| The Ruler's Back | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Slick Rick |
| Cover: | Therulersback.jpg |
| Released: | July 2, 1991 |
| Recorded: | 1990–91 |
| Genre: | Hip hop |
| Length: | 45:55 |
| Prev Title: | The Great Adventures of Slick Rick |
| Prev Year: | 1988 |
| Next Title: | Behind Bars |
| Next Year: | 1994 |
The Ruler's Back is the second studio album by British-American rapper Slick Rick, released in 1991 on Def Jam Recordings.[1] [2]
Upon its release, The Ruler's Back achieved notable chart success, peaking at number 29 on the Billboard 200, and number 18 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album features the hit single "I Shouldn't Have Done It", which peaked at number 2 on the Hot Rap Singles.[3]
The album contains production from Vance Wright, Slick Rick and Mr. Lee. The Ruler's Back was recorded in three weeks, while Rick was on bail before starting a jail sentence that would end in 1996.
The Los Angeles Times wrote that "there’s the eerie feeling that you’ve experienced something but you’re not sure what, as you might after reading a Denis Johnson novel or seeing an old Cocteau film late at night on public TV. The Ruler’s Back moves along at the speed of thought." Trouser Press called the album Rick's "most entertaining and least offensive longplayer."[4] The Washington Post called the album "disappointing," writing that "for some reason, Rick has adopted a high-speed rapping style that undercuts his two great strengths -- humor and storytelling grace."[5]