Erick Sermon | ROC Solid w/ Memphis Bleek

Summary

ROC Solid w/ Memphis Bleek: Erick Sermon Episode

Podcast: ROC Solid
Date: December 9, 2025
Host: Memphis Bleek
Guest: Erick Sermon (of EPMD, producer, label exec, “Green Eyed Bandit”)

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Episode Overview

This episode of ROC Solid features an in-depth, wide-ranging conversation between legendary hip-hop producer/MC Erick Sermon and host Memphis Bleek. The discussion traces Sermon’s journey from Long Island and Brooklyn to hip-hop icon status, pivots through lessons on business and legacy in the industry, and explores unfiltered stories from EPMD, Def Squad, and beyond. The tone is candid, with a brotherly vibe throughout, blending laughter, insight, and moments of real vulnerability.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Names, Legacy & Industry Relevance

• Name Pronunciation: Bleek jokes about everyone calling him “Eric Sherman”, a running misconception even among hip-hop peers. Sermon laughs it off, clarifying it’s “sermon, like a church sermon” (04:08).
• Longevity in the Game: Sermon emphasizes the blessing of still being respected and working since starting his career in 1987 (04:33).

  “To be here and still be able to… what they call relevancy, you know what I’m saying?” – Erick Sermon (04:53)

• Legend vs. Opportunity: Being called a legend garners respect, but not always business opportunities:

  “They give you respect, shake your hand… but that don’t mean they want to f*** with you.” (05:03)

2. Ownership, Publishing & Generational Wealth

• Catalog Sales: Debate over older and younger artists selling catalogs—immediate paydays vs. long-term stability (06:42–13:00).
  • Bleek evokes Jay-Z's advice:

    “I called my OG Hov… And he was like, I would never [sell publishing].” – Memphis Bleek (13:02)

  • Sermon lays out the math of taxes and fleeting nature of cash windfalls:

    “If you got a million, $400,000 is not yours.” – Erick Sermon (07:52)
    “Some rich man said that if you have $20 million liquid cash, you should be okay forever.” (10:14)

  • Both agree true generational wealth lies in assets, businesses, and catalogs that outlive oneself.

    “It’ll be worth more just passing down the catalog… They can’t blow it because it come forever.” – Bleek (12:31–12:42)

• Contrast with Old Money: Sermon points to white America (Macy's, Rothschilds) mastering generational financial hand-offs (11:10).

3. Early Life, Street Stories, and Coming Up

• Brooklyn/Long Island Roots: Sermon clarifies he’s from Long Island but spent time in Pink Houses, Brooklyn (15:07).
• Wild Story – Getting Robbed in Staten Island (18:30–26:54)
  • Sermon recounts being set up and robbed (his chain and Benzi Box stolen); embarrassed, he rides home with no music.
  • He returns the next weekend with “Hawk and Dog" and lets shots fly outside a club to send a message:

    “Pop the trunk… start letting off. Whole club just shot up… we had to make a statement.” – Erick Sermon (26:19–26:51)

4. Def Jam, EPMD & The Golden Era

• True Stories of the Come-Up:
  • The reality of driving a busted Camaro to drop off demos, leading to their signing at Sleeping Bag Records (28:34).
  • Being swept onto the Run-DMC tour bus and realizing their explosion with “You Gots to Chill” (30:27).
  • Bleek: “When them records came out, bro, those was the type of records that made me say, damn, I want to do this shit.” (31:41)
• Last Out the Gate: Sermon describes benefitting from learning from established greats (MC Lyte, Rakim, KRS, etc.) before EPMD broke (34:40–36:23).
• Long Island’s Hidden Influence: Sermon lists the output (Rakim, Biz Markie, De La Soul, Busta Rhymes, Keith Murray)—all from LI (36:24).
• Image and Culture: Rappers once emulated street/fashion culture, which has since flipped:

  “Y’all looked… like drug dealers. …Before rappers came, the look was from the street.” – Erick Sermon (38:14)

5. Transition to Production & Building a Roster

• From MC/Group to Producer:
  • The EPMD breakup as a "gift and a curse” that opened new doors creatively and professionally (62:00).
  • Moved to Atlanta, worked with Dallas Austin (Rowdy Records), produced for Illegal and others, got a big Atlanta embrace (43:43–45:43).
  • Produced for a spectrum of R&B and hip-hop talent (Mary J. Blige, D’Angelo, Jodeci, etc.) (62:00–62:41).
• Mentoring & Missing Out on Big Names:
  • Sermon's roster: Redman, Keith Murray, Da Youngsta’s, Das EFX, K-Solo, Dave Hollister, and more (54:55–56:29).
  • Nearly signed Wu-Tang, Game, Luda, Rick Ross, even considered Notorious B.I.G.:

    “Rick Ross slept on my basement floor... Notorious B.I.G was brought to me at a barbershop in Brooklyn. I did not listen to him...” (57:34)

6. Producer Life & The Business of Sampling

• Stories of Sample Chasing & Beat Deals:
  • Sermon on the Just Blaze “React” beat and a $60K check (64:38).
  • Humorous gripes—he deserves $10K back from Just Blaze for the sample (65:11).
  • Sermon: “You’re not me.” (62:59)
• Producer-to-Producer Mentorship: He details passing down knowledge to Rockwilder and the DJ Twins, inspiring the next gen (63:19).
  • Bleek tries producing but admits: “I couldn’t get past the... tick on the MPC.” (62:55–63:50)

7. Generational Bridge & New Projects

• Dynamic Duos: Upcoming compilation featuring classic and modern hip-hop group collabs—Sermon details the challenge of clearing Biggie, Tupac, Nate Dogg, and others (77:18–78:59).
• Bridging Old & New: Volume 2 will feature more cross-generational pairings, pushing new artists in the spotlight (79:46–80:11).

8. Reflections, Character & Motivation

• Humble Legend: Sermon repeatedly deflects praise, referencing his mother’s selfless nature.

  “I just want people to know... I did a lot of shit for free. I gave half my money away.” (82:13)

• On Respect Over Loyalty:

  “Respect, you gotta own that… Loyalty can be faked.” – Erick Sermon (69:06)

• On Living in the Moment: Sermon admits not seeing his own legend status because he’s “living in it” (87:40).

9. Advice to the Next Generation

• Be Independent & Stay Authentic:

  “Try to own as much as you possibly can… and keep it 100 percent you… write about your own story.” (69:41–70:50)

• Handling Fame and the Hood Mentality: Honest chat on recognizing when you’re a liability or need to step back to not jeopardize the team (71:14).

10. What’s Next: Business Ventures & Community Effort

• Docuseries and Competition: “88 Fresh” documentary on Starz; “Beats and Bars” on Netflix—a national creative competition/mentorship show with Sway and Nails (88:44).
• Def Rugs: Custom rug business run by his sister, with clientele across sports and hip-hop (89:36).
• Unique Autosports: Car customization with partner Will; business expansion (90:15).
• Upcoming Boogie Nights Project: Showcasing underground/NY acts curated/produced by Sermon (91:10).
• Publishing Game Plan: Build a catalog and use new publishing as negotiable capital while holding the classic catalog (92:05–92:31).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Relevance and Opportunity:
  “Just ‘cause people call you a legend don’t mean they gonna want you at their table.” – Erick Sermon (05:03)
• On the Perils of Selling Out:
  “If you got a million, $400,000 is not yours.” – Erick Sermon (07:52)
• On Generational Wealth and Ownership:
  “Passing down the catalog… they can’t blow it because it come forever.” – Memphis Bleek (12:31)
• On The Breakup That Became a Blessing:
  “The breakup… was a gift and a curse, too, because once I broke up, I was able to become what I become.” – Erick Sermon (62:00)
• Advice for Young Artists:
  “Be independent, try to own as much as you possibly can so you can navigate… and keep it 100 percent you.” – Erick Sermon (69:41)
• On Respect:
  “Respect, you gotta own that.” – Erick Sermon (69:18)
• On Living in It:
  “You know why you can’t see it? ‘Cause you living in it.” – Memphis Bleek (87:44)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:47 – Introduction; legend status, relevance, and industry relationships
• 06:42–13:00 – The catalog debate: selling versus holding, generational wealth
• 15:07 – Sermon’s Brooklyn/Long Island roots, growing up stories
• 18:30, 26:19 – The “Benz Box” robbery and retaliation story
• 28:34 – Early EPMD/Def Jam/Run DMC tour anecdotes
• 43:43 – Move to ATL, launching solo and producer/exec career
• 54:55 – Hit Squad, roster building, missed signings (Wu-Tang, BIG, Game, Luda, Ross)
• 62:00 – Breakup as pivotal business moment/new career pathways
• 69:41 – Sermon’s advice for new artists: independence, authenticity, ownership
• 77:18–80:11 – Dynamic Duos album and philosophy
• 88:44 – TV/streaming projects (“88 Fresh”, “Beats and Bars”), Def Rugs, Unique Autosports
• 92:12–92:31 – Publishing/business game plan for artists

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Conclusion: Sermon’s Place & Spirit

Erick Sermon emerges as a living bridge—between eras, between “the street” and the business, and between artists past and present. He balances humility and bravado, dropping both wild stories and deep game on creative longevity and enterprise. The episode is a blueprint for navigating hip-hop—how to hold your ground, expand your game, survive the trauma, and “keep it 100% you.”

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For more on Erick Sermon, his new projects, and upcoming Dynamic Duos album, follow him and Memphis Bleek online, and watch for “Beats and Bars” and “88 Fresh” in 2026.

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“You want this n**** to stop ‘cause he still eating?… No, you step your game up. Get in the ring.”
– Erick Sermon (81:43)

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Transcript

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[Memphis Bleak]

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[Eric Sermon]

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[Memphis Bleak]

What up, y'? All? This your main man, Memphis Bleak, right here. Welcome to Rock Solid, a production of iHeartRadio and the Black Effect Network, in partnership with my guys over at Drink Champs.

Big whipping. Yeah, Memphis, I'm back at it. Notice the difference. Just more prone Prezi. No stones. Yeah, y', all, you already know what it is. Back with another one exclusive Rock Solid by yours truly, Memphis Bleak. And I tell you, everybody sitting on this platform in one way or another is my brother. And number two, they solid. And this man right here is a legend. One of the most part of one of the most illest rap groups in history that I was a ultra fan of growing up. And y' all have no idea. I wanted to be down with the hit squad. Let's welcome Eric Sermon to the building.

[Eric Sermon]

My G. What's up?

[Memphis Bleak]

What's up, my brother? How you doing?

[Eric Sermon]

I'm good.

[Memphis Bleak]

Before we start, you know, the whole world say eric Sherman.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah, Fat Joe. Yo, he said Sherman, but he been calling me that. I let him slide, yo. Right, right, right.

[Memphis Bleak]

I believe everybody.

[Eric Sermon]

Yes, they do. Yeah.

[Memphis Bleak]

The producer, you know, my man Cheech. And my girl Karice, who run the show. She was like, listen, Bleak, listen. You cannot call that man Sherman in his face. You have to say sir.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah, but that's how you say it, though, Bleak.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

You've been saying it like that. Say it. But I make it easy and say it's a church. Church sermon. The same way.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

So you look at the sermon that's coming from a pastor, and people get it like that. They're like, okay, now, it makes it easier. But you and Joe say sermon. It doesn't matter.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's what's up.

[Eric Sermon]

You're my family. I'm good. I mean, like, listen for.

[Memphis Bleak]

Listen.

[Eric Sermon]

Listen, Bleak. Like, when you. Anybody that wants to see me, wants to talk to me, or like even this was a show, it's the biggest blessing ever. I came in this game in November 1987, you know, so it's 2025.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's crazy. I was nine, right?

[Eric Sermon]

So to be here and still be able to. What they call relevancy, you know what I'm saying?

[Memphis Bleak]

You a legend. You relevant anytime.

[Eric Sermon]

But I understand that. But, you know, you respect it. But when people hear the Legend name, they give you respect, shake your hand the whole time. But that don't mean they want to Fuck with you. I mean, they want you to come to their office, they want to do a deal with you, they want to break bread with you. Like they looking for the. The next. But you never.

[Memphis Bleak]

But you can't say that. Cause you one of the legends that been pivoted though. You didn't just rap.

[Eric Sermon]

No, no, no.

[Memphis Bleak]

But I'm saying.

[Eric Sermon]

But luckily I'm saying that I got the relevancy because I will be like the other one of my colleagues where they're not doing the business I'm doing because people respect them, but they don't want to do business with them because what are you doing at this moment?

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right. Y. The thing you make the beats. You was the management. You put the crew together, the production. Like, come on, bro, you had a lot of different talents than just.

[Eric Sermon]

Yes.

[Memphis Bleak]

Standing on stage. So yeah, man, he was able to. You know what I'm saying? Because you gotta be able to second.

[Eric Sermon]

Job because this is what he took over to begin with. So this podcast, this right here is where the. Listen, man. Tangible goods, right?

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

You could talk about too, but something that you can actually touch.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

Do say is this right here in alcohol, nobody has lost. No, I don't give a fuck of how bad it is.

[Memphis Bleak]

I tell people all the time, one thing you never see go out of business is a liquor store.

[Eric Sermon]

Right, exactly.

[Memphis Bleak]

They always do an insurance scan. They burn it down.

[Eric Sermon]

Okay, no doubt. So this right here is where again I tell people too at this. They always ask me the question, besides me in my publishing is where I own it, so I still going to make money for however long as it's going.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, talking about that, how you feel about these guys selling their catalog?

[Eric Sermon]

I think the guys that selling their catalogs too. Memphis, you got.

You just happen to be fortunate not to be able to. But are you talking about the. The old or new?

[Memphis Bleak]

Either or.

[Eric Sermon]

Well, the new. The new guys, they know that it's a lick to get money they don't care about, you know, what's in the. In the up ahead. Yeah. About them turning 40 and whether this and that. That and this. And then all of a sudden you say if you got a couple million dollars, you know how fast is to spend a million dollars?

[Memphis Bleak]

Quick.

[Eric Sermon]

Like, like people don't look at. It's immediately quick.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

Gone, gone, gone. You know, and then, then if you ain't. If you didn't people listen, you go, you go to prison because you didn't file, not because you didn't pay, you didn't file, so now you like you ducking. That's why you get in trouble, at least file. But Uncle Sam is real. They're going to always be there. So you're going to have to take care of them immediately. So that money is not yours. So say if you got a million, $400,000 is not yours.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right. So that's in New York though.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah, New York.

[Memphis Bleak]

I mean, I'm in Florida now.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah, I'm in my.

[Memphis Bleak]

About 200 of that won't be.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah, exactly. So, right. So, so told me too, Eric. So you've been down there for two years now. Are you gonna switch your over? I'm like, eventually I might do it, but you know, I really don't like Florida. Miami, that's too tough. But anyway, Texas. That's why people went to Texas too.

[Memphis Bleak]

Texas, Nevada.

[Eric Sermon]

Right. So, so, but, but anyway, the million dollars too can go quick, quick. So then if I sell my publishing right now, I have to wait whatever amount of years for me to get.

[Memphis Bleak]

Get it back.

[Eric Sermon]

Get it back. But in the meantime, the money they gave me, maybe it might last a couple of years.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, but.

[Eric Sermon]

But now you don't get money for 10 years. But now my publishing check is not coming.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right. You know, so me personally, I would never sell it.

[Eric Sermon]

I would sell it, but. But you're fortunate not to. So you ask the question why? The reason why is the young one wants the money up front so he can do what he want to do. At the moment, the older one too needs that money because stuff done slowed down or again, things ain't the same.

[Memphis Bleak]

But I'm talking about even the guys who selling they publishing for $100 million. They cut that catalog.

[Eric Sermon]

I'm not mad. Like everything, I'm not mad.

[Memphis Bleak]

No, I would never.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah, but man, I would never. I understand it, but if you blow a hundred million dollars.

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, it's possible. We know.

[Eric Sermon]

You should look it up, yo. No, I know, but people got blueprints now. Like, what do you actually need? Mike Epps said something that was prolific. He said.

Once he stopped chasing the paper, he realized that more money would get me a bigger car and a bigger house.

Can't do nothing else. I can't. I don't know. Once I take care of my family. Because don't forget, I can put the money away from my family too. But also my life insurance and my. Whatever I got and my publishing is theirs too. But my thing was though bleed you got to go back though. 100 million. You can leave it to your children. You right, but you got 100 million. You're not. You saying you could spend it, but on what?

[Memphis Bleak]

It better be businesses because.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah, yeah, but what do you need?

[Memphis Bleak]

Who, me personally?

[Eric Sermon]

Somebody. Some rich man said that if you have 20 minutes, 20 million, liquid cash, you should be okay forever. Forever.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

So why are you saying, see me.

[Memphis Bleak]

I would never sell it because me, I leave it to my kids, and my kids can leave it to their kids. It's something that comes forever, bro.

[Eric Sermon]

I got you.

[Memphis Bleak]

I think about Michael Jackson, think about Prince. I know people like, that's generational wealth, that hundred million.

[Eric Sermon]

You know what?

[Memphis Bleak]

If you don't do the right thing with it, it won't be generational. It be right now. Convention wealth.

[Eric Sermon]

Listen, Bleak is nine years younger than me, right? Or whatever it is you say you was.

[Memphis Bleak]

I was 9. 87.

[Eric Sermon]

So nine years younger than me. So my thing, what he just said, y' all is very, very prolific.

Building wealth. How white America does is like this. If Oprah Winfrey is a billionaire, she's the only one. So there's no wealth she goes over.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

They the Rothschilds. And everybody that you see, Macy's knows us too. There is generations that the money flows down.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yes.

[Eric Sermon]

So. So, so we would never be able to contend with them because we don't have generations. So all of our billionaires, all of them, if they don't do this, then there's no generation wealth. So I understand what you mean by the pass down, but I thought the money too would give them the pass down so they can be secured, too. But you really can't trust it, especially with my five. They, you know. You know, listen, I got. You might run through that couple lambos, 30, 31.

[Memphis Bleak]

You feel me?

[Eric Sermon]

26, 24 and 20, right?

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, God bless, man.

[Eric Sermon]

So my youngest one is in third year college. And I'm like looking at them like, yeah, two of them is gonna wild out. Yeah, they gonna wild.

[Memphis Bleak]

One trip to Dubai, they ain't coming back.

[Eric Sermon]

Yo, but.

20 million, okay? Or 50 million. And here's y' all between, but, you know, 50 between. Five. You're right. Because if I gotta if that guy, right, I would have to have a hundred but for each to be 20. So you take a chance on that. Yeah, you're right, man.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah. I'm telling you, right? It'll be. It'll be worth more just passing down the catalog because each of them can get it divided equally and they can't blow it.

