Doug E. Fresh and The Get Fresh Crew broke legendary status with “The Show” in 1985. The four-member included DJs Barry Bee and Chill Will and Slick Rick who was using the name MC Ricky D. The bragging about their supreme stage presence became the epitome of ’80s hip-hop with a  sample of the Inspector Gadget theme for the melody.MC Ricky D’s reminder to Doug to put his Bally shoes on and that he had six minutes before showtime became a universal catch-phrase for hip hop fans. The single was remixed and added to the first Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew album Oh, My God! was released the following year in 1986. The popularity of “The Show” was only eclipsed by the original’s B-Side “La Di Da Di” which was their other great collaboration. “The Show” continues to assert its classic place with succeeding generations and introduce Doug E. Fresh’s pioneering of the beatbox. Doug E. Fresh still performs in 2020 and he is also the spokesperson for Hip Hop Public Health Education Center at Harlem Hospital Center. 

Slick Rick’s “Children’s Story” was the high point of his skills as a storyteller via his 1988 debut solo album The Great Adventures of Slick Rick. Three years earlier he became famous because of his verses on Doug E. Fresh’s Get Fresh Crew’s “The Show” and the beatbox heavy B-side “La Di Da Di.”By the following year in 1986, Rick became the third artist signed to Def Jam Records. He produced “Children’s Story” and four other songs on his first album while Eric Sadler, Jam Master Jay and Hank Shocklee handled the rest of the songs. Slick Rick was an uncle reading a bedtime story to the kids about a wayward teenager’s reckless exploits on the way to jail. The tale was cautionary and comedic at the same time and displayed Slick Rick’s ability to take the listener with him on a ride. “Children’s Story” continues to be a presence in pop culture as a cover song, sample, lyrical reference and inspiration.  

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[youtube id=”vwjwKPXy4sg”]Mos Def named his fourth album after Victor LaValle’s novel The Ecstatic. The album’s unusual sound was influenced by a quote about the way ‘ecstatic’ was used in the 17th and 18th century to describe people who were inspired or mad and a litany of world flavors. “Auditorium” featured Slick Rick, one of the album’s few vocal collaborators and production from Mos Def and Madlib. Their rhymes about people’s hopes and everyday struggles were said alongside a dense beat and a shimmery symphony constructed from “Movie Finale” on Madlib’s Beat Conducta In India album. “Auditorium” was part of The Ecstatic’s overall theme of looking at the world’s social problems and reporting on them. Mos Def, Slick Rick and Madlib made the bleak scenarios of “Auditorium” feel like good news because of its sonic allure. The Ecstatic received two Grammy nominations, critical accolades and the support of his fanbase that questioned his musical choices after the 2006 True Magic album. In 2011, Mos Def legally changed his name to Yasiin Bey. He announced a Black Star album in February 2018 but did not give a release date. His voice can be heard on the Kanye West Kid Cudi 2018 Kids See Ghosts album. 

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Slick Rick and Nas perform Rick’s “Children’s Story” at The Ruler’s 50th Birthday party Friday night at Brooklyn Bowl with plenty of gold chains.