Post by Adam B on Jul 19, 2005 9:47:58 GMT -5
Erick Sermon Interview
Adam Bernard
Erick Sermon is one of Hip-Hop's few remaining veterans in the game. When it comes to his longevity, though, it isn't something he ever expected. "I still be shocked to this day" notes Sermon, "cuz I still have to sit home and realize dag I was able to write these rhymes this year and I was like 'I still got it.'"
To say he's still got it is a bit of an understatement. His latest album, "Chilltown, New York," is receiving rave reviews from some members of the press and more importantly to Sermon, from his peers. "Redman told me 'I don't know what's happened with you, each year you just get better.' When I made the 'Relentless' record I got a call from Fat Joe, Talib Kweli, Busta, and they were all like 'Erick you did your thing,' and that was kinda shockin cuz I never got my just due as a rapper."
Not getting his just due is something everyone asks Sermon about. He feels this is because "they know in their eyes it's true, that something's wrong when you mention Hip-Hop and Erick Sermon's name is not there." He's not as worried about it as one might think, however, as the love he gets from his peers is more than enough to keep him going.
The love he's getting from his peers now is for "Chilltown, New York," and despite his peers telling him how nice the album is the former member of EPMD is being dogged by a few bad reviews in the press, most notably the confused one put out by XXL Magazine. According to Sermon, "in this day and age when you have these young writers who don't know about music I don't expect to get a good write-up, cuz I'm not doing what they're doing. I never even look at them, I don't want them to rate me cuz I know it's the same story. I used to always get a four mic writing, or a great, but after the baggage got more there's always a hater, there's one individual who feels he don't wanna make that what it is, he or she does that, but it's messed up that the children who read it are influenced by it. Even them, their brain is transferred to what's hot or not."
Sermon feels the kids are almost being ripped off by what they hear on the radio nowadays, noting "it's sad that we're here having to hear 12 to 14 records that sound the same. The golden era of the 80's and early 90's was phenomenal. To know that when you hear Slick Rick, Rakim, De La, Tribe, Special Ed, everybody had their own identity." The green eyed bandit continued, explaining "it's a different era now, kids are gonna play what they're gonna play and hear what they want to hear," adding that to change their minds is "gonna take beatin them in the head."
One of the biggest problems facing the youth of today in terms of Hip-Hop is that the culture simply isn't being represented by the artists anymore. Sermon explains, "nobody wants to sit inside the culture of Hip-Hop and do Hip-Hop music because the chances are you might not sell, you might not get the recognition. They want to sell records and feed their families so they converted." "These people who are out right now a lot of them are just rappers. You can have a record buzzin in a certain city, get signed then blow up. You don't have to be an MC no more. It's about the gimmick the time and the moment."
All that being said, Sermon still feels there's hope for the youth of today, saying they can be saved "if somebody can come in and reprogram them. Jadakiss said the other day, Hip-Hop can change at any moment, it depends on the individual. If a record comes out and says something different the world will follow different. That's what happened with Biggie Smalls, he said Versace and the world wore Versace. Cash Money said bling bling, now it's in the dictionary."
A lot of these issues with what's going on with the culture are brought up on "Chilltown, New York," an album Sermon claims has already reached the goals he's set for it. "I want people to hear 'Relentless.' I'm cool with that, with people understandin where it's comin from and me getting the accolades from the MC's, cuz me gettin those phone calls was enough for me."
Adam Bernard
Erick Sermon is one of Hip-Hop's few remaining veterans in the game. When it comes to his longevity, though, it isn't something he ever expected. "I still be shocked to this day" notes Sermon, "cuz I still have to sit home and realize dag I was able to write these rhymes this year and I was like 'I still got it.'"
To say he's still got it is a bit of an understatement. His latest album, "Chilltown, New York," is receiving rave reviews from some members of the press and more importantly to Sermon, from his peers. "Redman told me 'I don't know what's happened with you, each year you just get better.' When I made the 'Relentless' record I got a call from Fat Joe, Talib Kweli, Busta, and they were all like 'Erick you did your thing,' and that was kinda shockin cuz I never got my just due as a rapper."
Not getting his just due is something everyone asks Sermon about. He feels this is because "they know in their eyes it's true, that something's wrong when you mention Hip-Hop and Erick Sermon's name is not there." He's not as worried about it as one might think, however, as the love he gets from his peers is more than enough to keep him going.
The love he's getting from his peers now is for "Chilltown, New York," and despite his peers telling him how nice the album is the former member of EPMD is being dogged by a few bad reviews in the press, most notably the confused one put out by XXL Magazine. According to Sermon, "in this day and age when you have these young writers who don't know about music I don't expect to get a good write-up, cuz I'm not doing what they're doing. I never even look at them, I don't want them to rate me cuz I know it's the same story. I used to always get a four mic writing, or a great, but after the baggage got more there's always a hater, there's one individual who feels he don't wanna make that what it is, he or she does that, but it's messed up that the children who read it are influenced by it. Even them, their brain is transferred to what's hot or not."
Sermon feels the kids are almost being ripped off by what they hear on the radio nowadays, noting "it's sad that we're here having to hear 12 to 14 records that sound the same. The golden era of the 80's and early 90's was phenomenal. To know that when you hear Slick Rick, Rakim, De La, Tribe, Special Ed, everybody had their own identity." The green eyed bandit continued, explaining "it's a different era now, kids are gonna play what they're gonna play and hear what they want to hear," adding that to change their minds is "gonna take beatin them in the head."
One of the biggest problems facing the youth of today in terms of Hip-Hop is that the culture simply isn't being represented by the artists anymore. Sermon explains, "nobody wants to sit inside the culture of Hip-Hop and do Hip-Hop music because the chances are you might not sell, you might not get the recognition. They want to sell records and feed their families so they converted." "These people who are out right now a lot of them are just rappers. You can have a record buzzin in a certain city, get signed then blow up. You don't have to be an MC no more. It's about the gimmick the time and the moment."
All that being said, Sermon still feels there's hope for the youth of today, saying they can be saved "if somebody can come in and reprogram them. Jadakiss said the other day, Hip-Hop can change at any moment, it depends on the individual. If a record comes out and says something different the world will follow different. That's what happened with Biggie Smalls, he said Versace and the world wore Versace. Cash Money said bling bling, now it's in the dictionary."
A lot of these issues with what's going on with the culture are brought up on "Chilltown, New York," an album Sermon claims has already reached the goals he's set for it. "I want people to hear 'Relentless.' I'm cool with that, with people understandin where it's comin from and me getting the accolades from the MC's, cuz me gettin those phone calls was enough for me."