and you'll see what i mean here.

Slick Rick's The Great Adventures of Slick Rick is undoubtedly one of the best of the golden-age of hip-hop. 1988 was one hell of a year for hip-hop, as classic albums like EPMD's Strictly Business, Ultramagnetic MC's Critical Beatdown, Eazy-E's Eazy-Duz It, and this album came out - and all four of these album sound just as dope today as they did back then. More bass-heavy than most of it's contemporaries, Slick Rick's "The Great Adventures of Slick Rick" brought a lyrical masterpiece that could get your trunk rattling; a rare combination seen today.

Slick Rick, to this day, has a voice and flow like no other; although his flow is often imitated by those wishing to pay tribute to him, you'd never find an emcee with such a suave British accent, and smooth vocal tone. However, though Slick Rick's British accent was phat, he isn't nearly as hard to swallow for some American listeners as other British emcees; his accent was more subtle, and that allowed him to connect with an American audience(the audience this album was targeted to) more effectively. It's that factor that continues to seperate Slick Rick from emcees who were influenced by him(and believe me, the numbers are countless - Snoop Dogg, B.I.G., Raekwon, Eminem, Talib Kweli and Mos Def, etc), and put him in a league of his own.

Production on this album is a thing of beauty; far more cinematic than anything else musically coming out at the time, it set a standard for atmospheric hip-hop. Albums like Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... and Life After Death, which specialized in tale-based raps, took the concept of adding film score-esque production to complement the mood of a track from this album. Though the production was less sample heavy than some of the other albums at the time, it was just as groundbreaking, if not more; it paved the way for an entire generation of emcees and deejays to come.

Picking out certain tracks would be an injustice to this album; everything's dope. Some tracks are more recognized, but "The Moment I Feared" is just as ill as "Children's Story," and "The Ruler's Back" is just as dope as "Mona Lisa." One track from this album has more quality than most emcee's albums; that's how correct Ricky came on this album.

Not sounding dated a bit, Slick Rick's "The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick" stands today as a landmark album in hip-hop, and a huge turning point; along with Kool G. Rap, Slick Rick introduced the art of storytelling to young emcees, and changed hip-hop as we know it. If you don't already own this, drop everything you're doing, and pick it up now.