Hip-hop fans have a major reason to hit this year’s Tribeca Festival: rap icon Slick Rick is bringing his first-ever visual album to the big screen. Tribeca announced it will host the international premiere of Victory, a 25-minute short film set to the music of Slick Rick’s new visual album. Directed by Meji Alabi, Victory transports audiences to the vibrant streets of London and features an impressive dose of star power. The film stars Idris Elba, Nas, and Giggs, who appear alongside Slick Rick to bring his storytelling raps to life in cinematic form. Early descriptions tease Victory as a “gripping, suspenseful ride” that blends music, drama and bold visuals – essentially a mini-movie built around Slick Rick’s songs.
The premiere of Victory at Tribeca underscores the festival’s growing embrace of innovative music projects. Visual albums – essentially an album’s worth of music presented through a narrative film – are a burgeoning format, and Tribeca is spotlighting them in a big way this year. (Pop star Miley Cyrus’s new visual album Something Beautiful was already on the lineup, and now Slick Rick’s project joins the bill.) “There is always more in store at Tribeca,” said festival director Cara Cusumano in a statement, emphasizing that these boundary-pushing premieres “redefine music storytelling” and exemplify the festival’s spirit of fearless creativity.
For Slick Rick, the English-American rap legend known for classics like “Children’s Story,” this marks a return to his storytelling roots – but on a whole new platform. Victory will let fans experience his rhymes through a cinematic lens, complete with dramatic plot twists and high-gloss production. After the screening, Slick Rick himself will take the stage for a live Q&A, giving festival-goers a chance to hear firsthand about the making of the visual album and the inspiration behind it. The Tribeca Festival runs June 4–15 in New York City, and Victory is poised to be a hot ticket for music and film lovers alike – a rare chance to see a hip-hop pioneer’s visuals and verses collide on the silver screen.
