Slick Rick - I Shouldn't Have Done It

JUL 01 1991 · 12:00

Slick Rick - I Shouldn't Have Done It (1991) Director: Scott Kennedy Era: Golden Age Hip-Hop (1991) - Boom bap era, Def Jam East Coast rap at its commercial peak; year of 'The Ruler's Back' LP cycle on the cusp of gangsta rap's West Coast takeover High curatorial value as a confirmed, sourced artifact from a commercially significant 1991 Def Jam single. The video is a primary document of Slick Rick's visual persona, Golden Age performance aesthetics, and early hip-hop/film cross-promotion. The verified director credit (Scott Kennedy, confirmed via IMVDb and Dailymotion), chart data, and production context make this a well-sourced candidate for Tier 1.5 preservation, with strong research utility across music video history, hip-hop cultural studies, and fashion documentation. Context: Released June 1991 amid Slick Rick's legal troubles and incarceration period, 'I Shouldn't Have Done It' served as the lead single from 'The Ruler's Back', an album recorded under extraordinary circumstances. The video's low-budget realism reflects standard Def Jam visual economy of the era, while Rick's signature jewelry, eye patch, and storytelling style assert his standing as hip-hop's premier raconteur. The cross-promotional tie-in with the film 'Livin' Large!' illustrates early hip-hop's expanding relationship with Black cinema, a trend accelerating through 1991–1993. The single's peak of #2 on Hot Rap Singles confirmed Rick's commercial viability despite personal adversity. Director notes: The video was produced on a low budget and consists primarily of close-up performance footage of Slick Rick rapping, intercut with dancer sequences. Notably, clips from the 1991 film 'Livin' Large!' (whose soundtrack featured this single) were incorporated into the video. A well-documented continuity goof occurs when a female dancer's earring falls off mid-performance but she continues dancing. Running length matches radio edit at 3:08. Released June 6, 1991 on Def Jam Recordings.