[Eric Sermon]

They can't blow it because it come forever.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

You know, I gotta think. I gotta think about that. But you said 100 million. I gotta think about that. That's.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's the truth. I asked. I made the call when I seen everything going on and I got offered something, right? I called my. My OG Hov. Yo, yo, what you think? Would you have. And he was like, I would never.

[Eric Sermon]

I would never.

[Memphis Bleak]

I would never.

[Eric Sermon]

I heard stories of you gonna mention the names that got 18 a while ago, you know. But you got the dream. 23 million.

That's, you know. Oh, no, no, no. My bad. I think 200 something.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

Dream. And then you have, you know, the Neos and people like that too. That did do. The number's high, though. You talking about 200.

[Memphis Bleak]

200.

[Eric Sermon]

I feel you. It's there, but, you know, you know.

[Memphis Bleak]

If somebody ready to give you 200, imagine what it's worth.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah. Because that's what I said for it.

[Memphis Bleak]

They're not giving you 200 to make 50.

[Eric Sermon]

They seeing what you already make.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yes.

[Eric Sermon]

And what you already.

[Memphis Bleak]

And they calculating that by the next 50 years.

[Eric Sermon]

I keep. I don't want to make it a race thing. But again, white America moves on the long game. That means they will wait 20 years because they know that you can't wait. They got the money to wait 20.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

The long game is.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's why I got into, like you said, tangible goods. Liquor, restaurants, real estate. Things that I can give my kids when I'm not. If anything was to happen, right? These businesses, you know, they're selling the.

[Eric Sermon]

Restaurant in the houses, right?

[Memphis Bleak]

Huh?

[Eric Sermon]

They selling the house in the restaurant. They sell.

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, they better not sell a restaurant. They better go run it. The house, flip it. Yeah. That's what the equity get built for. Flip the house. You can do what you got to do. That's. No, I don't care about that.

[Eric Sermon]

One of them. I know what dad said. Yeah, my son, but we're not listening. This restaurant can go.

[Memphis Bleak]

It's like what you said. My son, he get that bag like that, right? He Kanye West. It's gone fashion. That will be Nick.

[Eric Sermon]

You said Japan be at the Paris Runway fashion show.

[Memphis Bleak]

It'll be over, bro. But yo, let's take it. Let's. Let's take them back. Let's talk about to come up, man. Long Island. But you told me something off camera that you said you from Brooklyn, right?

[Eric Sermon]

This is what this is. I'm. I'm born and raised in Long Island. Right. But my fan was in. Was in Pink Houses. So shout out. So when. When I was 17, that's where, you know, I frequent that, you know, doing the end of high school.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yes.

[Eric Sermon]

When I knew that against school was cool, but it was okay. So again, you know, my cousins the Woodsons.

And my cousin Jamel and his two brothers, they lived there and was. Was raised in there. They moved from someplace else in Brooklyn and moved to pink Houses. So through my early career, that's where I stomped at. You know, So I went there every day. I went there. I had to ask some girls behind the building. I had some girls in the building.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

You know what I'm saying? So again, and, and, and when we was in there to the point where sometimes, you know, you. You really couldn't like really just walk up in the building, like, you know, so. So if I bring friends, it was like, nah, you got to stay in the car.

[Memphis Bleak]

You know, like you wasn't really from there.

[Eric Sermon]

But you know, not me, but I bring something. Yeah, right. Exactly.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, you wasn't. Because you had to be from a project if you wasn't certified or really from that projects. You couldn't bring no homies through that project. They was robbing them.

[Eric Sermon]

And even though we all out there, you know, a lot of niggas is home now, you know, but, but, but, but, but Draconim is from Cyprus. All these people. So. And so they all home now.

[Memphis Bleak]

Cyprus.

In the trenches.

[Eric Sermon]

So but so. And my boy Cat like all these people that was. And in the plaza was. Can do Rashawn Steve and all them. This is wonderful. This is all too. But this is Plaza, Pink Houses and Cypress. So again, three together. You have boys in some. But you. But they wasn't coming. No, you know, whatever we was.

[Memphis Bleak]

No you couldn't go through every project.

[Eric Sermon]

And then we had the diner where. Because the diner is a little bit more down. But everybody went to the diner. Yeah, but. But anyway, again that part of too not knowing that Uncle Murder was there.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, man. Shout out Uncle Murderous.

[Eric Sermon]

Because we was in the. I was doing something for power. You know, there was the episode that had came back whatever season two 50 had a bunch of artists coming through. So he wanted EPMD to do you guys chill. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So. So. So we were formed performed that night. And but he was telling 50 like yo, you know, you know, I'm from the building, you know, and. But Maino and them knew, you know, people that, you know, understood what it was. But again, I'm young, so my thought process of niggas getting busy wasn't in my thought process. Like, okay, so. So I know that most of these is killers, right? And. But it's. It's Eric.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

You know, he's the rapper.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

You know, a few of us. Three of them played basketball, so they was off limits, too. But at the end of the day, too, we all still got busy. And then when saw me busting guns in Staten island because. Because I got robbed.

[Memphis Bleak]

You let them things fly. Staten Island.

[Eric Sermon]

I had to, because I was. Because I was embarrassed.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's what do it. Embarrassment.

[Eric Sermon]

But I. I wrote this song. Like. Yeah. I was young and dumb, and I could have ended my career. You know what I'm saying? But again, I went to Staten Island. Right. Bleak.

[Memphis Bleak]

You drove over there with the Biscuit or you took.

[Eric Sermon]

No, no, no, no. Listen. What happened? Let me show you. Let me get the story going. So what happened was I met this girl already, you know, so she was in. And. And let me see. Wooten's Park Slope. I was in. It's in the record.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

No, I. I was. I was in New Brighton.

[Memphis Bleak]

New Brighton, right. So, okay.

[Eric Sermon]

It's hood over there, but I don't know that neither. Yeah, I'm looking at the girl because the. About nothing else. Don't forget me, not him. Tore down.

Clinton Hills, the sty. I was laying them chicks out.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, you was reality. He said, I ain't care about the hood. I was focusing on the chick.

[Eric Sermon]

All right? So when I went to. I'm a Sagittarius as well. So when you went. So when I went to there, I already was with the girl. So now I. I went back again. And my boy Bernard, my best friend, his father had a church in Staten island, so he was the pastor already. Because that's when I already already knew Wu Tang.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

I got a picture of me and wu Tang in 1989, before they was famous. Wow. Because Ray Corn, I was gonna sign him dolo by himself at the time.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's crazy.

[Eric Sermon]

So. But. So I went back the second time.

The. That's dead from the Force mds. It was his birthday, right. So I'm talking with him. I forgot was when it wasn't. Steve was the one that passed away. So we talking. He's like, yo, yo, I'm gonna go to the store and get me a bottle. You want a drink? I'm like, nah, I'm cool. Soon as he left, I went in the building. Now she was on the. On the first floor. So I opened the door. I was on my way upstairs already, but I heard somebody, yo, come back or I'm gonna shoot your man. I come back down the stairs. They got the gun in my man's stomach. So I walk back, you know? So now my mind, I'm angry, you know? So now I'm like, yo, this is not happening. He said, take your chain off. I had a big chain. I had some rings, you know, But I had a thousand dollars on my chest, and I had the Benzi box on me.

[Memphis Bleak]

You was too young to know about the Benzi box. You also don't know about the Benzi box.

[Eric Sermon]

The Benzi box was. You take the radio out with you. You know, you take it out and then you roll with it. Yeah, yeah, that's what we had back then. So.

So now he snatched my chain and take the Benzy box. Then he shoots in the air.

[Memphis Bleak]

Blop.

[Eric Sermon]

So when I get outside, niggas like, yo, what happened? It was too fast for them to know that happened, so they set me up. So I don't know if it was the. The force MD knew what was going on, but I was in the wrong spot. But let me tell you something, too. While I'm talking to him, I see a lady in the door. A old lady, but it looked like a mask. It looked fake, but I'm not thinking it's fake. It was him. He was already getting ready to get me, so now he got me snatched up. So my whole thing, too. I'm mad because I got to drive home with no music. That's where I'm really mad at.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

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[Advertiser/Announcer]

All.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

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[Memphis Bleak]

Mmm.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

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[Memphis Bleak]

I'm gonna let you finish. Don't tell me you shot at the foursome. Beads.

[Eric Sermon]

No, listen. No, this is all right.

[Memphis Bleak]

I just wanted to make sure.

[Eric Sermon]

So now.

Paris gets the phone call.

From his man, you know, that they rob your boy. So I said. So I lied to Parish. Like why do you rob me? I was embarrassed. Yeah, you know, epmd, you know, don't get close. You might get shot, you know? Yeah, this is all the Persona of it.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, but it can happen.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah, I know. But listen, I got caught slipping. So now in my embarrassment, I go to Fort Greene I go get Hawk and Dog.

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, you went to the trenches. You was in the Wrenches.

[Eric Sermon]

So Hawk and Dog, niggas know them. You saw them in Cane. No. Hastert video, these niggas, it got busy. Yeah, right. And people know them too. So my cousin went to go get my cousin Jamel went and picked up Hawk and Dog. We rode back to. To Staten island that Saturday. Another a weekend. So we went to a random club, but it was Staten Island.

[Memphis Bleak]

We didn't care.

[Eric Sermon]

So we just walked in. Just to be walking in, looking around, isn't that, that and this, whatever, such and such. And then when the club let out.

Pulled the bins up. I was in my own car.

