Erick Sermon - React (November 26, 2002)

React is the fifth solo album from Erick Sermon, the producer-slash-rapper that will forever be remembered as one-half of the seminal hip hop duo EPMD. Within the parameters of its forty-six minute run time, Sermon accomplished the following: outsourced production duties for a third of the project; managed to alienate and offend the world’s Hindi-speaking community with the first single and title track; and, worst of all, failed to move many units, the utmost cardinal sin where it comes to the music industry, resulting in his label home, Clive Davis’s J Records, dropping him from the roster with the quickness.

Considering that his previous album for Davis, Music, contained the biggest hit of the man’s career, this clearly wasn’t the outcome anybody expected to see.

Erick Sermon - Music (October 30, 2001)

Having parted ways with longtime label home Def Jam Records, producer-slash-rapper Erick Sermon found himself bouncing around while seeking out the best possible deal for both himself and, eventually, his Def Squad Records imprint. This soul-searching journey found him briefly living on Dreamworks Records’ couch under a fake name, Erick Onasis, a partnership which resulted in one lone album, Def Squad Presents Erick Onasis, which is best known for having several great songs and also pissing me off so much that I considered excising Sermon from my project entirely, thereby negating his historical significance within hip hop. No, it’s true, it’s in his biography and everything. (If you don’t recall the specifics, you should double back to that review just to catch up.) But that living situation was merely temporary, and soon Sermon was back out in the world trying to find himself, during which time he found himself doing peyote in the desert with storied record executive Clive Davis’ J Records, which resulted in the man’s fourth solo effort (and third under his government name), the aptly-titled Music.

EPMD - We Mean Business (December 9, 2008)

The nine years it took for EPMD to properly follow-up their never-really-referred-to-as-a-retirement album, Out Of Business, were eventful. For starters, the duo left their longtime label home, Def Jam Records, with their protégées Reggie “Redman” Noble and Keith “Keith Murray” Murray soon following, as the House That LL Built chose to chase current trends instead of building up the artists they still had. Erick Sermon managed to achieve the solo success he had been seeking ever since the seminal duo broke up way back in 1992, likely before a lot of you two were even born, thanks to a record deal with Clive Davis and the industry clout that name commanded , which helped clear a sample through the estate of Marvin Gaye. I’m telling you, it was downright weird to hear the Green-Eyed Bandit on pop radio in the daytime. Meanwhile, his rhyme and production partner Parish “PMD” Smith retreated even further into hip hop’s underground, collaborating with relative unknowns and even reforming his Hit Squad collective, releasing an album, 2004’s Zero Tolerance, that aimed the spotlight at his newer charges, but managed to secure cameos from the likes of Redman and Erick Sermon, who had famously spun off into the Def Squad after the divorce. The underground is where PMD remains to this day, as he chooses to work alongside, among others, foreign-based producers that have the essence of hip hop built into their DNA. Or something. Look, you figure out a way to describe the Snowgoons in shorthand and maybe I’ll use it.

Oh, and their third member, DJ Scratch, bailed on the entire operation.

Erick Sermon - Def Squad Presents Erick Onasis (June 27, 2000)

In 1999, producer-slash-rapper Erick Sermon had just released Out Of Business, which was purported to be the final album by his legendary duo EPMD, which he formed with his longtime friend-turned-foe-turned-friend Parrish “PMD” Smith (and DJ Scratch, lest we all forget). Unlike all five of their previous projects, Out of Business failed to sell enough units to earn them another gold plaque, but Erick and Parrish enjoyed their elder statesmen roles, helping discover new acts while boosting the careers of their protégées Redman, Keith Murray, and EPMD., and the music reflected this.

Fast forward one year later. The relationship with Def Jam is terminated: neither Sermon nor PMD would ever release a project on that iconic imprint again in their careers. PMD is off spinning his wheels in the underground (a story for someone else to tell, as he isn’t the focus of today’s post), while the artist known as the Green-Eyed Bandit is recording for Dreamworks Records under an alias.

What the fuck happened?

EPMD - Out Of Business (July 20, 1999)

1999 was a funny year for Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith. They had already seen their duo, EPMD, both break up (for reasons I've already documented elsewhere and am too tired to retread) and reunite, all to the tune of dollar signs and cash register chimes, as their fans rushed to snatch up any release from the seminal team (but not necessarily any of their solo offerings, at least when it came to PMD). That reunion project, Back In Business, went especially far in rebooting EPMD for a new era within our chosen genre, one where multitudes of funk samples were overridden with New York street talk and gloomy beats, and both Erick and Parrish acquitted themselves quite nicely. It helped that neither man had ever left hip hop during their group's hiatus, obviously.

So the only thing that remained was to retire.

EPMD - Back In Business (September 23, 1997)

When EPMD broke up in 1992, it was a shock, mainly because back then there was no such thing as a Twitter feed where one could air all of their dirty laundry to a fanbase that doesn't necessarily give a shit.  The Interweb also wasn't quite so prevalent, so even though Erick and Parrish lived through their nightmare in real time, the rest of us had no idea what had happened until after it had already transpired.  Parrish Smith robbed, allegedly with Erick Sermon's involvement?  Sermon's eventual defection, taking with him an untested Reggie "Redman" Noble, while PMD retained the already quite popular Das EFX?  All of this came out of nowhere, as did their eventual reunion only five years later.

