The real reason Doug E Fresh and Slick Rick fell out
Slick Rick is one of hip-hop’s original storytellers and is still revered for his 1988 album, The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, which was one of the era’s seminal projects. From ‘Children’s Story’ to ‘Teenage Love’ it boasted some classic tracks and is still important to this day.
However, prior to becoming a renowned solo emcee, Slick Rick was one-half a duo with Doug E Fresh, and together, they put out classics like ‘The Show’ and ‘La Di Da Di.’ Unfortunately, after much success, the pair decided to part ways, and for many years, it has remained clear why the two artists decided to break away and pursue solo careers.
That said, during an appearance on the Jalen Rose: Renaissance Man podcast, Doug E Fresh addressed the topic head-on and revealed why, after hits like ‘La Di Da Di’, he and Slick Rick decided to cease being a duo.
The Harlem native spoke highly of Slick Rick and looked back at the period fondly, explaining, “[We were] creating new styles that never existed. So what happened? … I think personally that we were young.” Doug E Fresh highlighted their inexperience in the industry and emphasised that both of them wanted to be seen as individuals.
Detailing this, he continued, “We were two different entities who needed room to breathe. We still family. We have grown, and we close.” Despite their need to grow, it is fair to say that the pursuit of solo fame ended much better for Slick Rick than it did for Doug E Fresh.
Following his musical partnership with Doug E and the Get Fresh Crew, Slick Rick signed a big-money deal with Def Jam Records, becoming the third artist to sign with the label — a record company that became one of the biggest in hip-hop.
The Great Adventures of Slick Rick as a solo album would wildly outperform Doug E Fresh’s The World’s Greatest Entertainer, which to many is still unknown and didn’t produce any hits. Despite this, his career has lasted much longer than his counterpart’s.
Slick Rick’s last album, The Art Of Storytelling, hit stores in 1999. On the other hand, Doug E Fresh’s last full body of work, This One’s For Chuck Brown: Doug E. Fresh Salutes The Godfather of Go-Go, came to streaming services in 2021. Furthermore, it boasted the last-ever recording of late 1980s Juice Crew legend Biz Markie.
In an interview with HipHopDX about the album, Doug E stated, “I didn’t know that this would be the last recording of Biz,” he said at the time. “Biz would make you laugh, joke around, make you feel good. I appreciate it. He was a good brother, so his spirit will live on.”