Slick Rick is still The Ruler.

The rapper once known as "MC Ricky D" has built a legacy on 35 years of lyricism, style and artistry. Yes, he's arguably rap's greatest storyteller; a style icon and dropped one of the greatest debut albums in the history of debut albums. But when one considers how much of his career was put on hold, when one considers just how immaculate his flow remained even as his style evolved and times changed; Rick's run is truly remarkable.

He burst out the gate with the uber-classic Great Adventures Of Slick Rick, an album that boasted at least four bonafide all-time great songs, and a platinum-seller that cemented him as a star on Def Jam. His life would take a dramatic turn soon afterwards, and Rick found himself headed to prison in 1991, the same year he dropped The Ruler's Back. That album was followed by 1994s Behind Bars, completed on work furlough. Rick would see release in late 1996, and he dropped his fourth album, The Art Of Storytelling in early 1999. It was Rick's first album since his debut not recorded under duress, and critics hailed it as his creative and commercial comeback.

So that's the short version of Slick Rick's story. We decided to rank our favorite 25 cuts from the legendary MC Ricky D.