The Art of Storytelling

1999 studio album by Slick Rick

Studio album by

Slick Rick

Released

May 25, 1999

Recorded

1998–99

Genre

Hip hop

Length

73:28

Label

Def Jam Recordings

Producer

DJ Clark Kent
Kid Capri
DJ S&S
Rashad Smith
Poke & Tone

Slick Rick chronology

Behind Bars
(1994)

The Art of Storytelling
(1999)

Singles from The Art of Storytelling

"Street Talkin'"
Released: September 4, 1999

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
Billboard	(favorable)^[2]
Robert Christgau	A−^[3]
Entertainment Weekly	B+^[4]
Rolling Stone	^[5]
The Source	^[2]
Spin	(7/10)^[6]
USA Today	^[7]
Vibe	(favorable)^[2]
The Washington Post	(favorable)^[8]

The Art of Storytelling is the fourth and most recent studio album by British-American rapper Slick Rick. Originally scheduled for a February 1999 release, it was ultimately released May 25, 1999, on Def Jam Recordings. The album features production from DJ Clark Kent and Kid Capri, among others. Upon its release, The Art of Storytelling proved to be Slick Rick's highest-charting album, peaking at number eight on the Billboard 200, and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and was certified gold by the RIAA within a month of its release.^[9]

Track listing

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.^[10]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Jail Skit" (featuring Ed Lover, Redman & Rev Run)		Bimmy Antney	1:20
2.	"Kill Niggaz"	Richard Walters Rodolfo Franklin	DJ Clark Kent	2:50
3.	"Street Talkin'" (featuring Outkast)	Walters Andre Patton André Benjamin Phalon Alexander	Jazze Pha	3:41
4.	"Me & Nas Bring It to Your Hardest" (featuring Nas)	Walters Jean-Claude Olivier Samuel Barnes Qu'ran Goodman Nasir Jones	Qur'an Goodman Poke and Tone	2:36
5.	"I Own America Part I"	Walters Tyrone Fyffe Franklin	DJ Clark Kent Tyrone Fyffe	3:09
6.	"Bugsy Radio Skit"		Bimmy Antney	0:19
7.	"Who Rotten 'Em"	Walters Junod Etienne	Nod	3:28
8.	"2 Way Street"	Walters Franklin	DJ Clark Kent	3:33
9.	"King Piece In The Chess Game" (featuring Canibus)	Walters Fyffe Germaine Williams Deadric Malone	Tyrone Fyffe	3:20
10.	"Trapped In Me"	Walters Rashad Smith Chano Pozo	Rashad Smith	3:42
11.	"Impress The Kid"	Walters Shampelle Everett	S&S	3:34
12.	"Q-Tip & Peter Gunz Skit"		Bimmy Antney	0:35
13.	"I Run This"	Walters Raymond Deal Joseph Simmons Darryl McDaniels Jason Mizell Russell Simmons Douglas Davis Frank Eyton Johnny Green Edward Heyman Robert Sour	Raymond Deal Joseph "DJ Rev. Run" Simmons	4:09
14.	"Frozen" (featuring Raekwon)	Walters Daniel Almer James Atney Corey Woods Bill Conti Shelby Conti Chris West Geoff Barrow Beth Gibbons Adrian Utley	T. Rusiak Bimmy Antney (co.)	3:12
15.	"Why, Why, Why"	Walters Franklin James Brown	DJ Clark Kent Slick Rick	3:23
16.	"Adults Only"	Walters Damon Blackman	Dame Grease	4:16
17.	"Memories"	Walters Franklin Clarence Reid	DJ Clark Kent	4:06
18.	"Unify" (featuring Snoop Dogg)	Walters Calvin Broadus Rudy Toombs David Love	Kid Capri	3:59
19.	"Bugsy Radio Skit"		Bimmy Antney	0:18
20.	"I Own America Part 2"	Walters Almer Atney Benjamin Wright	Colleone & Webb Bimmy Antney (co.)	3:30
21.	"CEO Outro"		Slick Rick	0:05

Bonus tracks
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer	Length
22.	"We Turn It On" (featuring Doug E. Fresh)	Walters Davis Vada Nobles	Vada Nobles	3:35
23.	"La Di Da Di (Live)" (featuring Doug E. Fresh)	Walters Davis	Slick Rick	4:37
24.	"The Show (Live)" (featuring Doug E. Fresh)	Walters Davis	Slick Rick	6:09

Sample credits^[10]

"King Piece In The Chess Game" contains a sample from "Sad Feeling", written by Deadric Malone, and performed by Bobby Bland.
"Trapped In Me" contains a sample from "Tin Tin Deo", written by Chano Pozo, and performed by Buddy Montgomery.
"I Run This" contains samples from:
- "Children's Story", written and performed by Slick Rick.
- "Jam Master Jay", written by Darryl McDaniels, Jason Mizell, Joseph Simmons, and Russell Simmons, and performed by Run-DMC.
- "The Show" and "La Di Da Di", written and performed by Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick.
- "Body and Soul", written by Frank Eyton, Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, and Robert Sour, and performed by Sonny Rollins.
"Frozen" contains:
- an interpolation from "Make It Last All Night", written by Bill Conti, Shelby Conti, and Chris West.
- a sample from "Seven Months", written by Geoff Barrow, Beth Gibbons, and Adrian Utley, and performed by Portishead.
"Why, Why, Why" contains a sample from "Funky President (People It's Bad)", written and performed by James Brown.
"Memories" contains a sample from "The Best Girls Don't Always Win", written by Clarence Reid, and performed by Betty Wright.
"Unify" contains a sample from "One Mint Julep", written by Rudy Toombs.
"I Own America Part 2" contains a sample from "I Can't Go On Living Without You", written by Benjamin Wright, and performed by Tavares.
"We Turn It On" contains a sample of "The Show" written and performed by Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1999)	Peak position
US Billboard 200^[11]	8
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[12]	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1999)	Position
US Billboard 200^[13]	171
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[14]	54

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)^[15]	Gold	500,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine (25 May 1999). "The Art of Storytelling - Slick Rick | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Slick Rick, "The Art of Storytelling [PA] *" - mymusic CD, Popular Album details". Archived from the original on 17 March 2004. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
^ "CG: Slick Rick". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
^ Matt Diehl (28 May 1999). "The Art of Storytelling". Ew.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
^ The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. p. 672. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
^ SPIN. p. 131. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
^ "ProQuest Archiver: Titles". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
^ "Rick's Still Slick on 'Art of Storytelling' - the Washington Post | HighBeam Research". Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2010.
^ "Slick Rick :: The Art of Storytelling :: Def Jam". Rapreviews.com. 5 February 2002. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
^ ^a ^b The Art of Storytelling (booklet). Def Jam. 1999.
^ "Slick Rick Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
^ "Slick Rick Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.
^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1999". Billboard. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1999". Billboard. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
^ "American album certifications – Slick Rick – The Art of Story". Recording Industry Association of America.