The Ruler's Back

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

The Ruler's Back
Studio album by
Slick Rick
ReleasedJuly 2, 1991
Recorded1990–1991
GenreGolden age hip hop
Length45:55
Label
Producer
  • Vance Wright
  • Slick Rick
  • Mr. 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
  1. "I Shouldn't Have Done It"
    Released: November 6, 1990
  2. "Mistakes of a Woman in Love with Other Men"
    Released: June 1991
  3. "It's a Boy"
    Released: November 21, 1991
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Robert ChristgauA−[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
Entertainment WeeklyB[5]
Los Angeles Times[6]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide[7]
Spin Alternative Record Guide5/10[8]

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]

Production

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]

Critical reception

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]

Track listing
The Ruler's Back track listing
No.TitleProducerLength
1."King"Vance Wright, Slick Rick3:42
2."I Shouldn't Have Done It"Vance Wright4:05
3."Bond"Vance Wright2:53
4."Moses"Vance Wright, Slick Rick4:04
5."Tonto"Vance Wright, Slick Rick3:17
6."Mistakes of a Woman in Love With Other Men"Vance Wright, Slick Rick4:08
7."Venus"Vance Wright3:45
8."Ship"Vance Wright, Slick Rick3:05
9."It's a Boy"Vance Wright3:29
10."Top Cat"Vance Wright, Slick Rick3:23
11."Runaway"Slick Rick, Vance Wright3:49
12."Slick Rick - The Ruler"Mr. Lee6:06

Samples

Personnel
  • Slick Rick - performer, producer, executive producer
  • Vance Wright - producer, executive producer
  • Mr. Lee - producer
  • Russell Simmons - executive producer
  • Francesca Spero - executive producer
  • Darroll Gustamachio - engineer, mixing
  • Thom Leinbach - Gabriel moreno - engineer, mixing
  • Everett Ramos - engineer, mixing
  • Rory Young - programming, engineer
  • Cey Adams - design
  • Jules T. Allen- Alvaro Almagro - photography

Charts
Chart performance for The Ruler's Back
Chart (1991) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[13] 29
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[14] 18

References
  1. "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. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 525.
  5. "The Ruler's Back". EW.com.
  6. "**** 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.
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