Search - Slick Rick :: The Ruler's Back

The Unknown Masterpiece

hynyc | New York, NY United States | 07/25/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Chances are, you were inspired by Slick Rick's more popular songs (Children's Story, Mona Lisa, Lodi Dodi, The Show, etc.) to look him up on Amazon. You probably then stumbled upon this lesser known album, "The Ruler's Back." Do not let the shortage of reviews for this album fool you, you have just discovered what I proclaim to be the most underrated album in Rap history. To say this album was ahead of it's time is an understatement. The beats, courtesy of Slick's one time right hand man Vance Wright (probably the greatest beat-maker you've never heard of) are hypnotic and possess a complex layering unheard in modern day rap music. This is best expressed in tracks like "Moses" and "Mistakes Of A Woman." The lyrics are typical Slick: brilliant. His flow, which revolutionized the way rap artists delivered lyrics, are as fluid as they are intense. Listen to the tracks "Ship," "It's A Boy" and "I Shouldn't Have Done It" for example and realize the flow is about 5 years ahead of it's time. Listen to the originality of a track like "Runaway" or "Venus" and realize there are no rap songs that sound like them (try to say that about modern day rap.) Overall, the album is a testament to the greatest lyricist to ever grace a mic, and takes us back to a time when rap could be both technically profound and entertaining. I wish there were more like it, but I guess to quote Ricky D. himself, "there is no competition cuz we are the best here.""

Snappy lyrics

hynyc | 11/09/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The great Slick Rick is one of hip-hop's all time greats. Forget gangster rap and all that paranoid junk. Instead listen to Ricky D who's old school style captures the story telling essence of hip-hop. Slick Rick tends to 'keep it real!' - a must buy!"

How could such an incredible album be so slept on???

SmokaJ | TORONTO | 11/14/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'm assuming that after such a ground-breaker as "The Great Adventures," when people stumbled upon this gem, it didn't have the same sound, same vibe, so they left it on the shelf. That was a big mistake. Let me say, I have been about Hip-Hop for over a decade, and have compiled a collection of over 200 hip-hop cds. I have never heard (and probably will NEVER hear) anyone on the same level as Ricky D. Just slighty behind OutKast's Andre Benjamin, Slick Rick is my favorite MC of all time. Nobody can do what he does. He takes his clever, witty lyrics and twists and bends them in a flow that can't be immitated or even duplicated. And we all know that he's the ULTIMATE storyteller (he cements that claim all-over this LP). Listening to Slick Rick on the mic, is like a roller-coaster of rhymes...literally. He is articulate, and coherent with a tone of voice that perfectly suits the verse. This album also has great production by his boy Vance Wright (one of hip-hop's most unknown and most underrated beat-makers). Pretty much every song is fast-paced, which Rick rips like only he can. Take my advice, this album is incredible. Bottom Line: Amazing. Ricky, you The Man & don't forget it. 4 stars. Peace."