Slick Rick - Behind Bars

What this video is

Released November 8, 1994 on Def Jam Recordings, 'Behind Bars' arrived at a pivotal moment in American criminal justice discourse — two years after the 1992 Los Angeles uprising and amid escalating public debate over mass incarceration, mandatory minimums, and the 1994 Crime Bill. Slick Rick's incarceration for attempted murder charges made the video's production impossible through conventional means, prompting Def…

Why it matters

One of the most significant animated music videos in hip-hop history, 'Behind Bars' demonstrated that animation could serve as a serious, politically engaged format within rap — not merely novelty. It anticipated later animated hip-hop visuals and affirmed Slick Rick's legacy as a master…

The director

Sash Andranikian is a New York-based film director, producer, screenwriter, and animation director trained at the Film Directors & Screenwriters Academy in Moscow, Russia. His career spans commercials, music videos, animated content, and feature films. Known…