Slick Rick

Walters was born and raised in the southwest London district of Mitcham, to a British-Jamaican family. He was blinded in the right eye by broken glass as an infant. In 1976, he and his family immigrated to the United States, settling in the Baychester area of the Bronx. At Fiorello H. Laguardia High School of Music & Art, where he majored in visual art, Rick met Dana Dane. The pair became close friends and formed The Kangol Crew, performing at school contests, parks and local hole-in-the-wall clubs.\n', '

At a 1984 talent showcase he entered, Rick met Doug E. Fresh. Impressed by Rick\'s talent, Doug made him a member of his Get Fresh Crew (which also included DJs Chill Will and Barry Bee). Doug\'s beatbox and Rick\'s fresh flow turned "The Show"/"La Di Da Di" into an international anthem that turned rap music on its head and became the launching pad for "Hip Hop\'s greatest storytelle…