Editing Slick Rick (section)

===Incarceration and subsequent albums===
In 1989, Walters' mother, Veronica, hired his first cousin, Mark Plummer, as his bodyguard. By 1990, Plummer had become a liability,  trying to extort money from the artist numerous times.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://www.complex.com/music/2012/10/the-30-biggest-criminal-trials-in-rap-history/slick-rick|title=The 30 Biggest Criminal Trials in Rap History - 5. ''The People of the State of New York v. Richard Walters'' (1990)|website=Complex|access-date=April 11, 2016}}</ref> Plummer was fired and, unsatisfied with his severance package, tried to rob Walters on several occasions and threatened to kill the rapper and his mother.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/music/slick-trouble-6426075|title=Slick Trouble|last=Reischel|first=Julia|website=Village Voice|date=January 9, 2007 |access-date=April 11, 2016}}</ref> When Walters found bullet holes in his front door, he bought guns for protection. On July 3, 1990, Walters spotted Plummer in his neighborhood and fired at least four shots. One bullet hit Plummer; another caught a passerby in the foot. Neither suffered life-threatening injuries.<ref name="auto"/>

He eventually pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder and other charges, including assault, use of a firearm, and criminal possession of a weapon.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hiphop.sh/slickrick|title=Slick Rick The Ruler|website=hiphop.sh|access-date=April 11, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417060505/http://hiphop.sh/slickrick|archive-date=April 17, 2016}}</ref>  The rapper called it an act of self-defense.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/no-holds-barred-years-prison-slick-rick-cuts-art-storytelling-life-back-article-1.835620|title=No holds barred - after five years in prison, Slick Rick cuts ''Art of Storytelling'' - and gets his life back|website=NY Daily News|date=May 23, 1999 |access-date=April 11, 2016}}</ref> He spent five years in prison, two for the then-second-degree attempted-murder charges he received for the shooting, and three for disputes with the [[Immigration and Naturalization Services]] over his residency in the U.S. He was released from prison in 1997.<ref name="schan">Sewell Chan, [http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/23/governor-pardons-hip-hop-pioneer/?_r=0 "Governor Pardons Hip-Hop Pioneer,"] ''[[The New York Times]]'', May 23, 2008.</ref> In the documentary film, ''[[The Show (1995 film)|The Show]]'', [[Russell Simmons]] interviewed Walters while he was imprisoned on [[Rikers Island]].<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/1shUovH_hao Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20140521234801/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1shUovH_hao&feature=related Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web |date=December 2, 2007 |title=Slick Rick Interview |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1shUovH_hao |access-date=March 18, 2012 |work=The Show |publisher=youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

After being bailed out by Simmons, Walters recorded his second album, ''[[The Ruler's Back]]'', released in 1991. Despite peaking at No.&nbsp;29 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defjam.com/releases/the-rulers-back/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124145626/http://www.defjam.com/releases/the-rulers-back/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 24, 2022|title=The Ruler's Back - Def Jam|website=Def Jam|language=en-US|access-date=April 11, 2016}}</ref> the album received mixed reviews and was not as commercially successful as his debut.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}

Walters' third studio album (the fourth for Def Jam) ''[[Behind Bars (Slick Rick album)|Behind Bars]]'' was released in 1994 while he was still incarcerated.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Slick_Rick.aspx|title=Slick Rick Facts, information, pictures on Encyclopedia.com articles about Slick Rick|website=Encyclopedia.com|access-date=April 11, 2016}}</ref>  It was met with lukewarm sales and reviews. ''Behind Bars'' peaked at No.&nbsp;11 on the ''Billboard'' [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] chart, and No.&nbsp;51 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defjam.com/releases/behind-bars/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124130334/http://www.defjam.com/releases/behind-bars/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 24, 2022|title=Behind Bars - Def Jam|website=Def Jam|language=en-US|access-date=April 11, 2016}}</ref>
[[File:Slick rick-02.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Slick Rick in 1997]]

Walters remained with the Def Jam label and released a fourth album, ''[[The Art of Storytelling]],'' on May 25, 1999. ''The Art of Storytelling'' was a comeback-album that paired him with prolific MCs like [[Nas]], [[OutKast]], [[Raekwon]], and [[Snoop Dogg]]. The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' announced it as the "triumphant return of rap's premier yarn-spinner", calling the song "2 Way Street" "a much-needed alternative to rap's misogynistic slant".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-may-23-ca-40001-story.html|title=Slick Rick Makes His Return to Rap, Ever the Storyteller|last=Baker|first=Soren|date=May 23, 1999|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035|access-date=April 11, 2016}}</ref> It charted higher than any of his prior releases: No.&nbsp;8 on the ''Billboard'' 200; and No.&nbsp;1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

In June 2002, Walters was arrested by the [[Immigration and Naturalization Service]] (INS) as he re-entered the United States through [[Florida]] after performing on a Caribbean cruise ship. He was promptly told that he was being deported under a law allowing deportation of foreigners convicted of felonies. Walters was refused bail for 17 months and was released on November 7, 2003.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Music/11/04/slick.rick.ap/ |title=Slick Rick regains legal status |access-date=May 24, 2004 |agency=Associated Press |date=November 4, 2003 |work=CNN.com |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071206142745/http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Music/11/04/slick.rick.ap/ |archive-date = December 6, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1480288/20031107/story.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040203225843/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1480288/20031107/story.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 3, 2004 |title=The Great Adventures Can Resume: Slick Rick Is A Free Man |access-date=May 24, 2008 |first=Joseph |last=Patel |date=November 7, 2003 |work=MTV.com}}</ref> In October 2006, the [[Department of Homeland Security]] began a new attempt to deport Walters back to the [[United Kingdom]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2006/10/slick_rick_facing_deportation_again/ |title=Slick Rick Facing Deportation, Again |access-date=May 24, 2008 |first=Alexis |last=Jeffries |date=October 18, 2006 |work=Vibe |publisher=Vibe Media Group, Inc |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081203125624/http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2006/10/slick_rick_facing_deportation_again/ |archive-date=December 3, 2008 }}</ref> moving the case from the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit]] based in New York to the more conservative [[United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit|Eleventh Circuit]]. The court is based in [[Atlanta, Georgia]], but the trial was expected to proceed in Florida, where immigration agents originally arrested Walters.

On May 23, 2008, New York Governor [[David Paterson]] granted Walters a full and unconditional pardon on the attempted murder charges. The governor was pleased with his behavior since the attempted murders. Slick Rick volunteered his time to mentor kids about violence.<ref name="schan"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://abc7ny.com/archive/6161854/ |title=Hip-hop pioneer 'Slick Rick' pardoned |access-date=May 24, 2008 |agency=Associated Press |date=May 23, 2008 |work=ABC News |archive-date=December 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203014701/http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=6161854 |url-status=live }}</ref>