| Product Summary | | Label: Uni/def Jam | | UPC: 00731455893625 | | Release Date: 5/25/1999 | | Buy.com Sku: 60298436 | | Item#: MJY6KL | Format:  CD |
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(P) 1999 Def Jam Recordings
(C) 1999 Def Jam Records Inc.
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| | Album Notes and Credits |
Notes & Personnel Info |  | Personnel includes: Slick Rick, Snoop Doggy Dogg, OutKast, Canibus, Nas, Kid Capri, Raekwon, Q-Tip, DJ Rev. Run, Redman, Kid Capri, Peter Gunz, S&S, Bugsy, Ed Lover, Doug E. Fresh (rap vocals); Vada Nobles, Phalon Alexander (various instruments); Joe Kelley, Thomas Hammond, Corey Rooney (keyboards); Doug E. Fresh (beat box); DJ Ty Boogie (scratches). | | Producers include: DJ Clarke Kent, Large Professor, S&S, Kid Kapri, Tyrone Fyffe. | | Engineers include: Mike Anzelowitz, Kenny Ortiz, Joshua Butler. | | If there's one thing Slick Rick has mastered, it is The Art of Storytelling. Ever since his debut, The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, he has been known for his literate, winding narratives, but his career was marred by legal troubles that kept him in prison for much of the '90s. Consequently, The Art of Storytelling is only his fourth album, but it's the first to rank as a worthy sequel to his classic debut. The Ruler's Back came close to capturing the feel of The Great Adventures, but The Art has a continually stunning set of stories and tales, and the presence of guest artists -- even rappers as talented as OutKast, Nas, Raekwon, and Snoop Dogg -- only emphasizes what a singular talent Rick is. The smooth production may be a little bit mired in contemporary rap clich?s, but it's all enjoyable. Besides, Rick is about the lyrics, not the music, and he has written a stellar set of songs here, songs that are continually surprising and thought-provoking. It's a masterful set from one of the true lyrical masters of hip-hop. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine | | Make no mistake hip-hop fans: with THE ART OF STORYTELLING, Slick Rick is definitely back in the game. The man who once upon a time made treating your girl like a prostitute sound like an okay thing to do, the one who can make you laugh, disgusted and pensive (sometimes all in one song) is back with an album that possesses all the characteristics that made him one of the more respected rap artists of his time. The arrogance, the ability to use words in a way that is not just auditory but visual as well, the unique sense of storytelling and humor--all of these qualities are evident on this album. Slick Rick demonstrates here that even though you can silence a good storyteller for a while, you can never take away his ability to captivate an audience. |
Musical Guests | | Snoop Dogg | | Outkast | | Canibus | | Nas | | Peter Gunz | | Q-Tip | | DJ Rev. Run | | Redman | | Raekwon | | Kid Capri | | Bugsy | | Doug E. Fresh | | DJ Rev Run | | Ed Lover | | S&S |
| | Compilation Appearances |
| | Technical Info | | Release Date : 05/25/1999 | | Original Release Date : 1999 | | Catalog ID : 558 936 | | Label : Def Jam (USA) | | Number of Discs : 1 | | Studio/Live : Studio | | Mono/Stereo : Stereo | | SPAR Code : n/a | | UPC : 00731455893625 |
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| | Professional Reviews | | Spin (7/99, p.131)
- 7 (out of 10)
- "...wierdly charming, like seeing your uncle sing songs from the Old Country at a wedding....Out of nowhere, he's back in the game."Entertainment Weekly (5/28/99, p.145)
- "...his rhymes flow like ghetto short stories and his breathy singsong delivery remains a hip-hop national treasure." - Rating: B Q (11/99, p.134)
- 3 stars out of 5 - "...A straightforward...set based on simple beats and bare instrumentation....Interesting, if not exactly essential." CMJ (6/28/99, p.27)
- "...[THE ART OF STORYTELLING] finds the silver-tongued urban bard surrounded by a host of '90s hip-hop royalty...but the album's best moments come when Rick's distinctive drawl produces the engaging allegories and pretentious poetics hip-hop has sorely missed..." Vibe (6,7/99, p.178)
- "...This time around, the Ruler really is back....Rick spins unique couplets, melds vocal inflections and breaks those nasal vocals into song....Party numbers...bounce like the participants in a San Francisco car chase. Melodic jams...pull you into a smooth, easy bob." The Source (6/99, p.207)
- 4 Mics - "...Ricky Walters...has consistently moved the crowd....[H]is maturity as an MC manifests itself in more ways than one....Slick the griot proves he's still as animated as the fluorescent persona he created..." Billboard (6/5/99, p.19)
- "...ART finds Rick in a buoyant mood and a mature frame of mind, dropping reality science along with classic battle rhymes and party jams..." |
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