Erick Sermon - Double Or Nothing (November 7, 1995)

If No Pressure was Erick Sermon's bid to prove that he was the sampling wizard behind EPMD, then his sophomore effort, Double Or Nothing, with its title's clever nod to his rap alter-ego E Double, was his take on revisionist history.  Aided by his Def Squad brethren Redman and Keith Murray, along with a few folks who recorded cameos and then promptly vanished off of the face of the motherfucking Earth, Erick Sermon attempted to retool his persona, altering it from a sample-heavy behemoth to that of a funk lord.  And he probably would have pulled it off, too, if it wasn't for those meddling kids.

Double Or Nothing was Sermon's second solo album on Def Jam, but when you look at just how much of a departure it is from the sound of No Pressure, you'd be forgiven if you mistakenly believed it to be his twelfth.  No longer satisfied with occupying one-fourth of EPMD's group name, Erick Sermon wanted to take over the galaxy of hip hop, and he decided that the best way of accomplishing that goal was to appeal to as many people as humanely possible.  Double Or Nothing contains salvos created specifically for radio stations, hip hop heads, fans of street tales, stoners, and pretty much every other major demographic, although, curiously, "fans of EPMD" were left crying into their pillows.

Double Or Nothing is one of those albums that nobody seems to have any real feelings about, whether they be positive or negative.  It's complete lack of anything offensive makes it relatively easy to forget that it even existed: aside from the existence of one track (which you'll read about in a bit), I even believed Sermon's discography somehow skipped from No Pressure into the EPMD reunion record Back In Business (which I'll get to at a later date).  The project's only two singles were radio mainstays around my way, but they would never be considered anybody's favorite anything: quick, tell me what those two singles were and what they sounded like.  Without cheating.  You can't do it.  And if you can, if you could please explain to me why your Erick Sermon fan club never sent me the t-shirt and bumper sticker I sent away for back in 1996, I'd greatly appreciate it.

And so.

1. INTRO (SKIT)

One minute into Double Or Nothing and I'm already bored out of my mind.

2. BOMDIGI

I guess it makes sense that the first real song on Double Or Nothing is also its first single: what better way to inform the listener that this project will sound nothing like EPMD's past work? Sermon's instrumental eschews the sample-heavy style (although not entirely abandoning it) he and Parrish Smith perfected in favor of a party groove built around a Mary Jane Girls sound bite (taken from “All Night Long”), and his first two verses display a rapper-slash-producer who is eager to please. So “Bomdigi” sounded pleasant enough...until the third verse, which I had apparently blocked out of my mind grapes: desperate to prove himself to any new fans who would have inexplicably picked up this album, E Double starts name-dropping the titles of songs he produced for Redman's Dare Iz A Darkside. A lame-ass way to end an otherwise decent track.

3. FREAK OUT (FEAT. REDMAN)

Redman's Dr. Trevis character introduces this track, which sounds like a refugee from the Dare Iz A Darkside sessions, but that's alright, I suppose, since Reggie Noble appears alongside our host, destroying the man lyrically in a fairly embarrassing fashion. Redman was still in his pre-Muddy Waters days, so the vocal resemblance to the Green-Eyed Bandit is more than a little bit obvious, but he still sounds pretty good over this beat, which is the traditional funky musical housing he resides in when not high as fuck. Sermon sounds fucking ridiculous, though: it almost brings a tear to my eye to see the student surpass the teacher so goddamn effortlessly. Moving on...

4. IN THE HEAT (FEAT. ?)

Our host tackles a storytelling rap that grows increasingly violent as the relatively banging instrumental moves forward, suggesting that he has officially gone crazy because of the heatwave he is apparently suffering through right now. The presence of an uncredited guest artist whose name I cannot place right now is iffy and unnecessary, but Sermon refuses to let him take over, electing to spit out his threats mostly for dolo. I have to admit, I was legitimately disturbed when he threatened to strip his opponent nude and pistol-whip them, but I guess I shouldn't have been that surprised: this is the same guy who bragged about shooting a sheriff, after all.

5. TELL 'EM (FEAT. KEITH MURRAY & ROZ)

This dark and melodic track is a step in the right direction. Over an instrumental that I'm fairly certain was also used for a Sprite campaign scheduled before Double Or Nothing's release, Sermon teams up with fellow Def Squad member Keith Murray (who sounds in his zone, which is to say that he sounds terrific) and Redman's sister Roz to deliver a quick track that has no need for, nor any room for, bullshit padding, although they still manage to squeeze in a short hook. This spacey declaration of rap dominance is what I had hoped this album would have sounded like in its entirety back when I picked it up back in 1995. Oh well, at least it still holds up today.

