Veteran rapper Ricky 'Slick Rick' Walters received a full and unconditional pardon from New York governor David Paterson last week in relation to a 1991 shooting in which Walters was accused of and pleaded guilty to attempted murder charges. The then Def Jam signed rapper served five years in jail for the crime, being released on parole in 1997 and discharged in 2000.
Despite serving his time, Walters has been in a battle with the authorities in relation to the shooting ever since because of various attempts to have him deported on account of his being British by birth. Attempts were stepped up after the introduction of a new US law in 1996 that stated that any non-national guilty of a violent crime in America should be deported, and again more recently after the policing of that law was stepped up post-9/11.
Attempts by some to deport the rapper continue, which was presumably the motivation for Paterson to formally pardon Walters, on the basis he has led a good life since his crime, including participating on a voluntary basis in programmes that encourage young New Yorkers to shun violence. The pardon does not automatically veto deportation attempts under US law, though it does show that the rapper has friends in high places, and may persuade any bureaucrats still seeking his removal from the country that it just aint worth it.
Responding to the pardon, Walters told reporters: "My family and I are eternally thankful to Governor Paterson, my attorneys and all of the people who have supported me throughout the past seventeen years. This has been a long and difficult road and I am happy for this to be settled once and for all. I look forward to enjoying this time with my family and friends and to continue leading an honest and productive life".
Walters, who rose to fame through his 1988 Def Jam album 'The Great Adventures of Slick Rick', is frequently cited as a major influence by the next generation of rappers, including the likes of Outkast, Snoop Dogg and Jay-Z.