Celebrity Justice
Murder Rap Won't Stick to Slick Rick

Posted May 23rd 2008 2:10PM by TMZ Staff

Break out your Cool Water cologne! New York Governor David Paterson has granted a full and unconditional pardon to rapper Slick Rick for the attempted murders of his cousin and another man.

The eyepatched rapper, whose real name is Ricky Walters, served more than five years in the slammer after the 1990 shooting of the two men, who both survived.

The Feds had been trying to deport the UK-born Slick since 2002. The pardon should halt these efforts.

The good gov says the rap star is a good citizen who does volunteer work in his community. For his part Rick says, "I look forward to enjoying this time with my family and friends and to continue leading an honest and productive life."

Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Music


Tags: David Paterson, DavidPaterson, New York Governor, NewYorkGovernor, Pardon, Slick Rick, SlickRick

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1. Bang, Bang, Bang

Posted at 2:26PM on May 23rd 2008 by sam

2. That means FIRST Bi-otch

Posted at 2:28PM on May 23rd 2008 by sam

3. Love, love love his old school stuff.

Posted at 2:28PM on May 23rd 2008 by kitty

4. The Ruler!

Posted at 2:34PM on May 23rd 2008 by Buckshot

5. Lawdy, lawdy, lawdy! It is the year of the black man!
Everything will get better from here!

Posted at 2:35PM on May 23rd 2008 by Julie

6. Gov. Paterson is officially da man !!!! It's about time, he suffered enough

Posted at 2:45PM on May 23rd 2008 by NYone

7. I am pretty sure that they can proceed with deportation proceedings even if he's been pardoned. A pardon only relieves you of the sentencing restrictions and restores your civil liberties...he would have to have his criminal record expunged by a judge in order to beat the felony rap.

I know...I'm a nerd :)

Posted at 2:48PM on May 23rd 2008 by Ginny

8. Slick Rick deserves a spot amongst the greatest hip-hop artists of all time. Anyone who thinks rap is just a bunch of n****s talkin, needs to listen to this mans poetry set to music. With all the redundant and frankly washed up artists out there right now ( see: soulja boy, lil wayne, jaz-z, 50, etc.), I would love to see Slick Rick drop another classic album and claim the throne that is rightfully his. The only negative I can say about this man is his show at the FOX in Boulder last year was very sub-par, he just mumbled most of his words and skipped whole bars. I was really dissapointed cause the shows I've seen in NY were just nuts. Ladi-dadi.....

Posted at 2:54PM on May 23rd 2008 by Jesse Custer

9. How nice. The governor supports attempted murder and thuggery.

Something tells me if this guy had been white, he's be long deported by now.

Posted at 2:55PM on May 23rd 2008 by Cate

10. Or if he had been hispanic or Asian. Governor Paterson would not have even acknowledged him.

Racism at work in NYC.

Posted at 2:57PM on May 23rd 2008 by Cate

11. HE IS SLICK

Posted at 3:03PM on May 23rd 2008 by Nicole

12. "I look forward to enjoying this time with my family and friends and to continue leading an honest and productive life."


Just don't piss him off.

Posted at 3:25PM on May 23rd 2008 by Lucy Phoenix

13. Good for him. I hope this takes care of the immigration issues. That's been a thorn in his side for years.

Posted at 3:27PM on May 23rd 2008 by Bird

14. Something smells real bad with this.............................sounds like the govenor owed someone a favor! As in Al (shifty) Sharpton or Jesse Jackson!

Posted at 3:40PM on May 23rd 2008 by Yes, I said it!

15. 8. Slick Rick deserves a spot amongst the greatest hip-hop artists of all time. Anyone who thinks rap is just a bunch of n****s talkin, needs to listen to this mans poetry set to music. With all the redundant and frankly washed up artists out there right now ( see: soulja boy, lil wayne, jaz-z, 50, etc.), I would love to see Slick Rick drop another classic album and claim the throne that is rightfully his. The only negative I can say about this man is his show at the FOX in Boulder last year was very sub-par, he just mumbled most of his words and skipped whole bars. I was really dissapointed cause the shows I've seen in NY were just nuts. Ladi-dadi.....

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I totally agree...."The Great Adventures of Slick Rick" was among the first rap cassetes I ever bought ( do kids today even remember cassettes?)

"straight and narrow or your soul gets cast.....good night"

Posted at 3:50PM on May 23rd 2008 by Fernando Valenzuela

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