Children's Story

"Children's Story"
Single by Slick Rick
from the album The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
Released	April 4, 1989
Format	CD
Genre	Hip hop
Length	4:02
Label	Def Jam, Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Ricky Walters
Producer(s)	Slick Rick
Slick Rick singles chronology
"Teenage Love" (1988) "Children's Story" (1989) "Hey Young World" (1989)
"Teenage Love" (1988) "Children's Story" (1989) "Hey Young World" (1989)
Audio sample
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"Children's Story" is a song recorded by hip hop artist Slick Rick. Taken as the second single from his album The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, the song was a Top 5 hit on both the Hot R&B Singles and the Hot Rap Tracks charts. It is one of the most sampled rap songs of all time.^[1]

Background

The song interpolates the notes of the bassline from Bob James's song "Nautilus".

Reception

About.com listed it at 44 on their list of the top 100 rap songs,^[2] and is ranked #61 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.^[3]

Commercial Performance

Children's Story reached 5 in the Hot R&B Singles, staying there for 19 weeks^[4] and 2 on the Hot Rap Tracks, remaining on the charts for 11 weeks.^[5] This was the best performing single from The Great Adventures of Slick Rick.

Covers

The song has been covered by:

• Tricky on his 1996 album Nearly God,
• Everlast on his 2000 album Eat at Whitey's,
• Black Star (Talib Kweli and Mos Def) on their collaborative album Black Star,
• Eminem re-interpreted it as a diss song entitled "Can-I-Bitch"; including shots towards Jermaine Dupri and Canibus. It follows the flow and concept as the original, including the intro of children asking "Marshall, will you please tell us a bedtime story?".
• The Game on his 2008 Mixtape BWS Radio 5; and was entitled "Compton's Story". He uses an accent much like Slick Rick's throughout the song.

• In 2004, "Children's Story" appeared in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, on classic hip hop radio station Playback FM. The song was also featured on the True Crime: New York City soundtrack and Tony Hawk's Proving Ground.

• The lyrics "Knock 'em out the box" were also used in Star Wars Gangsta Rap.

• The song was also played in the films Notorious & "The Sitter".

• The lyrics "I need bullets, hurry up run!" are also used by Eminem in the track "Bad Guys Always Die" featuring Dr. Dre from the Wild Wild West soundtrack.

• The lyrics "Now this ain't funny so don't you dare laugh" are used in the chorus of "Shit Can Happen" by D12 on the album Devil's Night.

• It was heavily sampled on "Cops Shot the Kid" by Nas from his album Nasir.

Adaptations

On March 21, 2017, it was announced that "Children's Story" was going to be produced into a children's book by Get it Down, a record label based in Boston, Massachusetts. The book was released with a reissue of the album on Record Store Day.^[6][7][8]

Samples

• The House That Cee Built by Big Daddy Kane (1989)
• Lyrical Assassin by Legion of Boom (1989)
• If the Papes Come by A Tribe Called Quest (1990)
• One Time Gaffled Em Up by Compton's Most Wanted (1990)
• Illegal Gunshot by Ragga Twins (1990)
• Daddy Rich in the Land of 1210 by 3rd Bass (1991)
• Throw Your Hands in the Air by Raw Fusion (1991)
• Here We Go Again by Def Jef (1991)
• Isn't He Something by Lord Finesse (1992)
• Christmas Is by Run-DMC (1992)
• From Jackin' to Rappin' by O.F.T.B. (1992)
• Sorta Like a Psycho by RBL Posse (1992)
• Knock Em Out Da Box by Naughty by Nature (1993)
• County Line by Coolio (1994)
• Local Hero by Hard 2 Obtain (1994)
• Bumpin' by Dis-n-Dat (1994)
• This Is What I Know by Rappin' 4-Tay (1994)
• This Is How We Do It by Montell Jordan (1995)
• Touched by UGK (1996)
• Party 2 Nite (Remix) by Ladae! feat. Chubb Rock (1996)
• Brakes by De La Soul (1996)
• Drama by Ras Kass feat. Coolio (1996)
• Keep It Real (The Villain RMX) by MC Ren (1996)
• Hoo-Bangin' (WSCG Style) by Westside Connection feat. K-Dee, The Comrads and AllFrumTha I (1996)
• Plucker by Young Zee (1996)
• Anotha Hoe Story by N.O.H. Mafia (1996)
• From Ruthless 2 Death Row (Do We All Part) by The D.O.C. (1996)
• Just Another Case by Cru feat. Slick Rick (1997)
• Pain (Forever) by Puff Daddy feat. G. Dep (1999)
• Bad Guys Always Die by Dr. Dre and Eminem (1999)
• Bottle Rocket by Swollen Members feat. Everlast, Evidence and Divine Styler (1999)
• I Run This by Slick Rick (1999)
• So Fresh by Will Smith feat. Biz Markie and Slick Rick (1999)
• The Tribute by Nonpoint feat. Grimm (2000)
• Skull & Crossbones by Del the Funky Homosapien (2000)
• Me and My Nigga by JT the Bigga Figga (2000)
• "What It Is (Part II)" by Flipmode Squad featuring Busta Rhymes and Kelis (2001)^[9][10]
• "Gossip Folks" by Missy Elliott feat. Ludacris (2002)
• A Slick Response by Cormega (2002)
• Can-I-Bitch by Eminem (2003)
• Elevator Music by Ugly Duckling (2004)
• Still Grimey by U-God & Sean Price & Prodigal Sunn & C-Rayz Walz (2004)
• Bedtime Story by AZ (2005)
• Save Me by Mary Mary (2005)
• The Emperor's Soundtrack by Lupe Fiasco (2006)
• If I (Original) by Ali Vegas (2006)
• In a Mess by Saigon (2007)
• Catacomb Kids by Aesop Rock (2007)
• So Ruff, So Tuff by Conejo (2007)
• Children's Story by Uncle Murda (2008)
• Children's Story by Ramson Badbonez (2008)
• Once Upon a Rhyme (Original Version) by Rakim (2008)
• Don't Ya Dare Laugh by B-Real feat. Xzibit and Young De (2009)
• We Will Rob You by Raekwon feat. GZA, Masta Killa and Slick Rick (2009)
• Once Upon a Time by La Coka Nostra (2009)
• K-Town Story by Dumbfoundead (2009)
• Light Up the Night by Black Eyed Peas (2010)
• Gimme Da 90s by KRS-One and True Master (2010)
• A Southern Story by Bobby Creekwater (2010)
• Por Tus Pujidos Nos Hallaron by Akwid (2010)
• Self Titled by Reks (2011)
• Mind Yuh Business by Problem Child (2012)
• Cops Shot the Kid by Nas (2018)

References

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics