Art of Storytelling
Slick Rick boasts that he makes hip-hop that creates memories, and it's an apt description for an album that nostalgically recalls a different age of hip-hop. Unfortunately, the blast back to the past is mostly the result of an album that just sounds old--as if it's been collecting dust in Def Jam's attic for a while, what with Clark Kent's bare-bones production that pushes a boring formula of simplicity to tears. While some songs ("Sparkle," "Memories," and "Kill Niggaz" among them) have a spark of life, it's really up to Slick Rick to hold up the album's monstrous 23 tracks. His storytelling skills are all intact, whether on the X-rated tip ("Adults Only"), moralizing about infidelity ("Two Way Street"), or kickin' the playalistic game withOutkast("Street Talk"). Overall, it's a likable album, but it suffers from obese length and bland production that only makes the experience seem longer.--Oliver Wang