6. IN THE STUDIO (SKIT) (FEAT. ?)

Not so much a skit as it is a quick and useless one-verse wonder from an anonymous female rapper who fails to receive a credit in the liner notes. It's nice that Erick was feeling charitable, but this was unnecessary.

7. BOY MEETS WORLD

The Green-Eyed Bandit relays his frustration with juggling homework and newly-acquired adult responsibilities while trying to keep his oddly-named girlfriend Topanga both happy and sexually satisfied. Although that isn't really what this song is about, at least my explanation makes sense: as Erick Sermon is not a “boy”, and he is a seasoned veteran at this point, he wouldn't have been new to the “world” when he recorded this track. I can only assume that he was watching ABC's TGIF comedy lineup one Friday evening while baked, and he thought “Boy Meets World” sounded like as good a song title as any. The instrumental was pretty bland, and Sermon doesn't sound invested in the action, so it's probably best that you skip this track...now.

8. WELCOME (FEAT. AARON HALL & KEITH MURRAY)

I believe this was the other single from Double Or Nothing, and it received a decent amount of airplay, so at least the otherwise superfluous Aaron Hall guest vocal on the chorus didn't go to waste. Sermon sounds alright, too, having completed his transition from rhyming over sample-heavy beats exclusively to also being able to tackle spacey funk (producer Rockwilder, turning in a performance that is far removed from what would make him inexplicably popular later on, plays a pretty big role in how smooth E Double actually comes across on here), and while Keith Murray hardly registers on here, his brief vocal still complements the track nicely. This held up much better than “Bomdigi”, anyway.

9. LIVE IN THE BACKYARD (SKIT)

Apparently, one of the running themes on Double Or Nothing is including a skit that actually doubles as a bonus song (as opposed to your typical rap album interludes, which rear their ugly heads on the back half of this project) while still running in the direction of “pointless”. Here, Erick Sermon attempts to give listeners a quick blues-y obstacle to leap over before they can finally get to “Set It Off”. And I'll say this: my Lord can this man not sing.

10. SET IT OFF (FEAT. KEITH MURRAY)

Perhaps as a sneak preview of his future work on Muddy Waters (which is Redman's most well-rounded album, for my money), Erick Sermon presents listeners with a calm instrumental that is manipulated just enough to sound menacing. Which is appropriate, as “Set It Off” is basically E Double's way of explaining that he has no plans on leaving the rap game anytime soon. (Back in 1995, this was a welcome statement: in 2011, though, I think we should all get together and perform an intervention, stealing away his booked studio time and donating it to an artist in need.) Keith Murray's presence on here is even more questionable than it was on “Welcome”: was there really a reason to have him shout random shit toward the end of the track, when his admirable skills could have been put to better use by having him order takeout? Was there really no better way for you to have ended this track, Sermon?

11. FOCUS

Erick sticks with his King Of The Mountain theme, but takes on the position of an elder statesman (which he is) who represents old school New York rap while dismissing the West Coast entirely (and then immediately taking that statement back by coming up with some bullshit about how rappers who pretend that they've actually shot people have no place in hip hop). Bet you didn't expect to hear any barbs aimed at the West Coast on an Erick Sermon project, did you? That's probably why E Double has gone out of his way to work with the likes of Xzibit, Eazy-E, Too $hort, and DJ Quik afterward: this way, he could be the rap equivalent of the racist white man who claims he can't be racist because he knows black people. However mixed the message is, though, Sermon's warning against artists who refuse to actually work at their craft is still enjoyable enough today.

12. MOVE ON (FEAT. PASSION & REDMAN)

Sermon seems to believe that the flavor of this track is “sour cream and onion”: I don't think he knows how songs actually work. However, he smartly gives Reggie Noble the first verse, which absolves him of most sins. The beat may not be especially tasty, but it still sounded alright, and Redman's energy behind the mic elevates E Double's own verse. Filling the obvious Keith Murray slot is female rapper Passion, who pledges her allegiance to the Def Squad but was unceremoniously erased from that crew's history after working alongside their intern, Jamal (of Illegal “fame”). As she sounds like a lost member of the Dealdy Venoms, she doesn't really fit into these proceedings anyway, but the song was still okay otherwise.

13. SMOOTH THOUGHT (SKIT)

More offensive than most hip hop skits tend to be.

14. DO YOUR THING

This alternate-universe take on “Welcome” was boring as fuck. That's all I got.

15. MAN ABOVE (FEAT. JAZZE PHA)

That's probably not what I would have titled a song that talks about getting some friends together at your house as an excuse to fuck all of their friends. Then again, I'm not one-half of EPMD. Sermon stays away from the graphically incestuous descriptions he provided on No Pressure: this time around, he simply seems amazed that there are so many women in the world who are willing to sleep with a guy who is a successful recording artist. Surprise guest star Jazze Pha, in one of his earliest appearances, provides the hook, which apes a couple of bars from Snoop Dogg's “Gin & Juice”, which seems lazy, but it's really hard to be mad at a song that is this laid-back about casual hookups. Not bad, sir.

16. THE MESSAGE (SKIT) (FEAT. TONE CAPONE)

Tone Capone makes a quick appearance to represent a crew that he has nothing to do with today. What was the point of this, exactly?