Popped the trunk, underneath the tire, start letting off. Whole club just shot up. The club just shutting up the outside, whatever, whoever's outside was that and that such and such. Because we had to make a statement. We could have hit somebody. Luckily, we didn't. We got all the way from Staten island back across the bridge in Brooklyn and nobody knew. There was no cops, no nothing like this and that, that and this. But it got back that Eric came. Came here with three niggas and shot up and shot this place up, man.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's crazy. You was putting in that work, huh?

[Eric Sermon]

Because this is what I had to do. Even though it was dumb and stupid.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

But again, I was embarrassed. I was embarrassed cause Paris knew. And then I was embarrassed because I got robbed. And then of course, me being me, you know, he's a young kid, but that's how.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, bro, I've been in this situation. It happens. There's always a girl. There's always a h. Hood you not from and you blind. After it happened to me. That's why I wrote the song. It's one rule. Never get caught slipping.

[Eric Sermon]

I never thought never happened. Because then I judge a book by its cover. I'm in state now, don't forget. It's not brooking. It's not Queens, it's not Bronx. It's not. This is Staten Island. So I. I judge the book by his cover. Knowing Rakim just said too. It ain't where you from, it's where you at. Is that so? I didn't even put that together.

[Memphis Bleak]

Get it twisted and think Staten island is.

[Eric Sermon]

I know that now.

[Memphis Bleak]

Like, now they had some of the craziest niggas they couldn't come across.

[Eric Sermon]

The way they looked at. The way they looked at Long island, how the boroughs looked at us as being. Being like that. That's what I took too. I. I I. I took it for granted where I was at. Outside jewelry money, boom, boom. Outside talking regular. And this nigga was hungry.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah. Hell, yeah. That's how it go, bro. Damn. That's crazy. That was an ill story, man. I know you let that thing fly.

[Eric Sermon]

There's a few that I. That I ain't gonna mention no names.

[Memphis Bleak]

But chill. We ain't gonna get into that, man. Let's go. Let's take it back. Because epmd, y' all was like, what? Now, I ain't gonna say the first group because you had Beastie Boys, but Job did y' all thing. Y' all was like a major impact on Def Jam. What was that like when y' all first got.

[Eric Sermon]

Well, the crazy is the fact that we got signed again. The demo record's the true record. We drilled a 68 Camaro that Paris had where we had stripped the little top off, had it painted, fixed the engine, put rims on the whole nine, and we drove it. And the car did conk out, you know, the way the story says. So. It did happen that way. But we went to labels back then. You would look at the album covers, and the address would be on there. So we went to three of them. And then the third one we went to was Sleeping Bag Records, Fresh Records. And. And they. And they called us back and said, yo, we want to sign y'. All. But after that, you know, Rush management had every group.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

So everybody was on Rush. Don't matter.

There's a picture with all Rush groups out there. Rakim, Kane, Run dmc, Bis, every Beastie. Everybody was on the one block, Elizabeth. Elizabeth Street. And we all out there. That was the one by Cars.

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, no, no. I ain't never seen.

[Eric Sermon]

It's a short block, Elizabeth Street. So we out there.

[Memphis Bleak]

I never seen that one with the cars.

[Eric Sermon]

So it's out there. I don't know. I. I only saw it once, but it's crazy. But Run DMC was getting ready to go on tour. One called Russell said, listen.

Go get them, boys. Because they saw how fast we was blowing the pause, you know, as far as we. It was like, soon as. As soon as soon as it's my thing and you a customer drop, it was over. And then the album dropped. You got to chill. It was over. So. So Run DMC knew the same way that when Drake came out. How Kanye West. Like, I shoot the video. Yeah, your competition's coming.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

Run DMC knew that this was the end of an era coming, probably for them, because Rakim Changed the game. And then. Oh, so who's these new dudes from Long island that we.

[Memphis Bleak]

I.

[Eric Sermon]

We patterned our whole self around them, Right? So then. So our labor didn't have enough money for us to have a tour bus. So we rode on Run DMC's bus.

[Memphis Bleak]

Damn.

[Eric Sermon]

Can you imagine being a kid? Don't forget, me and Paris drove that car not only to go get a deal, we wanted to go pick up suck MCs from a record store called Rock and Soul. Because we didn't have no store Alone island that had that. So we went to Manhattan to pick up the Run DMC Suck MC single. It's like that on the other side. So imagine you getting the call. And now the whole tour. Epmd, Jerry Jeffrey and Fresh Prince, Public Enemy and apmd. So it's four of us. And sometimes it would be Stetsonic. So we all on 1988 called the Runhouse Tour. But I'm on run DMC's bus.

[Memphis Bleak]

Y' all didn't even have your own bus?

[Eric Sermon]

No, I was too young for that. And I don't even have the money for that. But then on the tour, Fresh Prince says, we want to stop and tell y' all congratulate EPMD for number one album in the country. True. So we are. Don't forget, we on tour with the biggest groups in the world. Yeah, but we number uno. You know, epmds exploded. Hell yeah, man. So all them records, you guys to chill, check out my demo.

[Memphis Bleak]

Like when them records came out, bro, those was the type of records that made me say, damn, I want to.

[Eric Sermon]

Do this shit right. Cause the first I keep it 100 after the first Strictly Business album was made. We go back in bleak. We got the jinx. Nothing's happening, couldn't make nothing was working. Luckily I was in Europe and I heard Groove Me and the guy played this song called by, by, by, by Soul and Soul called Fair Play. So when nothing was going sur. Let me look at that record I bought back. I bought that back running and it made it nice. No, whatever made it back. So what you're saying.

[Memphis Bleak]

Me and Beans. Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

Blessed. Yeah, appreciate y'.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

All.

[Eric Sermon]

Oh, no, yo, yo, ho, listen, I want my thousand dollars back. Yo, I didn't know that. That what I did was. I know he didn't mean to mean to play me but I wouldn't have been mad. But he said, yo, I'm gonna bet you $1,000 that say so amazing. I've been waiting. I said, yo, they ain't gonna sing it. You Know what I'm saying? Because we in the A crowd, which I figured is young.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

No, just like music is out there. So that's cool. It's 2001, so after y' all get on and we come on and do what you're saying part, and the part comes up, the whole Nassau Coliseum sings the part, right? So he take my thousand dollars. I know you saw it. And then throw it in the audience.

It's on YouTube. Bleak.

[Memphis Bleak]

No way.

[Eric Sermon]

So you don't remember that. So you never knew. Okay. We made a bet that that night.

[Memphis Bleak]

That they were going to say.

[Eric Sermon]

So when you look at the thousand dollars that he threw, that was my thousand. I bet him.

[Memphis Bleak]

He's a bastard. Always take somebody money and give it away.

[Eric Sermon]

So. So on YouTube, I watch all the time, he threw it in the audience, you know, whatever. So again. But going back, because I'm going back to that. We had a. A little bit of. It was going to be like a sophomore jinx. I'm like, damn, this is going to be so. So then demo start cutting. The things came after, but in the beginning, nothing was working. But luckily I bought that record back from Europe.

[Memphis Bleak]

Damn, that's crazy, man. That record. Did y' all know, like, of course. It's like me asking myself the same question, but. But I have to ask you, did you even think that y' all was making something as timeless as you did?

[Eric Sermon]

Nah. But we knew that. We knew what we wanted to hear, and we knew that it sounded dope to us. Don't forget, nobody knows Bleak what you're doing until you send it to them.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

Until they hear it. So you have to with it first.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yes.

[Eric Sermon]

So if you. If we like it, then we going with it. You know, the label don't know. No, they. Okay. And what we. What we bring it to them. Because there wasn't no Leo. Like, that's not good. This is whack. This is whack.

[Advertiser/Announcer]

Oh, yes.

[Eric Sermon]

You know, so they wasn't likely or most labels, you know, so. So they. They. They brung what you. What you bring them. And they were like, yeah. So one thing about us, EPMD was the last group to come out in that time. So I was able to hear MC Light, Chaos 1, Rakim, Bismarcky, Kane, all these people. I was able to hear first. Shan. They was also. Now if I'm looking back and we like this, we can't be whack. I got all to look at.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

So. So now we got my mentor, Two Towns Away, which is Rakim. So this is Wyandanch. Then in between this Deer park and then they were getting a couple. Then there's Brentwood. So that's what made me really go. Because once I heard Rakim, my DJ diamond was like, listen, it's a named Rock Wind. That came out. His name was Rock Wind. So he's like, yo, some gun named Rock when came out, he rhymed slow like you do Because I had a. With a lisp so I'm rhyming slow so when I heard Turn to Bass Check out my melody and Nas the God I'm letting knowledge be born and my name's the R AKA So now I'm like, yo, Knick knack patty whack, give a dog a bone Yo, I'm rhyming like this too. So I'm like, yo, we can make it.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

Because he's. I came in the door, I said it before, I never saw. So we like MCs out there. You better stand clear. EPMD is the world. So we knew. So we knew that, okay, that we can make it. Because he's also from Long Island. Even though we publicly became Biz, Marquis came. This is all Long Island.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, man.

[Eric Sermon]

So, so, so strong out.

[Memphis Bleak]

So, you know what I'm saying?

[Eric Sermon]

Because if you take Long island out the map, it's a problem, you know, the day lives the. You know, the. The Bust of Arms crew, you know. So it was a bunch of people that, you know, the Keith Murray's and K souls the whole night at that point.

[Memphis Bleak]

Like my G, they call our era the golden era. I ain't going to discredit it, but yeah, era, bro, that's the golden era.

[Eric Sermon]

Too many rappers.

[Memphis Bleak]

Rappers, you was just too many. Like, y' all paved the way for guys like us to pave the way for the other guys.

