Victory (Slick Rick album)
| Victory | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 13, 2025 | |||
| Genre | Hip-hop | |||
| Length | 27:13 | |||
| Label |
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| Producer |
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| Slick Rick chronology | ||||
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| Legend Has It... chronology | ||||
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Victory is the fifth studio album by American rapper Slick Rick. It was released on June 13, 2025, by 7Wallace Music and Mass Appeal Records.[1] It’s the debut album in Mass Appeal’s “Legend Has It…” series where seven albums were released from famous rappers from the East Coast during the span of 2025. It is his first album in 26 years.
Background
On April 16, 2025, Mass Appeal Records announced a series titled Legend Has It..., which features seven albums set to be released in 2025, from Nas & DJ Premier, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Mobb Deep, De La Soul, Big L, plus one "guest of honour", which later turned out to be Slick Rick.[2][3]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Pitchfork | 6.7/10[1] |
| Rolling Stone | [4] |
| Spectrum Culture | 45%[5] |
Pitchfork rated the album 6.7 out of ten and described it as "a short, stylish legacy album born out of boredom and an apparent itch to jog the memories of anyone who might've forgotten that this rap thing wouldn't be the same without MC Ricky D."[1]
Rolling Stone assigned it three stars, noting it "resembles a visual album akin to Beyoncé's Lemonade, but without that piece's poetic reflections on Black identity and culture."[4]
It was given a score of 45 percent by Spectrum Culture, which remarked, "Despite one outlandish and provocative track, this album from a hip hop legend feels like a perfunctory lifetime achievement award given by the artist himself."[5]
Stereogum gave a positive review, calling Victory "a worthwhile adventure — even with some lame detours." Reviewer Peter A. Berry praised Slick Rick’s enduring wit and delivery, writing that the album "sees Slick Rick in cruise control of all his preternatural gifts" and that tracks like “Documents” showcase "two masters of their realm" in Rick and Nas. Berry noted, however, that the interludes "oscillate between self-serious and just flat-out shallow," slowing the album’s momentum.[6]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Victory Intro" | Richard Walters | Mandy Aragones | 0:23 |
| 2. | "Stress" (featuring Giggs) |
|
| 2:38 |
| 3. | "Angelic" | Walters |
| 2:40 |
| 4. | "Foreign" | Walters |
| 1:42 |
| 5. | "I Did That" | Walters | Mandy Aragones | 1:42 |
| 6. | "Come One Let's Go" | Walters |
| 1:51 |
| 7. | "Landlord" | Walters | Slick Rick | 3:44 |
| 8. | "Mother Teresa" | Walters | Slick Rick | 0:27 |
| 9. | "Spirit to Cry" | Walters |
| 1:54 |
| 10. | "Documents" (featuring Nas) |
|
| 2:49 |
| 11. | "So You're Having My Baby" | Walters |
| 1:57 |
| 12. | "Cuz I'm Here" | Walters |
| 2:04 |
| 13. | "Matrix" | Walters | Slick Rick | 0:12 |
| 14. | "We're Not Losing" | Walters |
| 1:31 |
| 15. | "Another Great Adventure" |
|
| 1:33 |
| Total length: | 27:13 | |||
References
- ^ a b c Saponara, Michael (June 13, 2025). "Slick Rick – Victory Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 19, 2025.
- ^ Fisher, Carol (April 16, 2025). "Mass Appeal Announces "Legend Has It" Series Featuring New Albums From Nas, De La Soul & More". Hot New Hip Hop. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
- ^ "Slick Rick Announces First New Album In 26 Years, Produced With Idris Elba". Stereogum. May 15, 2025. Retrieved May 19, 2025.
- ^ a b Reeves, Mosi (June 13, 2025). "La-Di-Da-Di! Eighties Hip-Hop Great Slick Rick Is Back With 'Victory'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
- ^ a b Cochrun, Kyle (June 30, 2025). "Slick Rick: Victory". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
- ^ Berry, Peter A. (June 20, 2025). "Slick Rick's Victory Is A Worthwhile Adventure — Even With Some Lame Detours". Stereogum. Retrieved October 24, 2025.