Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Once Upon a Time not long ago...", April 13, 2005
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.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Classic From '88 (Rating: 10 out of 10- -5.0 stars), January 31, 2008
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
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The special debut of an Old School genius, August 29, 2005
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.
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