The Ruler's Back (original) (raw)

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1991 studio album by Slick Rick

The Ruler's Back
Studio album by Slick Rick
Released July 2, 1991
Recorded 1990–91
Genre Hip hop
Length 45:55
Label Def JamColumbia[1]
Producer Vance WrightSlick RickMr. Lee
Slick Rick chronology
The Great Adventures of Slick Rick(1988) The Ruler's Back(1991) Behind Bars(1994)
Singles from The Ruler's Back
"I Shouldn't Have Done It"Released: November 6, 1990 "Mistakes of a Woman in Love with Other Men"Released: June 1991 "It's a Boy"Released: November 21, 1991

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [2]
Robert Christgau A−[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music [4]
Entertainment Weekly B[5]
Los Angeles Times [6]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide [7]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 5/10[8]

The Ruler's Back is the second studio album by British-American rapper Slick Rick, released in 1991 on Def Jam Recordings.[9][10]

Upon its release, The Ruler's Back achieved notable chart success, peaking at number 29 on the Billboard 200, and number 18 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album features the hit single "I Shouldn't Have Done It", which peaked at number 2 on the Hot Rap Singles.[11]

The album contains production from Vance Wright, Slick Rick and Mr. Lee. The Ruler's Back was recorded in three weeks, while Rick was on bail before starting a jail sentence that would end in 1996.[4]

The Los Angeles Times wrote that "there’s the eerie feeling that you’ve experienced something but you’re not sure what, as you might after reading a Denis Johnson novel or seeing an old Cocteau film late at night on public TV. The Ruler’s Back moves along at the speed of thought."[6] Trouser Press called the album Rick's "most entertaining and least offensive longplayer."[1] The Washington Post called the album "disappointing," writing that "for some reason, Rick has adopted a high-speed rapping style that undercuts his two great strengths -- humor and storytelling grace."[12]

The Ruler's Back track listing

No. Title Producer Length
1. "King" Vance Wright, Slick Rick 3:42
2. "I Shouldn't Have Done It" Vance Wright 4:05
3. "Bond" Vance Wright 2:53
4. "Moses" Vance Wright, Slick Rick 4:04
5. "Tonto" Vance Wright, Slick Rick 3:17
6. "Mistakes of a Woman in Love With Other Men" Vance Wright, Slick Rick 4:08
7. "Venus" Vance Wright 3:45
8. "Ship" Vance Wright, Slick Rick 3:05
9. "It's a Boy" Vance Wright 3:29
10. "Top Cat" Vance Wright, Slick Rick 3:23
11. "Runaway" Slick Rick, Vance Wright 3:49
12. "Slick Rick - The Ruler" Mr. Lee 6:06
  1. ^ a b "Slick Rick". Trouser Press. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  2. ^ "The Ruler's Back - Slick Rick | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  3. ^ "Robert Christgau: CG: Slick Rick". www.robertchristgau.com.
  4. ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 525.
  5. ^ "The Ruler's Back". EW.com.
  6. ^ a b "**** SLICK RICK "The Ruler's Back" Def Jam : Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to five (a classic)". Los Angeles Times. 11 August 1991.
  7. ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (16 January 2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780743201698 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. p. 359.
  9. ^ "Slick Rick | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  10. ^ "Slick Rick: 'You learn from prison time – what doesn't kill you makes you stronger'". the Guardian. 24 November 2016.
  11. ^ Allah, Sha Be (2 July 2015). "The Source |Today In Hip Hop History: Slick Rick Drops His Album 'The Ruler's Back' 24 Years Ago".
  12. ^ Mills, David (31 July 1991). "RAPPERS' VIOLENT REALITY" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  13. ^ "Slick Rick Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  14. ^ "Slick Rick Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.