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One qni bandit
n the loose
■As part of his new tour,
gangstarap elder Slick Rick
will perform at WOW Hall
By Marcus Hathcock
Oregon Daily Emerald
An icon of ’80s and ’90s gangsta
rap is coming to town tomorrow
night with a few of his friends.
Richard Walters, known to the
music world as “Slick Rick,” will
be busting rhymes Thursday
evening at WOW Hall. The con
cert also includes the talents of
Da’ Limp Die Posse featuring DJ
Feniz, Boom Bap Project and
host DJ Tekneek.
Flashy chains and a “pimpster”
attitude are nothing new to Rick,
who was the posteT-boy for what
would become the gangsta-rap
movement of the 1990s. With his
trademark eye patch and misogy
nistic lyrics, some may say Rick
came before his time.
“He’s one of those people who
are respected as a hip-hop MC by
the people who really know the
music,” said Dante, a Portland disk
jockey with KXJM-FM.
Rick was born in London in
1965 to Jamaican parents. In 1979,
Rick and his family relocated to
the Bronx, where he attended the
La Guardia High School of Music
and Art. While attending this
school, he met fellow rapper Dana
Dane and formed the Kangol Crew.
After meeting Doug E. Freshin
1984, Rick joined the Get Fresh
Crew as MC Ricky D. Their song
“The Show” was widely popular
in 1985, eventually leading to
Rick’s solo career.
In 1988, Rick’s first solo album,
“The Great Adventures of Slick
Rick,” was released. Although ra
dio stations were uneasy about
playing Rick’s song “Treat Her like
a Prostitute” on the air, other songs
like “Mona Lisa” and “If I’m Not
Your Lover” were broadcast.
“Compared to most of the hip
hop that’s out there today, (Slick
Rick’s music) is pretty tame,” WOW
Hall publicist Bob Fennessy said.
Although there are misogynistic
lyrics in some of Rick’s music,
Fennessy said the rapper justifies
it by showing that the person being
disrespected deserved it.
Fennessy said parents shouldn’t
worry about Rick’s content — the
show is open for all ages.
“Parents are buying these tickets
for their kids,” Fennessy said.
“The language isn’t all that strong,
and the music is fairly mellow. ”
The show’s promoter, Dan Stein
berg, said he agrees that Slick
Rick’s concert won’t be a big shock
to younger audiences.
“There’s nothing you’re going to
see at this show that you haven’t
seen if you watch TV past 9
(p.m.),” Steinberg said.
Tonight’s concert is part of the
“One Eyed Bandit Tour,” in hopes
of promoting Rick’s 1999 album
Courtesy photo
“The Art of Storytelling.” The tour
will be a weave of old and new
Slick Rick rhymes.
“It’s going to be hot,” Dante said.
“The thought of Slick Rick coming
to town makes me excited.”
One of Rick’s opening acts is the
Boom Bap Project, a “new school”
hip-hop group out of Seattle.
Steinberg, a University senior busi
ness major, said he predicts suc
cess for this opening group.
“They’re going to be the big hip
hop act that comes out of the
Northwest — the one people will
call their ‘hometown’ group,”
Steinberg said.
He said Boom Bap Project has
already performed with modern
hip-hop greats, such as The Phar
cyde and Tha Alcoholiks.
“A lot of (music) industry heads
... are saying a lot of good things
about this group,” Dante said.
Steinberg added that some of the
group’s members were former Uni
versity students.
Though some may say Slick
Rick’s time has passed, others anx
iously await his arrival.
“He’s not selling albums like
Puff Daddy,” Coolest Shop owner
Garth Marriott said. “But he’s as
big, if not bigger, than Puff Daddy.
The show is going to be tight.”
Marriott, who graduated from the
University in 1997, said he likes the
free feeling of Rick’s rhymes.
Rick “had some albums that
sucked in the middle (of his ca
reer),” Marriott said. However, he
said “The Art of Storytelling” is a
good album for fans of “old school.”
Marriott said it’s not easy to la
bel Rick’s unique hip-hop style.
“I don’t think anybody’s got the
same style as Slick Rick,”
Marriott said.
On Thursday night, Steinberg
said Rick is going to give his fans
everything he’s got.
“He will show off some new
stuff, but for the fans, it’s all about
the old stuff,” Steinberg said.
With the introduction of a new
CD later in the year and collabora
tions with legends such as Snoop
Dogg, Rick is rising, and Steinberg
said music fans who want to see
Rick should take advantage of to
morrow’s concert.
“This will probably be Slick
Rick’s last stop in Eugene for
awhile,” Steinberg said.
Tickets are $17 in advance, $20
at the door, and are available at
WOW Hall and Fastixx outlets (ad
vance tickets are subject to service
charge). The doors open at 8 p.m.,
and the show starts at 8:30 p.m.
E-mail reporter Marcus Hathcock at mar
cushathcock@dailyemerald.com.
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