LDV Hospitality — the parents of Miami's Rec Room, Regent Cocktail Club, and Dolce Italian — are celebrating a four-year anniversary this weekend. And they're doing so in style.
Rec Room, the intimate Miami Beach hotspot in the bottom of the Gale South Beach, will be hosting a true rap icon this Saturday, Slick Rick.
When lyrics were king in the world of hip-hop, there was no greater storyteller than Slick Rick. The eye-patch-wearing, English-born New Yorker entertained '80s and '90s rap aficionados with his bravado, flow, and wit. Though he hasn't released an album since 1999's The Art of Storytelling, the slick one told New Times that his longtime fans can expect new music in the near future. Let's hope the near future isn't too far away.
But in the meantime, you can catch Rick this Saturday, for free, spitting inside Rec Room.
New Times: When did you first get into hip-hop?
Slick Rick: I would say very early teens in junior high school — a school called John Phillip Sousa in the Bronx.
What was your process in writing your lyrics?
It evolved into telling stories in an essay form. You have your intro, your body, and your ending over the course of three verses. You have a story, and you get to the point in the story.
Do you miss anything about those golden years of hip-hop?
When we were growing up in that golden era, everything was pretty much fresh: the styles of clothes, the lingo and everything. Now it's evolved into the younger generation's style, so it has its pros and its cons.
Are there any MCs you enjoy these days? Are there any out there that you see your influence in?
The ones I enjoy are Missy Elliot, Future has a couple good songs. Drake comes out with a couple good songs here or there. Jay-Z. Whenever a song hits the public good, you've got to give them credit for getting a crowd. Influenced? I guess anyone who is telling stories with a touch of humor. I couldn't name anyone offhand. I didn't influence anyone [in the sense that] I created them or that they're a duplicate, but anyone who is telling stories or that kind of stuff, I'd say.
Are you making new music now? How do you fill your days?
I'm working on some. I'm putting out music the end of this year, early next year. I mess around with some real estate. Got a couple ideas for some shoes. Got some glasses out with will.i.am from Black Eyed Peas.
What can we expect at your show at Rec Room?
The whole of what I bring to the table: the Rick swag, the stories, the humor, the glitz, the glamour, the fashion, the whole essence, the whole ambience of Slick Rick having a little clique. Come out if you enjoy hip-hop and the whole hip-hop culture. Have a good time with us and have some memories.
Slick Rick. 11 p.m. Saturday, November 12, at Rec Room, 1690 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 786-975-2555; recroomies.com. Admission is free.