Today, Slick Rick’s The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick turns 25. In honor of a hip-hop classic, former Def Jam publicist/hip-hop historian Bill Alder wrote a telling tribute to bring awareness to the album’s release. Earlier today, we found ten rap songs that sampled The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick and we’re continuing to pay homage with Alder’s words. Let him tell you how it is.

More From XXL