[Eric Sermon]

You gotta understand, man, without y', all.

[Memphis Bleak]

It wouldn't be no us, bro.

[Eric Sermon]

This is Special Ed. This is Coogee Rap. This is nwa. This is. Again, they said light. This is hammer, this is 40. Or this is something about. On that side. There was too many people that came in the late 80s. And then 88, it was everything. Everything that sparked what you hearing and seeing came from that year and that era. Mostly that year. 88.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right. Period.

[Eric Sermon]

The drugs was crazy crackers. 88.

This year was the Dapper Dang Gold. Fronts was ridiculous. Mike Tyson at the Uptown, at the Beverly, the clubs. All this is 88 was.

[Memphis Bleak]

Was the year.

[Eric Sermon]

I don't give a What talking about? You said the 90s they missing, but the golden era to me, not because I was there.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yes, it was, man. I agree, bro. Cause I was a shorty trying to imitate, emulate everybody y' all were doing, man. Like, yeah, with the chains, the cars. You get your album cover and be the last.

[Eric Sermon]

Yo, hold on.

[Memphis Bleak]

These ain't sitting on top of the band.

[Eric Sermon]

Listen, this is what they said, too. Somebody from Detroit said, we thought y' all was drug dealers. Yo, so, so? So, so you Rakim and Eric B. Of course, when they come with, remember.

[Memphis Bleak]

They got the big change.

[Eric Sermon]

The Dapper Dan. Isn't that Gucci joints on? Yeah, me and Paris on the call with the jewelry on, too. And I'm like, what do you mean? Say, yo, we y' all look. Because that's what we. It was before rappers came. The look was from the street.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yes. So now it reversed, like, you know what I mean? The streets emulate what the rappers is doing now. But back in the day, the rappers imitated with the streets, the drugs.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah, that was the way.

[Memphis Bleak]

That was the swag.

[Eric Sermon]

That was it.

[Memphis Bleak]

That was the swag of.

[Eric Sermon]

Yo, they got mad when hip hop came. We took their girls and we took their hype.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, that you right. I ain't never think about it like that. You right. Y'. All. Y' all were on TV all day. Yeah, Girls chilling on the block. Like, I'm with you every day. But homie just was on my. On the box.

[Eric Sermon]

On the box.

[Memphis Bleak]

I gotta check him. Yeah, Remember this was the days when you had to call and order that video on your phone bill.

[Eric Sermon]

I remember all that. I remember.

Pulling over for that. For that phone.

On the street.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, the telephone booth.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah, with the quarters like, yo, calling, questions. Yeah, I'm talking about calling, period.

He was my way about that.

[Memphis Bleak]

No, we used to.

[Eric Sermon]

We used to pull to the phone booth.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

And make a call.

[Memphis Bleak]

Phones. Yeah, you're right.

[Eric Sermon]

Cell phone came. Lawyer.

[Memphis Bleak]

Think you had to call your lawyer. You had to pull over to the store.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah, you know.

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, that's crazy.

[Eric Sermon]

You know how much the brick phone was? Yo, the brick alone and then the foam. Yo, we had two thousand dollar phone bills on the regular in the nineties. Yeah, on. On the. On the regular. Like we.

[Memphis Bleak]

Until Biggie said. Phone bill. About two GS flat.

[Eric Sermon]

Until somebody, my man, was getting the burners. Yeah, back then. And getting the burners and then fixing the phones. You was lit. You paid like 700 for it.

[Memphis Bleak]

And it was on till you lost.

[Eric Sermon]

It on till you lost it?

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, the phone was on till you lost it.

[Eric Sermon]

Until then though, boogie, we had two thousand dollar phone bills, 2500, three grand all the time.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's insane.

[Eric Sermon]

Every month. That's insane to have a cell phone.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, you ain't. What made you transfer from. Cause y' all dominated, of course, Major mark on the hip hop rap scene. But then you just became like the illest producer. Like what, what was that?

[Eric Sermon]

Well, after the group broke up and I was, I was, I was, I was released from the handcuffs, I went to Atlanta, right? Just because I was like, you know, even though I knew that, okay, you can't leave.

So they was going to come and get me anyway, but I wasn't going to sit there and let them come and get me.

[Memphis Bleak]

Who.

[Eric Sermon]

Because they had the three signed statements on me.

[Memphis Bleak]

Who? So just riding on you?

[Eric Sermon]

No, the thing that went down with epmd, the breakup to happening to begin with.

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, okay, okay, okay. I was a little lost. Like, wait, who coming to get you?

[Eric Sermon]

Right? So, so, so. But that's all on the, on the. You. It's on YouTube.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, I know the story.

[Eric Sermon]

But again, I wasn't gonna let them just sit there knowing they got three signed statements. That means they can railroad me too, you know, Even though I know that again, you know, somebody had just made a whole thing up. Such and such, but will believe it, you know, so it end up being not true. So anyway, I went to Atlanta. So when I went to Georgia, I had went to Georgia earlier and met some girl, right? So, so, so, so, so. And then I met the, the niggas who I did the rim shot with.

[Memphis Bleak]

Okay.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah, yeah, from Detroit, so Greg and them. So I met him. So I knew I had a place to go to, so I chilled there. Next thing you know.

Puff called first for the who's the man soundtrack. And I made my first single, Hitting switches, right?

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, shit. That was. Damn. I didn't even know that.

[Eric Sermon]

It's crazy. I made hitting switches and then when I shot the video, it was Puffy and Hype Williams, they first shit. That's when I tell that Biggie, everywhere I was shooting, Biggie was next to me. Everywhere I went, he. He was again. Because Boogie had. He had told Tracy, wapos keep me on the Eric Sermon album, right? But I already had my own crew. Reggie. Yeah, the Dodge Keeper.

[Memphis Bleak]

I'm gonna get into that.

[Eric Sermon]

I already had rappers. Yeah, but, but Biggie told Tracy, please get me on that album, you know, so. But it didn't happen. But anyway.

That'S when Elena was. They kind of opened up to me. When the record come on, be like Atlanta's own Eric Sermon. I'm like, what? The next thing you know, their paper is called the Constitution. I'm on the front page. Eric Sermon moves to Atlanta. Wow. And I'm like, yo, what's going on? So they embraced me so that when I got there, I met Dallas Austin. And Dallas had gave me one of his rooms out the blue, just as being a fan. He said, yo, I got this called Rowdy Records. I got these groups, Shay Zalingo and Illegal. Can you produce them for me?

[Memphis Bleak]

Remember Illegal?

[Eric Sermon]

So. So I'm like, okay, whatever. Lil Jamal Malik was bad. They're 14. I'm talking bad kids, though. They was good rappers, but he was bad kids.

[Memphis Bleak]

Come on, bro. It was that era. It was the early 90s.

[Eric Sermon]

So. So. So they live with Lisa Lopez. God bless the dead.

[Memphis Bleak]

No way.

[Eric Sermon]

Right? So.

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, them. So the day.

[Eric Sermon]

So Lisa had took them. So they were like, yo, Uncle E, you coming over? So that's when I was with Lisa for a little bit.

[Memphis Bleak]

I always thought E Legal was signed to the Hit Squad.

[Eric Sermon]

No, they were signed to Rowdy.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's crazy.

[Eric Sermon]

I always thought they were. So now. So now I'm over there as Uncle E. So now it's me, Jamal, Malik and Lisa living in the hotel. Right. Don't forget, I just got there. I don't have shit. Yeah. You know what I'm saying?

[Memphis Bleak]

That's crazy.

[Eric Sermon]

So I'm in a hotel, too. Just a. In that hotel. But once Lisa let me come through, then I'm staying there. Yeah. But. But I end up doing. Lil Zane had a group, too. Got the name of their group, too. So. So I. I did all the rap that was on Rowdy because I. Dallas looked out for me, so everything she. And next thing you know, I got a call from Shaq, too. So I was getting my money up. Who's the man was on the same 500. Shaq, I thought was going to be a big check. I jive $7,500. I did four records on there. Right. And I wrote and I did Outstanding. Was in the. Going platinum. Then I did Malik and Jamoy Legal. They end up winning the Billboard Award for a week. Is busy.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

So. So again, so all this stuff was going on, and that's how my ship went like that. I had to start doing Everybody. So anybody didn't rap, that was crazy. I was already doing Redman. But then the How High thing came around when I went Back to New York to go visit. So in the studio, then made How High? And after that, then Reggie's Muddy Waters was time to come. So I ended up doing that.

[Memphis Bleak]

So.

[Eric Sermon]

So. So this is.

[Memphis Bleak]

We not going to skip over Redman, like, he just a regular artist. I signed. Yeah. My man from the block, Redman. You just keep going.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleak]

Red, Reggie, Red. Y' all changed the game with Red, man. Bro, like, rappers. Wasn't you really using that funk doc like that, bro? Y' all brought that new sound. And then, bro, Reggie was. I ain't gonna lie, man. To me, before Jay was Red, he was the illest rapper I ever heard when I was a kid.

[Eric Sermon]

Okay, I'm glad we sawing this right now.

[Memphis Bleak]

Word up. I tell you, no lie. That man was the oldest dude I ever heard when I was a kid.

[Eric Sermon]

It was another rumor. But I think that Jay would say, because it's not nothing bad.

Jay, at one time, I think we asked to do a record, and he was like, I respect him too much to rock with him, you know? And we was at a Vegas fight in Vegas, too. Don't forget. I'm over here with this chick named Nicky.

[Memphis Bleak]

You always got the chicks, man.