17. OPEN FIRE (FEAT. KEITH MURRAY & REDMAN)

Double Or Nothing ends with a show of solidarity from the Def Squad, as both Reggie Noble and Keith Murray join up with E Double for a quick posse cut. The beat was pleasant enough, and it contrasted nicely with both the aggressive title and the combative nature of the participants, but it isn't all good: Sermon is the weakest player of the three. Curiously, he includes empty space between the verses ostensibly built for choruses that were never written, choosing instead to fill in the blanks with random bullshit intended to help the listener transition between artists. Murray sounds a bit too awkward, as he attempts to fit more syllables into a single bar than has ever been attempted before, but unlike Redman, whose career began with a flow that aped that of our host, Keith Murray sounds exactly the same on “Open Fire” as he does today. Which should mean something, but it doesn't.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Erick Sermon's Double Or Nothing is successful in that it helps our host move beyond the EPMD sound of old, as we get to hear the incarnation of the minimalist moody funk that has punctuated his work ever since, but it fails in that it's mostly dull. The music misses far more than it hits, which makes it sound like a dusty relic I discovered at the Smithsonian, and Sermon's rhymes leave a lot to be desired. The tracks on which his braggadocio is curbed in order to fit more artists into the booth tend to be more interesting, as he proves that he is, in fact, able to shut the hell up when the occasion calls for it, but he rides by himself more often than not, and without, say, a Parrish Smith-type to bounce his ideas off of, he throws too many punches that don't connect (especially his coded bards aimed at PMD, which aren't very effective). Only a handful of these songs sound remotely relevant today, but that's alright: every artist has a meh period. That doesn't mean you have to suffer through it today, though.

BUY OR BURN? Burn this shit. Too many of the songs lack focus (except, funnily enough, “Focus”), and E Double's over-reliance on dumb fucking interludes and his incessant need to talk himself up will make you long for the glory days of EPMD, where he did the exact same shit, but sounded better doing it.

BEST TRACKS: “Tell 'Em”; “Focus”; “Man Above”

-Max

RELATED POSTS:

Catch up on Erick Sermon's catalog by clicking here.

Erick Sermon - No Pressure (October 19, 1993)

EPMD broke up in 1993, the result of infighting between the two principles, Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith.  Smith accused Sermon of orchestrating a break-in at his home, and even though the police later cleared him as a suspect, the bond between these two was shattered (temporarily, it turns out, but that's a story for another day).  Sermon began complaining publicly about mismanaged funds, and the days of EPMD were officially numbered.  Business Never Personal wound up being the final album released during the golden era of Erick and Parrish Making Dollars.

In the divorce, PMD gained custody of Das EFX and their deejay, DJ Scratch.  Erick Sermon was able to walk away with his dignity, along with upstart rapper Redman, who he would go on to make some big moves with.  (Rap duo Knucklehedz, EPMD affiliates that most hip hop heads have forgotten about entirely, were the lone major casualty of the breakup: their debut album, Strickly Savage, which featured production from both Erick and Parrish, was shelved indefinitely after they disbanded, and they quickly became the tiniest of footnotes in the annals of history.)

E Double was also allowed to retain his record label, Def Jam, although that may be more because The House That Russell Built was more convinced of his talent than that of Parrish Smith, who moved on to RCA.  Nine months after his world changed, Sermon unleashed his solo debut, No Pressure, addressing his concerns in the most ironic way he could think of.  Unlike his former partner, none of Sermon's solo albums feature the word "business" in the title: this could be seen as a sign that our host for the evening was trying to finally have some fun, since he now retained final cut.

No Pressure was the first album conceived in the EPMD breakup, and it was a huge hit, cementing Sermon's legacy in our chosen genre and allowing the man to enjoy a second phase in his career, something that a lot of artists never receive.  Today, it's most notable for featuring the debut appearance of Def Squad cohort Keith Murray, another relationship that would prove fruitful for E Double later on down the line.

Seventeen years out, it's time to see if Erick Sermon's No Pressure holds up as well as everyone thinks it does.

1. INTRO

Useless, useless, useless.

2. PAYBACK II (FEAT. JOE SINISTR)

Erick Sermon clearly intended for this track to be seen as a direct sequel to EPMD's “The Big Payback”, which sounded nothing like this. (The horrible chorus only underscores the obvious.) For the first real solo song on Sermon's catalog, he introduces an awkward flow that sounds fucking terrible, but he's smart enough to know his own limitations: our host is acutely aware that a little bit of him goes a long way, so he recruits Joe Sinistr to join him behind the mic, and he sounds so much better than our host that E Double's contribution to the vocals is somewhat negated. Not exactly how I would kick off my own solo album, but fuck it, I'm not Erick Sermon.

