Richard Martin Lloyd Walters[1] (born January 14, 1965),[2] better known as Slick Rick, is an English-American rapper and record producer.

His music has been sampled and interpolated over 1,000 times,[3][5] in songs by artists including Eminem, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Beastie Boys, TLC, Nas, Miley Cyrus, Kanye West, MF DOOM, Czarface, Black Star, The Notorious B.I.G., Snoop Dogg, MC Ren, Montell Jordan, Tech N9ne, Lloyd, and Color Me Badd.

The pair became close friends and formed the Kangol Crew,[12] performing in school contests, parks, and small local clubs.

[13] Impressed by Rick's talent, Doug made him a member of his Get Fresh Crew (which also included DJs Chill Will and Barry Bee).

Reflecting on the single in Rolling Stone magazine, Roots drummer and Tonight Show bandleader Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson said, "Point blank: Slick Rick's voice was the most beautiful thing to happen to hip-hop culture [...] Rick is full of punchlines, wit, melody, cool cadence, confidence and style.

[18] Collaborating with his friend, DJ Vance Wright, Walters produced his solo debut, The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, which came out in 1988 on Def Jam.

"With the combination of Rick's Dick Van Dyke-on-dope accent and his unique narrative style, the record was an instant classic," wrote critic Matt Weiner.

[20] Plummer was fired and, unsatisfied with his severance package, tried to rob Walters on numerous occasions and also threatened to kill the rapper and his mother.

[20] He eventually pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder and other charges, including assault, use of a firearm, and criminal possession of a weapon.

On May 23, 2008, New York Governor David Paterson granted Slick Rick a full and unconditional pardon on the attempted murder charges.

[24][33] Walters married his wife Mandy Aragones in April 1997, four years after the couple met at a Manhattan nightclub.

He and his wife have donated about a dozen items from his collection to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Music journalist Peter Shapiro wrote, " 'Children's Story' was important because of its narrative structure and Rick's understanding of how crucial little sonic details—such as his use of a female voice and his yawning rap—were to hip hop style.

Shapiro writes that he "largely introduced the art of narrative into hip hop... none of the spinners of picaresque rhymes who followed did it with the same grace or humor.

"[citation needed] In the book Check the Technique, Slick Rick says, "I was never the type to say freestyle raps, I usually tell a story, and to do that well I've always had to work things out beforehand.

"[41] Kool Moe Dee comments, "Slick Rick raised the lost art of hip hop storytelling to a level never seen again.

"[42] Devin the Dude notes that Slick Rick's "Indian Girl" is a good example of the type of humor that existed in hip hop's golden era,[43] and Peter Shapiro says that "he was funnier than Rudy Ray Moore or Redd Foxx.

"[45] Kool Moe Dee stated that, "Rick accomplished being totally original at a time when most MCs were using very similar cadences.

"[46] He has what is described as "singsong cadences";[citation needed] Andy Cat of Ugly Duckling mentions that Slick Rick uses a melodic delivery on the track "Hey Young World".