[Eric Sermon]

And it was. It was Floyd May with his baby mother's friends, right? So Dame is over here, too. And Dame is saying, yo, Jay, what album we got in the cars? He says, oh, we got Redman in the car. Yeah, yo, I'm telling you, yo, yo. And I'm like. I was bugging out. Cause I'm like, yo, that's what y' all playing said, yo, yo, we playing Redmond playing Reggie in the car.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, I'm gonna tell you a story, right? It's ill. Cause you signed some of the illest people, man. From Redman, then Keith Murray, the most beautifulest thing in the world, man. You was. Y' all with the Hit Squad was special, man. You hear me?

[Eric Sermon]

That.

[Memphis Bleak]

What was this? The song the Headbangers? Yeah, man. I wrote a verse to that as a shorty. Just imagine that I was in that crew.

[Eric Sermon]

Wow.

[Memphis Bleak]

Trust me, bro. That's one of my favorite beats. I still say to this day how nobody never sampled that.

Whoa.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

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[Memphis Bleak]

Mmm. Yeah.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

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[Eric Sermon]

I made Headbands for Ice Cube.

[Memphis Bleak]

No way.

[Eric Sermon]

I never got it to him. I wasn't even making it for us. That was the last song that EPMD recorded for the fourth album before the breakout.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, bro, I'm telling you, I changed the game. But listen, right? I'm hearing every. I'm hearing everybody.

[Eric Sermon]

Keith Murray, right?

[Memphis Bleak]

Listening to all the music. Mind you, I'm a fan of everybody. They used to have this event called the Gavin.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah, yeah. What?

[Memphis Bleak]

Right?

[Eric Sermon]

So I'm like Jack the Rapper and Gavin.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, remember, I was 14 years old. I'm not even supposed to be there.

[Eric Sermon]

How you get out there anyway?

[Memphis Bleak]

Jay. Okay, Jay, this is when. This is before. Ain't no. None of that. This was.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah, this was 95, 94.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, this dead presence.

[Eric Sermon]

Okay, so it's a 96.

[Memphis Bleak]

No, this. Remember the album came out 96. Dead presence, I believe came out the end of 94. Beginning of 95. 94. Yes. Yeah. I'm telling you, end of 94. Beginning.

[Eric Sermon]

I was out there for a whole year before y' all got. Before Will Sokoloff did that. Cause you know Will Sokoloff is steaming back records. That's where I come from.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Oh.

[Memphis Bleak]

I ain't know. I don't know who put the event together. But I'm gonna tell you how I met Keith Murray.

[Eric Sermon]

Okay?

[Memphis Bleak]

Right. So I'm listening to y', all, right? We going to 14, 15 years old, going to New Orleans. We deep. We on the plane, we land, we wait, we in baggage claim. We get in our bags, and then they go Keith Murray in them. So then all I see is Dame. Yo, hold my jury. J ain't taking off they jewelry.

[Eric Sermon]

Oh, no. Because they had a situation.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah. N start fighting. So now I'm standing there like, yo, niggas got beef with Keith Murray. I thought this the most beautiful thing in the world.

[Eric Sermon]

You know, Zori.

[Memphis Bleak]

No, so listen.

[Eric Sermon]

Wait, I gotta give you that first so you can see what happened. Cause this is crazy. I didn't hear about that part. Yeah, Murray was going to some type of restaurant where Damon was going to, too. Murray saw some girl come by. So Murray is in the Lex. He hits Dame's car.

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh.

[Eric Sermon]

So now they end up going to some type of brunch, a luncheon. So they both in the same spot. So Dame is like, yo, dig a homie right there.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

This is not that. And this. So all of a sudden.

Murray hit Dame over the head with the bottle.

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, wow.

[Eric Sermon]

In the club.

[Memphis Bleak]

No way. Yes, I. I knew. I heard that. Incident. But I ain't never know where it happened.

[Eric Sermon]

So what you saying? I don't know about that part. I know what happened with that.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, bro. In New Orleans, fresh off the plane. On site now, mind you, I never met Keith Murray. Now it's my first time on the plane leaving the projects. So I'm like, oh, this is how it is. When you get off the plane, it's just like the projects. Yo, I swear to God, the was rumbling in the airport.

[Eric Sermon]

I never heard that.

[Memphis Bleak]

I swear, bro. That's my first time.

[Eric Sermon]

I never heard that. Keith Murray. Yeah, but that's like. But that's where it came from.

[Memphis Bleak]

I know that's what it started from. He hit his car. But I was bugging. Like, when the. We got beef with Keith Murray.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah, but who didn't?

[Memphis Bleak]

But nah, but y', all, man, the Hit Squad, what was that like, man? Cause you said Illegal in them was bad. Now you said Keith Murphy.

[Eric Sermon]

Well, well, well. See, Murray and. And. And illegal came after the breakup. So the hit squad is epmd, Dos, Effects, K. Solo when they Solo. Yo, so. So you had.

Over there Dodge Effects, too.

So Solo was unique because of the spelling. And like, Nas is one of his favorite rappers. Cause Solo said he was. He was doing some shit like it wasn't me. The rhyme did it. So we never heard nobody speak in third person and had the rhyme as a character doing damage. So he had the rhyme as one of his boys, you know, when he started. So Nas would always speak about. I was a fugitive before Solo. Stories to end the technique and what he was doing. And Dos Effects with the wicked D. Wow. You know, so this is. And then Redman. So all my MCs were. Had styles.

[Memphis Bleak]

Wait up. Dodge Effects was under you too.

[Eric Sermon]

It's his squad.

[Memphis Bleak]

I told you his part, I didn't know yet. Yo, that's how you know I didn't know.

Yeah, but I'm just thinking that's Feature Symphony or something. I didn't pay attention to labels.

[Eric Sermon]

Everybody that signed to me, Reggie, Dodge Effects and Solo.

[Memphis Bleak]

Nah, man, you got to be credited. One of the greatest is in hip hop, bro.

[Eric Sermon]

That's why you hear my voice. They want effects, some live effects. Snap a neck for some live effects. That's me.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, changed the game, too.

[Eric Sermon]

So they did. They did something for EPMD in the squad that was dope because they went platinum. So they opened up another lane that we didn't have. So when crossover came, boom, gone. You know, gold album. Isn't that that in this platinum hours Whatever. They open stuff up because they. I mean, they were Spring break. They was.

[Advertiser/Announcer]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

Every little white kids. They was just everywhere.

[Memphis Bleak]

Everywhere.

[Eric Sermon]

So. So that was. But. But the Death Squad is where Keith Murray and the leader came.

[Memphis Bleak]

Squad and. Yes. You right. You right. Yo, y'. All. Yo, bro. Legendary shit, my G. They gotta put you on the top with the legendary CEOs of the game. Cause you a pioneer of some of these. Probably wouldn't be no P. No. No cash money. None of these type of CEOs. You one of the first. Like, think about it. You give. Who else? Michael Bivens was signing that too.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleak]

You know what I'm saying?

[Eric Sermon]

That's my boy.

[Memphis Bleak]

You like. It wasn't really Russell Simmons, of course. They were signing everybody. But it wasn't artists.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleak]

Signing.

[Eric Sermon]

Yes, I know. Because. Because don't forget was. Don't forget I had Dave Hollister, too. That's Steph Squad.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Damn.

[Eric Sermon]

So. So you got the whole moniker. Dave Halster, Alfonso Hunter, all these people. That, too, was under my Monica. And I had other people that was coming. Don't forget. I could have signed Game. I could have signed Luda. I could have signed Wu Tang. I could have signed Rick Ross. These niggas was all with me. 50 Cent was on. All these people was people that came to me and I produced. Don't Forget Rick Ross slept on my basement floor. And then you got people like Hitmaker who live for me for six months. He's one of the biggest songwriters in the world. But all these. You can have some people that talk about some people. But when you watch the Wu Tang's series. That's why my name and stuff and me appeal all through it. Because again, I was gonna sign. And Raekwon speaks about this. Yeah, I was gonna sign with Eric. The Game talks about this. Yeah, I was gonna sign with Eric. Don't Forget the Notorious B.I.G was bought to me at a barbershop in Brooklyn. I did not listen to him. You LI Yo, I don't got no cat with me.

[Memphis Bleak]

B.

[Eric Sermon]

Ever lying.

[Memphis Bleak]

You ain't listening. Yo, BIG album was circulating Brooklyn streets before it came out. He went platinum before Ready to Die.

[Eric Sermon]

There was no. He wasn't nowhere near being looked at. He was still with C. In the basement. Yeah, but the barber, too. That knew some. That knew somebody who knew him. Yo, Eric's here. Bring Biggie through. And I was like, get my hair cut. Do with me. I'm about to. Wherever you.

[Memphis Bleak]

You look at, you going to get with the chick.

[Eric Sermon]

Exactly.

[Memphis Bleak]

Damn, man. B. I Got dubbed cause of a chicken. She had that.

[Eric Sermon]

No, I don't even know.

[Memphis Bleak]

She had the wap before the party.

[Eric Sermon]

I don't know if that was on my mind at the time, but I was already me. Had bread the whole night. And I don't forget, you was on that rapper shit. But I had my own rappers.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, so you wasn't really you like, I'm good. I don't know.

[Eric Sermon]

But so. And that's. And then.

Yo, there's one person that didn't make it that you probably never heard of, but go back and listen to him. Jam Master J bought me this kid named Joe Sinister.

[Memphis Bleak]

I remember I heard of him. No, I heard of Joe Sinister. He was nice. He was nice.

