Infinite Slickness

Slick Rick graced our cover just a few weeks ago in our lengthy anatomy of his legal troubles ("Slick Trouble," Julia Reischel, January 11). But hey, he's not just fighting deportation — he still performs, and he's coming our way. The thumbnail: Back in the mid-1980s, the British-born, eye-patch-wearing MC...

By Jonathan Cunningham

February 15, 2007

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Slick Rick graced our cover just a few weeks ago in our lengthy anatomy of his legal troubles ("Slick Trouble," Julia Reischel, January 11). But hey, he's not just fighting deportation — he still performs, and he's coming our way. The thumbnail: Back in the mid-1980s, the British-born, eye-patch-wearing MC hooked up with Doug E. Fresh and exploded on the Bronx rap scene. Hip-hop historians credit "Rick the Ruler" with bringing a storytelling element to rap that influenced many of the big names to come. Old schoolers still remember hits like "Children's Story" and "Mona Lisa" with nostalgic fondness. But Rick's life took a nasty turn that landed him in prison just as his career was peaking. After he served time for a shooting that wounded two, the government decided to deport him. Rick won a court decision to stay, but that only seemed to make the government more determined to boot him out. For 16 years, the feds have tried to send Rick packing, but he keeps hanging on. Today, he spends most of his time as a mild-mannered New York landlord, but Rick still likes to rock the house, and he's known for bringing back all the classic tunes. New fans, meanwhile, will suddenly understand where Snoop Dogg lifted "Lodi Dodi."

Slick Rick performs Saturday, February 17, at Club Revolution (200 W. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale) DJs Entice, Kaos, and Nicostar also perform. Show starts at 11 p.m. Tickets cost $25. Call 954-727-0950, or visit www.jointherevolution.net.

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