Hip hop icon Slick Rick and multi-hyphenate creative Idris Elba return with “Badman Generation”, out now alongside a striking new video directed by Meji Alabi. The reggae and dancehall-infused track expands the world of Slick Rick’s visual album ‘VICTORY’, his first LP in 26 years, and marks the first official collaboration between two globally influential artists bound by shared British roots and a deep respect for storytelling through sound and image.
Recorded at Elba’s London studio, the song feels like a natural extension of the cinematic universe built around ‘VICTORY’, carrying confidence, rhythm, and cultural weight in equal measure. The video opens with a dedication that frames the collaboration as a meeting of vision and poetry, before unfolding across Electric Avenue in Brixton, grounding the performance in a place rich with personal and historical meaning for Slick Rick.
Set against the atmosphere of late 1970s and early 1980s South London, the visuals channel urgency, style, and lived experience, capturing a moment shaped by change and resilience. As part of the larger ‘VICTORY’ project, which features collaborations with Nas, Giggs, and contributions from Estelle, “Badman Generation” continues Slick Rick’s long-standing mission to elevate Black storytelling, blending legacy, imagination, and unmistakable presence.