3. STAY REAL

Our host provides some pointed commentary toward hip hop fanatics about how to secure the future of our chosen genre. Sermon doesn't stray too far from his comfort zone, giving listeners what sounds like an EPMD song that PMD simply failed to make the cut of. (Which is one of the biggest problems I have with No Pressure, but I digress.) E Double sounds much better on here, his natural habitat at the time (tons of samples mashed together into a coherent, funky song structure), than he did on “Payback II”, leading me to wonder why this song, which is actually quite good (even though I couldn't make out E's comment about Das EFX before the third verse), wasn't placed immediately after the intro. Hmm...

4. IMMA GITZ MINE

I imagine that a lot of EPMD fans who picked up No Pressure out of sheer loyalty were not entirely convinced that Erick Sermon could actually carry an album by his lonesome. This may be due to his lazy stoner flow, which favors simple phrases and clichés over character development. Sermon isn't an idiot, though: if you pay attention to his lyrics, he'll usually surprise you with some out-of-left-field references and clever wordplay, and besides, it's almost impossible to hate the earnestness heard in Sermon's rhymes. This song was by no means great, but it does its job.

5. HOSTILE (FEAT. KEITH MURRAY & JEFFREY STEWART)

This track is best known as the official debut of the third member of the Def Squad, the combustible anger ball known as Keith Murray. Sermon sounds awkward over his own beat: his violent threats are transparent and seem to exist only because he wanted to be taken seriously when alongside the rookie. But Keith sounds fucking incredible. His verse takes you back to the finest moments of The Most Beautifullest Thing In This World and Enigma, back when he was amazing with the wordplay and not physically assaulting record label employees for looking at him funny. Never has a song title been so appropriate a description for a guest artist. This was really good.

6. DO IT UP

Sermon's instrumental is at once familiar and foreign, as he takes samples that most hip hop heads will recognize and combines than into something altogether different. However, Erick most certainly spent more time on the beat than he did with the writing of his rhymes, as his verses are an amalgam of stream-of-consciousness braggadocio and pop culture references. Once again, this sounds like an EPMD song missing the co-star: Erick would have benefited from bringing a plus-one to this particular party.

7. SAFE SEX (FEAT DEBRA KILLINGS)

Corny as fuck, and not only because, in giving listeners a public service announcement, Erick Sermon also insists on protecting the listener's ears from STDs by censoring the song. Hiding the message of AIDS awareness in what was probably a leftover EPMD beat isn't a terrible idea, but Erick leads folks down the wrong path, insisting that everyone have a good time (with the drinking and the oddly uncut drug use that goes with it_ before flipping the switch and commanding everyone to wear a condom. I won't even get into how he tries to pass off the phrase “respect my floor” as a euphemism for “take off your shoes, in English”. Huh? Run that by me again?

8. HITTIN' SWITCHES

The drum beat on here is so overused in hip hop that “Hittin' Switches” automatically sounds like something that you've already heard at least twenty times over, even if you're only two years old and this was your first bit of exposure to our chosen genre. This isn't entirely a bad thing: the instant familiarity with this song goes a long way towards enjoying it. Erick's random rhymes sound pretty good over the simple instrumental, and the track contains enough of a feel-good vibe that you're left with a smile on your face. Or maybe that's a snarl. A smarl, perhaps?

9. INTRO

An introduction to the second side of the cassette tape. Well, that was nice of him.

10. ERICK SERMON

E Double decided that he didn't want to make the same mistake as his peers, so his self-titled song appears on his very first solo album, just to get it out of the way. The chorus is awful, as it exists only so Erick can sing his own name, but if you look past that, this is fairly interesting. I'm still not convinced that Erick Sermon absolutely needs to have a solo career, though: as with most of the other songs on No Pressure: I was left wishing that a guest star would make a surprise uncredited cameo. Alas, no such luck here.

11. THE HYPE (FEAT DERRICK CULBREATH)

Erick Sermon wastes a Beastie Boys vocal sample on a simplistic tale (in both structure and delivery) that devolves into a PG-rated letter to Penthouse toward the end. E Double spends the majority of this tale obsessed with the power his own celebrity brings, which is never a good way to appeal to the general audience. Also, he ends the song by having a three-way with two sisters. Isn't that fucking gross for the sisters? Does any girl ever really get off by watching her sibling get fucked? I've never understood that shit. If they were best friends, I would believe the hype, but Sermon spins this into some kind of pseudo-incestuous nightmare, and the presence of a shared bloodline is what kills it for me.

12. LIL CRAZY (FEAT. SHADZ OF LINGO)

The instrumental on here is actually pretty dope, but Erick's opening verse is fucking terrible. Thankfully, he steps out of the room as the crew Shadz Of Lingo (who were teased at earlier on during No Pressure; oooh, foreshadowing!) attempt to rip shit the fuck apart. Kolorado doesn't provide the best verse in the world or anything, but it was highly enjoyable: it's just too bad that his partner, Lingo, screws everything up with his performance, switching back and forth between your speakers in a highly annoying manner. (I might have possibly gotten the order of the Shadz emcees incorrect: I'm not really familiar with their work.) This was interesting as a glimpse into an alternate universe, one in which Erick Sermon never collaborated with Redman and Keith Murray in the first place.

