Slick Rick
Early life
Early life
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Walters was born in the South\-West London area of [Mitcham](/wiki/Mitcham "Mitcham") to [Jamaican](/wiki/Jamaicans "Jamaicans") parents. He was blinded in the right eye by broken glass as an infant. In 1976, at the age of 11 or 12, he and his family immigrated to the United States, settling in the [Baychester](/wiki/Baychester "Baychester") area of [the Bronx](/wiki/The_Bronx "The Bronx").David Gonzalez, ["At 50, a Hip\-Hop Pioneer Still Has Stories to Tell,"](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/09/nyregion/at-50-slick-rick-a-hip-hop-pioneer-still-has-stories-to-tell.html?ref=arts&_r=1) *[The New York Times](/wiki/The_New_York_Times "The New York Times")*, February 8, 2015\. At [Fiorello H. Laguardia High School of Music \& Art](/wiki/The_High_School_of_Music_%26_Art "The High School of Music & Art"), where he majored in visual art, Rick met [Dana Dane](/wiki/Dana_Dane "Dana Dane"). The pair became close friends and formed the Kangol Crew, performing in school contests, parks, and small local clubs.

At a 1984 talent showcase he entered, Rick met [Doug E. Fresh](/wiki/Doug_E._Fresh "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](/wiki/The_Show_%28Doug_E._Fresh_song%29 "The Show (Doug E. Fresh song)")"/"[La Di Da Di](/wiki/La_Di_Da_Di "La Di Da Di")" into international anthems that turned rap music on its head and became the launching pad for "Hip Hop's greatest storyteller."


How did Rick meet Doug E. Fresh?