Some people were today years old when they learned rapper Slick Rick has British roots. The legendary MC has apparently had the world fooled since the 1980s.

Rick, whose real name is Richard Martin Lloyd Walters, was born on January 14, 1965, in the southwest London district of Mitcham. In 1976, he and his family came to the United States and settled in the Bronx.

Rick fell in love with music in high school and began performing around the city. In 1984, he entered a talent show and met Doug E. Fresh. Fresh took Rick under his wing and made him a member of his Get Fresh Crew. Fresh’s beatbox and Rick’s flow turned the songs “The Show” and “La Di Da Di” into international anthems, essentially flipping rap music on its head and becoming the launching pad for “hip-hop’s greatest storyteller.”

As great of a storyteller as he is, some fans feel he left out an important part of his life: Where did that British accent come from?

TikToker @Nyamkasayinde was thoroughly confused and had to go to her husband for clarity.

Mindblown, the social media user captioned her video, “I was today years old when I found out #slickrick was #british.” Pondering on her new findings, she ended the video with, “I just thought he was really proper.”

@nyamkasayinde

I was today years old when I found out #slickrick was #british @zonefour4 mind blown.

♬ original sound – Nyamka S Ayinde

The TikToker wasn’t the only person who felt the “Children’s Story” rapper had pulled a fast one.

@LaCienegaBlvdss tweeted a clip from 2021 where Rick was interviewed by his British sister, Estelle. The interview was on Estelle’s Apple Radio show, The Estelle Show, during Black Music History Month. The Twitter user noted, “I have never heard Slick Rick speak with a British accent in my life…”

@TiM_DiGGiTY was way off in her assumptions, admitting she thought the rapper was from the West Coast.

@GovanJones said he wasn’t falling for the Mandela Effect. He never knew knowing Rick is British was a thing.

And singer/songwriter @MrJPatt was in total agreement with him, asking folks to stop pretending like they knew Rick is British.

@MrJPatt, expanded on the thought, saying he has gone his whole life assuming Rick’s accent was a persona.

@LaCienegaBlvdss came back with receipts to support the persona theory. The accent seemed to be missing when she saw Rick perform in August.

@G_P_TV  think it might be a generational thing, using the Brandy and Ray J sibling “discovery” as an example.

@EyanJ has seen how people react when they uncover the truth, referencing the shock people felt after discovering Bobby Caldwell is white.

Professional Wrestler @SwoleWorld couldn’t understand how people couldn’t hear it in the rapper’s voice.

And Twitter user @MarloClancy stayed in shock long after the discovery.

Let us know how old you were when you learned Slick Rick repped the UK.

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