13. THE ILL SHIT (FEAT. ICE CUBE & KAM)

Fulfilling the need for a batshit collaboration for his solo debut, Erick calls upon West Coast stalwart Kam and, of all people, Lottery Ticket's Ice Cube, who sounds uncomfortable over a Sermon instrumental, even though E Double goes out of his way to craft a Left Coast beat. Kam sounded as authoritative as he always does, but otherwise, there wasn't much to recommend on here.

14. SWING IT OVER HERE (FEAT. REDMAN & KEITH MURRAY)

To my knowledge, this is the very first Def Squad track, and by that I mean this is the very first song that featured Erick Sermon, Redman, and Keith Murray together. Too bad it fucking sucks. Let me extrapolate a bit: the beat is weakly constructed, and Murray, so good on “Hostile”, sounds like he was in way over his head, so his performance may leave you two wondering why he's even in the Def Squad in the first place. However, Sermon sounds rejuvenated, and the almighty Reggie Noble (who receives his own grand introduction right before his verse starts) steps into the restaurant and clears out the buffet, even though he was still in the midst of his "sounding like Erick Sermon" period. This is in no way a good song, but at least two of the three verses were alright.

15. INTERVIEW

The beat playing in the background was re-used by Erick for Keith Murray's “Make It Hot”. That's the only fascinating aspect of this skit, really, since this is truly just an interview with E Double.

16. ALL IN THE MIND (FEAT. SOUP)

Sermon's instrumental explores much darker territory than anything else present on No Pressure: it sounds like some of the bleaker stuff from Keith Murray's debut. That is to say that it's really fucking good. The verses on here aren't all that hot, though. Guest star Soup does his best, but E Double's shitty hook and awkward performance hammer the nail into the song's coffin fairly early on. Sigh.

17. FEMALE SPECIES

Erick Sermon devotes an entire track to the opposite sex, but he has enough sense to tack it on at the very end of No Pressure, so that listeners (such as myself) can eject the disc and pretend that “All In The Mind” was the finale. How thoughtful of him, right?

FINAL THOUGHTS: Although it was fairly popular, Erick Sermon's No Pressure was criticized for sounding too much like another EPMD album. While that is a valid point, my biggest issue with No Pressure is that it's about as engaging as the shittier songs in the former (current) duo's catalog, although it should be noted that this is not an album made up entirely of hip house garbage. Sermon seemed convinced that he didn't need his former business partner to record successful music, and financially he was correct, but most of these songs lack heat, as E Double simply coasts on his prior life instead of establishing a solo identity. Not every song on here is bad, though: in face, a few of them are quite good, and the Green Eyed Bandit goes a long way toward proving to the hip hop audience that he held the majority of the talent in EPMD, as evidenced by his continued success in the game. However, Erick Sermon shouldn't have rushed out the product just to appease his fans: had he taken his time and honed his craft a bit, the end result could have been much more entertaining. Instead, we have No Pressure. Groan.

BUY OR BURN? No thank you. Look up the tracks listed below and come back when Sermon attempts to redeem himself with his sophomore effort. Will that one be worth it? How would I know? I haven't actually written about it yet.

BEST TRACKS: “Hostile”; “Hittin' Switches”; “Stay Real”

-Max

RELATED POSTS:

You can catch up on Erick Sermon's career thus far by clicking here.

EPMD - Unfinished Business (1989)

After striking gold with their 1988 debut release Strictly Business, Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith, who perform together as EPMD with the assistance of DJ Scratch (their former partner in crime), quickly recorded the follow-up, Unfinished Business, which hit store shelves less than a year later. Like its predecessor, Unfinished Business featured songs that used so many samples from other compositions that I'm surprised that Erick and Parrish managed to retain writing credits, and also like its predecessor, it sold over half a million copies, which made their label, Fresh/Sleeping Bag Records very happy for approximately five minutes, before the financial strains hit: EPMD's contract was later sold to Def Jam Records, who would release their next four albums.

Unfinished Business hit the scene at a time when hip hop was not about bragging about your past as a drug dealer or getting the chicks on the dance floor, so many of you two readers may be prone to avoid music such as this. Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith built their careers off of feel-good music (made so thanks to the varied samples they utilize) that are chock-full of boasts and Vitamin C. Hopefully, the Strictly Business review actually connected with a few of you, but if you think you already know what to expect from their sophomore effort, you're dead wrong.

That was a bit dramatic, I know.

1. SO WHAT CHA SAYIN'
Take away Erick Sermon's newly-formed confidence behind the mic, and this song sounds like an outtake from Strictly Business. The lyrics sound good (there's nothing of substance here, but the presentation is remarkable), but musically, the track seems to be about five or six samples short of a full house.

2. TOTAL KAOS
DJ Scratch's, um, scratching of the PMD vocal sample sounds awful: it seems the intention was for the vocal, which doubles as the hook for this track, to sound a bit ominous, but the sound wasn't cleaned up, and it ends up coming off as simply distorted, as if I were listening to Unfinished Business through speakers made out of two tin cans and some chicken wire. Subtract that weak-ass element, though, and this song is really fucking good, even if the first boast provided by both artists (about you being a “NR”, a “non-rapper”) falls pretty flat.