[Eric Sermon]

Joe Sinister, he came in with Onyx and Redman, said, eric, listen, I know I'm me, but there's some with Onyx with a backpack on. This is dangerous.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, he was nice.

[Eric Sermon]

Metaphorically.

Yo, he on my solo album, too. That's why I couldn't even look at the biggie, because now I got my uncle. And then I got this Joe Sinister guy on my album, too, because Jay came to the studio with him and we happened to make a record. I like it. And I'm like, you know what? I'mma keep it. Because I'm hearing metaphors that Reggie didn't do yet. And if Reggie brought them to me.

[Memphis Bleak]

That mean he was nice.

[Eric Sermon]

What you gonna mean? This is Reggie.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

He said, eric, I ain't gonna. It's a. With homeboy. I'm like.

On the block with Christine, spitting the green pea soup. I cock nines smoking Nick, Nick, Nick with the Lodians. I'm like Snake. Yo, he. He was so far out there, he said, I'm gonna shoot you in the head. The bullet is in there paying rent in the brain as a vacancy like a fuck. It's not. I can't rhyme it, but the way that he put it together. Suck my dick. This for explicit. What? Like he was way ahead of time. Way ahead of his time.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah. So I know some guys like that from the prick from the projects that never. Never got a shot. Never got a shot of their time, man. Crazy. What you think? What. What would you say?

[Eric Sermon]

I had cannabis, too. He was deaf Squad, too.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, how y' all let him get in that drama then, man?

[Advertiser/Announcer]

He.

[Eric Sermon]

He was. He. He left and got. Went to Wyclef.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's what I'm about to say. Yeah, Wyclef gave him that old move.

[Eric Sermon]

You gotta give him that Money.

[Memphis Bleak]

Give him that money, they let ll get that boy that work.

[Eric Sermon]

But. But if you listen to the beginning of his stuff on the radio, he's like. He says, death Squad. And then he goes to rhyme.

[Memphis Bleak]

Had him cannabis was a fucking assassin.

[Eric Sermon]

He was a problem.

[Memphis Bleak]

Are you kidding me?

[Eric Sermon]

He was a problem. And again, you gotta listen, man. LL don't give a who it is. Yeah, don't forget, Lo was like Foxy Brown on the record Conquer the World. Iced tea hammers and iced cheese girls. Still he don't care. Yeah, female rappers, too. Yeah, I don't give a boo. Yo, we on rampage.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah. No, I was giving everybody that smoke.

[Eric Sermon]

No, you missing it. He on our record saying, you and your squad gonna face the real God, the undertaker. This is us.

[Memphis Bleak]

And he coming at y' all neck on your record.

[Eric Sermon]

On the record. Same record.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, I was.

[Eric Sermon]

But then he said, on the break of dawn, give me that microphone. I'm gonna show you the real meaning of the dangers.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, you know. L was a problem.

[Eric Sermon]

He didn't. And I don't know, that was just his instinct. But that's just how he was battling number one.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's period. Anybody get that shit.

[Eric Sermon]

Anybody can get it. Friends or not.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right. You want to feature. I'm at your neck, man. But like I said, where would you say your best business decision has been?

[Eric Sermon]

Out your career again. It's a catch 22, because the breakup, you know, I think that if that didn't happen, I would have been. I would have been inside of a system where I just made beats for my crew. The breakup was a gift and a curse, too, because once I broke up, I was able to become what I become. Don't forget, man, I produce almost all the rap in half of R B. People don't look at my R B and look at d', Angelo, Chico, Da Barge, In Vogue, Mary Jodeci, Angie Stone, you know, this is the piece Black Street. Keep sweat. I can keep going on R and B. Brownstone, this is what you can. Everybody that you're looking at before they see me as hip hop. But I did this, too.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's why. At a high clip, pivoting crazy. Like, yeah, your production bag is insane. That's why I told you, like, you a legend in both atmospheres of the game, rapping and production. And it's insane. Not everybody can do that, right?

[Eric Sermon]

Oh, no, I'm a floss. Right now. You're not me.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, I tried. Blaze bought all the equipment for me, the beat machine guru. And just Blaze was in my house setting up everything because I'm like, yo, I'm gonna learn how to make beats, right? I got this, bro. I couldn't get past the. The. The tick on the mpc, the that. You make the drum pad, too. I was off.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah. Again. Go back to that. Like, this is my crew, too. DJ Twins and Rock Waller at the time.

[Memphis Bleak]

Shout out the Twins. They gave me one of my biggest records.

[Eric Sermon]

And Twins, too. They learned because they watched. So my right is watching Rockwilder.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

And watching and Twin. Say it all the time. Eric, if it wasn't for you, we wouldn't know none of this.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's crazy. Yeah. No, I couldn't. I tried. I knew production and producing. That's a whole.

[Eric Sermon]

So you tried it?

[Memphis Bleak]

I tried, yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

So you said you.

[Memphis Bleak]

You hit one button bleep, and couldn't do it. Y' all producers, to me, are insane because you can just listen, it's quiet. And y' all could be like, yo, you hear that? No, hear what?

[Eric Sermon]

Hear what?

[Memphis Bleak]

And then they could go to the beat machine that like, yo, what the fuck did you just hear? So, yeah, it's not for me.

[Eric Sermon]

No. Just when I was down at one of, like, again, sometimes you get the low. It was Kanye west for me.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

No, Kanye west.

The album. I'm like, man, Lauryn Hill 2 also woke me up because of her drums, though, too.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, no, Kanye. Him and Just Blaze, to me, were the two illest samplers. Like, they will sample a record and. And flip it where you wouldn't even know because.

[Eric Sermon]

Let's play. I need to get some of that money back. Okay, so that react beat was out. Freddie Meth had it. I heard Jermaine Dupree had it. Whatever. And Dame got mad afterwards. Make sure you. Before you give stuff out. Boom, boom. Dame n Had to be so. Just didn't do nothing wrong again. Somebody from the label went right to Angie Martinez.

Where'd he go? Hoskote already at it. So now you get to stick me up now.

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, shit.

[Eric Sermon]

Yo.

Just Blaze tells the story to this day. His biggest check. They got me for 60 racks.

[Memphis Bleak]

60 racks.

[Eric Sermon]

60 2002. He said that's the most money he ever got for a record. 60,000. Because Dane was like, fuck all that. The record's out. 60.

Yo, I deserve some money back. Just. Just about 10,000 of it.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, that's insane. I forgot just did that record for you.

[Eric Sermon]

Come on, just Blaze. Come right on.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, that's crazy. Whatever. She said I'm bad, Yo. Y', all thought that.

[Eric Sermon]

Right? Because the whole thing, the fact that, again, it was the perfect thing to say, though, meant because nobody knew what she said.

Meanwhile, somebody said, yo, Eric's is good. She talking about suicide. I'm like. You know, the web was. Yeah. I'm like, come on now. Enough with that. Now she's talking about who said all this stuff.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, that. But, bro, you done been through the label drama. Of course, Group drama, industry health scares.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah. I had a heart attack in 2011.

[Memphis Bleak]

You know what I mean? I'm glad to see you still with us. You know what I mean? What. What. What's your strength behind everything that keep you going, you know, for those who. Who might need that motivation?

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah. Well, my best friend passed away, which is my mother, two and a half years ago.

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, God bless, man.

[Eric Sermon]

And I gotta say this one thing, too. I know I say it a lot, though, too, but Kanye west helped me out a lot.

[Memphis Bleak]

No way.

[Eric Sermon]

Because when I. When I was flying down to do Kanye west, my mother had told my sister, make sure Eric get on that plane. So I landed in LA May 30, and the phone rang. My boy Bernard passed me. The phone was my sister. Mom passed away, right. My mother knew that. She didn't want me to be there. So when I got there, Kanye west said, yo, E. When my mom died, I went to work. Come to the lab tomorrow. So I stayed with Kanye and Kanye in the lab about five months. We was in the comp. In his 25,000 square feet thing he had. Then we went to the addition. He had the old. The whole eighth floor. What me and ye was doing was not what vultures was. Right. So when I went home to bury my mother, I flew to Italy. Yes, Right. So when I got to Italy, I see my songs on the board. But then Todd Dollar Sign was there. So that whole thing switched.

[Memphis Bleak]

Got switched.

[Eric Sermon]

So. So. Because I was like, yo, yay. Where's the rhymes at? Like, why ain't no rhymes on your record? So he calls a meeting, like, yo, bring Eric in. Eric says, there's no rhyme. We gotta start putting some rhymes on here. So I had the ear, but it just got lost. So I left Italy, you know, and I'm like, damn, you know, I'm gonna spend a year, you know, just trying to put stuff together. And it didn't go, and it changed, you know.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's crazy. No, Kanye is a he. He. He goes on different. This sound. That sound quick.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah. But I'm never gonna be able to know when people say about what? How he is. I know what he did for me.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, no, he's good for time.

[Eric Sermon]

When my mother passed away. So I'm going back to your question. How do I. Where my inspiration came from, it came from her. So everything that I do, how I speak, how I'm act, how I was raised, was from her. So I know that when I die, only I go. Like Denzel had made a quote. Like you never seen a U haul behind the hearse. Which is true. Continue on with you. So why I'm here, I just don't want to be labeled as. No. When talk about me or when I go. So I always been a humble person.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

So when. Because they're gonna forget. Loyalty is loyalty. Respect you can't buy.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

So people say which one you're gonna choose? Loyalty. Respect is the respect part. Because loyalty can easily be. Easily be. Can be tampered with and can be fake. It could be fake. But respect, you gotta own that.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

And you can't. So again, I just had the respect for my whole time being in the game. And my boys would say too, Eric, when your name is mentioned, shit, open up and n listen. They're like, oh, you know, whatever. And that part right there makes it feel like you know what? I did my job.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right. Nah, that's what's up. What advice would you give the young artists today navigating the industry?