3. GET THE BOZACK
One of the things that Dame Grease did well when he produced DMX's “Get At Me Dog” was bring the B.T. Express sample (from "Everything Good To You (Ain't Always Good For You)") that was also featured in “Get The Bozack” to the forefront, so that it blasts out of your speakers, becoming the epitome of a Tunnel banger. (Or, at least I assume so, since I don't live in New York.) In contrast, this song lets the rappers dominate, as the music plays in the background almost as an afterthought: considering the confrontational feel of the track (and the numerous amounts of bozacks being gotten by individuals), a few tweaks would make this song a classic. It still isn't bad, though.

4. JANE II
Hearing Erick Sermon alternate between playing himself and “Jane” is pretty unsettling (and awfully ridiculous, if you think about it: Erick Sermon is no Positive K). Due to the short running time, this track doesn't really advance the Jane storyline much, but it sounds alright.

5. PLEASE LISTEN TO MY DEMO
Over an instrumental that, oddly, lifelong fans of Kris Kross may recognize from their blue period, Erick and Parrish get serious for a bit, giving listeners an idea of what they had to go through before copping that record deal. It's short, sweet, to the point, and not bad at all.

6. IT'S TIME TO PARTY
Raise your hand if you remember what Cappadonna's “Love Is The Message” sounds like. (You realize I can't see you while you're reading the blog, right?) Here's the same MFSB sample (from their own "Love Is The Message"), with some extra effects layered in, which do their darnedest to convince you that, yes, it is time to party. While the final product sounds decent enough, there are also long chunks of silence from our hosts, leaving the song sounding incomplete.

7. WHO'S BOOTY
Absurd title aside, I didn't care much for this track.

8. THE BIG PAYBACK
This is one of those undisputed EPMD classics, and for good reason: this shit is great. It may not get as much airplay as “You Gots To Chill” during flashback lunch hours, but in many ways, this is the better song, especially since E and PMD rip shit in their own special way.

9. STRICTLY SNAPPIN' NECKS
This track's sound is slow and low, and awfully simple, but I've always dug it. The beat is perfect for punctuating the braggadocio from our hosts, even after you realize that they aren't doing anything on here but threatening people with the titular act of violence.

10. KNICK KNACK PADDY WACK (FEAT K-SOLO)
One aspect of 2Pac's “California Love” that I never really understood was the clearance of the Joe Cocker sample, which also appears on here: how was Death Row Records able to release the song to radio and MTV, but unable to actually put the song on 2Pac's album? Anyway, EPMD clearly sidestepped the entire issue with their weed carrier, K-Solo, who sounds better on here than both E and PMD combined. Or, at least ,he does until all respect for him goes out the window when he starts spelling shit (this is the infamous track in which he misspells the word “bird”). Curiously, one of his “fucks” appears on the song, but the other is censored. And his verse fades out before the song is over. Groan...

11. YOU HAD TOO MUCH TO DRINK (FEAT FRANK B.)
This track is about seven minutes and nineteen seconds too long. This public service announcement, disguised as an EPMD song, about the dangers of drinking is fucking stupid, and not only because I like to drink. I don't wish this song to be inflicted upon even my worst enemy.

12. IT WASN'T ME, IT WAS THE FAME
Erick and Parrish present precautionary tales about the perils of fame (in their own way), but the entire six-minute-plus song is derailed by the use of the David Bowie sample (if you re-read the title, you'll be able to guess which song is used, and no, it isn't “Hallo Spaceboy”), which works for David Bowie, but not for anybody else. Oh well.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Unfinished Business plays as, well, an unfinished album. I would be convinced that the disc was cobbled together using Strictly Business outtakes and Bazooka Joe chewing gum, had Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith not insisted on referencing the success of their debut on nearly every fucking track. In the case of approximately one-third the album, the songs sound like some important element is missing; another third comes off as overproduced. EPMD manage to find a happy medium with a handful of tracks, but, sadly, this disc isn't as consistently entertaining as Strictly Business (and that CD had a fucking house song on it), which makes it a surprising disappointment.

BUY OR BURN? Even with that last paragraph, though, I would recommend that you purchase this, but just barely. The great songs on here are actually enough to override the bullshit, but be forewarned: there is a lot of that on here.

BEST TRACKS: “The Big Payback”; “Strictly Snappin' Necks”; “Total Kaos”

-Max

RELATED POSTS:
EPMD - Strictly Business

EPMD - Strictly Business (1988)

EPMD released their debut album Strictly Business, on Fresh/Sleeping Bag Records in 1988. It spawned multiple hit singles and escaped from the clutches of retailers to the tune of over half a million sold. It is generally considered to be one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time, but sadly, that distinction seems to primarily come from critics and bloggers these days, as the kids these days, what with their not having respect for their elders and all, seem to have absolutely no idea who EPMD is.

If you fall into that category, my two readers, then allow me to take this opportunity to learn you something.

-EPMD is made up of Brentwood, New York resident emcee/producers Erick Sermon (if you've read this blog with any regularity, you have to have heard of him) and Parrish Smith. The group name allegedly stands for Erick & Parrish Making Dollars, but that doesn't explain why Erick only gets one letter in the group name (he alternates between the aliases E Double and the Green Eyed Bandit), while Parrish's rap name is PMD.

-They produced the entirety of Strictly Business, and are often credited with being among the first rap artists to pilfer rock and funk tracks to create their beats, which resulted in hip hop moving toward a completely different sound. Erick Sermon, especially, would parlay this ability into a long-lasting career as a producer that is still in full force today.

-EPMD created many of the classic songs that your favorite rappers cite as influences. In fact, if you just sat down and listened to Strictly Business, I guarantee you will have heard of at least four of these ten tracks if you follow hip hop at all, as they continue to receive airplay during old-school programming blocks.

-EPMD discovered Reggie Noble, which is but one of their many lasting contributions to the musical genre we know and love. To a lesser extent, they are also responsible for Das EFX, K-Solo, Hurricane G, and Keith Murray, but we shouldn't hold that against them.

-EPMD will perform at mitzvahs, both bar- and bat-, for a set fee, plus all of the bologna they can eat, which usually causes tension with the party hosts, as bologna isn't usually on the menu.

End refresher.

1. STRICTLY BUSINESS
No useless rap album intro here: Strictly Business gets straight to, um, business. Once the beat, featuring samples from Eric Clapton's "I Shot The Sheriff", kicks in, I swear to God you'll actually feel both amped and relaxed, with the knowledge that Erick and Parrish know what they're doing. I imagine this even sounded like a classic rap song back in 1988.

2. I'M HOUSING
I never cared for this track.

3. LET THE FUNK FLOW
If you hated Nas's "Nastradamus" as much as I did (and you should, because it sucks), rest assured that EPMD got to the beat first and handled it as best they could. Nice touch with the Beastie Boys sample.

4. YOU GOTS TO CHILL
This song, one of the no-bullshit classics in their catalog, was inexplicably left off of their greatest hits compilation (the one that was packaged with their last album to date, Out of Business), replaced with an inferior remix commissioned by the powers that be at Def Jam in 1997. That's a fucking shame, but I guess that was the label's sneaky way to get listeners to seek out the back catalog.

5. IT'S MY THING
Two songs that rap producers never tire of sampling are "Seven Minutes Of Funk" by Tyrone Thomas and the Whole Darn Family, and Bob James's "Nautilus". While you can clearly hear the sample from the former, I'm convinced that "Nautilus" is chopped up and inserted into every rap record ever created, so I'm sure it's here somewhere. I always enjoy hearing Erick Sermon telling off a competitor by advising him that "you ain't jack".

6. YOU'RE A CUSTOMER
Could have done without the "Fly Like An Eagle" sample, but otherwise, this song rocks. The back and forth between E and PMD is entertaining as shit, and for anyone that didn't already know, PMD's final verse on here was re-utilized as his hook contribution on Def Squad's "Countdown".

7. THE STEVE MARTIN
PMD does his best to create a new dance craze based on, of all people, my favorite author/comedian Steve Martin, and fails miserably. Not because the song is bad, mind you; in fact, it's quite good. It fails because PMD (in a tongue-in-cheek fashion) instructs dancers to act like the title character in The Jerk, which nobody would ever want to do, even if they were drunk.

8. GET OFF THE BANDWAGON
The beat fucking rocks, as it is the perfect accompaniment to Erick and Parrish's denouncing of fairweather fans. I had to play this song three times in a row, since I kept getting too caught up in the song to actually write this commentary.

9. DJ K LA BOSS
A showcase for the duo's deejay. Loved the fact that he cut some of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" into the mix, specifically samples of Vincent price's creepy-ass laughing.

10. JANE
Ah, the beginning of an era. The conceit of this track is that PMD was just about to deliver the masters of Strictly Business to the label, and Erick stops him at the door because he still needs to talk shit about a girl. I laughed out loud at how PMD doesn't even bother to try and introduce the Jane character properly, hilariously mispronouncing her name just to make the line rhyme. (Although they're dissing her because she made fun of their prowess in the sack, so I'm sure it was intentional.) A pretty good way to end your debut album.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Strictly Business is considered a classic debut album for a reason. Erick and Parrish come running out the gate as cocky-ass emcees, but with the talent that backs up their boasts. The album even still sounds good from start to finish, with the exception of "I'm Housing", which I just don't like, so sue me; whatever, nine out of ten songs rock. EPMD would go on to a fruitful career, break up, and ultimately reunite in 1997, and I'm sure I'll get to reviewing the second album approximately nineteen years from now.

BUY OR BURN: Seriously? You need to ask? Any reader of this blog that considers themselves to be a serious hip hop fan needs to buy this album. Give it a spin and reminisce about a time when hip hop was about the music, not the negative stereotypes. I realize I just asked my two readers to possibly reminisce about a time in which they didn't even yet exist, but that's your damn problem.

BEST TRACKS: All except "I'm Housing"

-Max