[Eric Sermon]

I would tell them too that it's a business too. And the fact that the independency you come from it, don't forget. That's why when you watch the backstage and you see dame barking is you. Right? You didn't do nothing for me.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

I did this work.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

You know what I'm saying? So the more so. So the advice I give, the more work you put in for yourself, the better it will be from you. Don't forget we was all independent. Fresh Records, you know, Zakiya Boogie, you know, you know, Boogie Down Records. All this stuff that all these independents came from, they all came from Independence. All of this, you know, profile run them. See, these are all before they got signed to majors. So the independent game was already always there. So be independent, try to own as much as you possibly can so you can navigate with it and be able to. To move with it or have ownership and then keep it. 100 sent you. If you go to McDonald's every day at 3 o', clock, then write about it. Cause that's your Story, don't tell somebody else's story, because that kid will find out that that's not your story. You're lying.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right. That's what. Yo, that's some of the advice Jay used to tell me as a kid, man. When the lies run out, the rhymes run out, so.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah, but I heard you on the COVID thing, though. Bleak, which was mad. Was mad real that you said, yo, E. I mean, you told the guy, he's like, yo, I was wild. Yeah. I'm glad that he didn't. He didn't bring me because I was out of control. Yeah. So you're talking about me out of control. You was out of control, too.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, I was way out of control. I knew I was. But I knew how to stay off the. Off the scene. The way out of control didn't affect.

[Eric Sermon]

But the fact that you was the greater picture. A lot of niggas would have not been able to do that or still want to roll. Like, nigga, take. Take me. But you knew, like, listen, I'm. I can be a liability.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah. I'm not in the right space, man. Like, you know, my mentality and what I'm thinking about can jeopardize everything. Like. Cause remember, Jay got to a point where.

He became larger than life. Like. And it's like, I've still always got to worry about, damn, what if somebody tried to hold me? Even though he got security for that? But I'm not relying on them people. You know what I'm saying? So it's like, if something go down, I'm the guy. I'm ready. We always ready, everybody. So it's like, you don't need me to be around looking at something and thinking there's something that is not. And then I go off the. I go left and do something I'm not supposed to do, and that would jeopardize everything we work for, everything everybody trying to get to. And. Because I'm still on this hood mentality.

[Eric Sermon]

Right.

[Memphis Bleak]

You know? Yeah, I was still.

[Eric Sermon]

Oh, no, I heard you. And I'm like, yo, a lot of. A lot of won't do that because want to be and be on there on the scene.

[Memphis Bleak]

They want to be. Yeah, I'll be there. I knew the A Train was too.

The A Train was too exquisite for me. I had to get. I had to go back to the G, Right?

[Eric Sermon]

Exactly. No doubt.

[Memphis Bleak]

Like, word. Tell me about. It's been more than a decade, right? I want to know what made you. I know what made you get. I'm an artist.

[Eric Sermon]

Okay.

[Memphis Bleak]

The love. But tell me about this new album.

[Eric Sermon]

Oh, yeah, and a couple of your new singers, too. I don't know why. I don't know why you stopped going, Yo, I'm talking about you off camera about this too. Because if you. Because I send you 30 right now off the clip. Like right now. I send you 30 records right now.

[Memphis Bleak]

Working.

[Eric Sermon]

Okay, okay, okay, cool. That's great. I don't want you. Here's why. I did dynamic duos in 2019. I. I was like, yo, why are my colleagues working? I didn't. I didn't understand. Who told you to stop making records? So Covid came. So two years went by, but Kevin Laos, I was going to go sign with Alan Grumblack. And then Kevin Laos called. Alan said, yo, Alan, that's too big for you. Let me get that Eric Sermon album. So I signed with 300. So I was making a record. Leo Cohen sells 300 for 400. 450 million to Julie.

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, wow.

[Eric Sermon]

Mike Atlantic. So time go by. So what you see Nas doing? I was doing that four years ago. So now it just happened to be coming out. Yeah. So I was like, there's 23 bleak. About 23 or 24 rap groups, duos in hip hop, if you look it up.

What a matchup we got, y'.

[Memphis Bleak]

All. This is that classic HBCU vibe. Non stop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit. Chance, echo drum beat.

[Eric Sermon]

Everybody showing that school pride.

[Memphis Bleak]

Game like this. Yeah, it calls for an ice cold Coca Cola.

[Eric Sermon]

Ah, crisp and refreshing.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's a game changer right there.

Yeah, that taste always hits the right note. Just like the band at halftime. And just like that, we're back at passionate flight. Fans, school colors everywhere, and an ice cold Coca Cola.

[Eric Sermon]

That's a winning combo.

[Memphis Bleak]

No matter the sport, no matter the.

[Eric Sermon]

Yard, Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work.

[Memphis Bleak]

So grab a Coca Cola and keep that HBCU pride going.

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[Eric Sermon]

So I was already gonna be doing how many that I can do. So I'm gonna do a volume one and a Volume two. So now once I got volume Volume one coming right again. It took a while too for the clearances because I was clear. I had to clear Biggie, Tupac.

Prodigy, Nate Dog and and and Sean Price. Right? So all that took time too.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yes.

[Eric Sermon]

So now I gotta say okay, some stuff didn't come back. Some stuff didn't. But the stuff that's coming out in December 5th on a dynamic duo volume one is Cypress Hills, MOP, EPMD, Snoop Dogg and Nate, Lil Wayne Conway, the Machine Game.

Red and Meth, Dog Pound, Helter Skelter, Right?

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right, man. Shout Out, Ruck and Rock Show Price. Rest in peace, my dude.

[Eric Sermon]

Rock. And I said Mobb Deep. So know it's 12 records coming, you know. So then and then volume two, you know it'll Be what it is. I already know because I'm already got whatever's coming out. But right now, December 5th, for those that was waiting, because people be like, yo, Eric is lying. He's doing the detox coming. But they don't know the parts of. Again, take Covid, the label going. Clearance is the whole nine. So all that should take time. So. But, but, but again, I was doing it because my colleagues wasn't making records at the time. They're making records now. By the time, nobody was moving. So I was like, if you. If you need. If you can't go on in because you don't want to know how to make a record and you can't, then I'm going to be the services for you.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

I'm going to take care of all of it for you. And they was down with it.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right. Now, that's dope, man. I respect, like, guys like you. Like, you got salt and pepper public.

[Eric Sermon]

Oh, I forgot about salt and pepper, too. Yeah, yeah.

[Memphis Bleak]

You know, y' all all linking with the new gentleman generation and bridging that gap. Like, what that. What's that? Like working with the Conway Machines and like, game. You know what I'm saying?

[Eric Sermon]

But. But let me get bleak this. I work with everybody. And one thing about me, like I said, the respect part, if I DM somebody is very rare. I'm gonna get a no.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

You know, because niggas on the respect thing. Yeah. So what you hear right now is this, again, was my error that I already had done. That's why you hear the Conway new one. Because that's where I was going.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

I was going with. To mix the new with the. With the old. Yeah, exactly. So you always. So you would hear more of that connection on Volume two.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yes, yes.

[Eric Sermon]

Where I would have like a g herbo was with somebody who. Who rhyming or Corday or somebody on that type of situation. Rhyming with new people. And then if I do do a Volume three, it'd be me pushing the music forward. With new people.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yes.

[Eric Sermon]

With two new rappers, with an album of this. New rappers that you never heard before or the newest of the new. You know, because once you put your jump out the window, everybody like, yo, yo, when. When they heard these names, yo, I did a locks record. So I played it yesterday on the. On their show. Jada was like, holy shit. I'm like, so do you want me to keep it or you want to change it? Because he forgot what they sound like, he's like, no, no, keep that one. We do nothing but keep that one, though, too. So, you know, again, these people know what I'm capable of. I'm not a person too bleak where. You got to tell me it's over. I'm too. I'm a Sagittarius like your boy.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

I know when it's over.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yes.

[Eric Sermon]

I don't. You don't gotta tell me I'm whack. Like, I don't. Like, I ain't tripping.

[Memphis Bleak]

My thing is, you can never be whack because you're not a whack person. You have to be to be whack. You have to be a whack person. You just make a whack rhyme. Your life, your dressing, your lifestyle, everything gotta be.

[Eric Sermon]

You're right. You're right. And I tell people, too. But I'm not gonna be the one that's hanging on, trying to be whatever.

[Memphis Bleak]

Send the sandman out for you.

[Eric Sermon]

I ain't gonna mention no name. But somebody had said something over 15 years ago, and Jay was still getting busy. You know, part of who the rapper is. He said, yeah, man, he should move over and shit and let other niggas eat. We know something. Like, when I heard that, I was like, huh? No, you step your game up.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, get in the ring.

[Eric Sermon]

You get in the ring.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

You want this nigga to stop because he's still eating? When I heard that, I lost it. But I. Of course, I can't go back. I'm not going to go and dress somebody. But when I heard that, I was like, excuse me.

[Memphis Bleak]

Excuse me. Damn. Excuse me. Thank you.

[Eric Sermon]

But you know what I'm talking about.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, yeah. You know, we ain't got to say no, man. They know the shoe fits.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah, exactly, right?

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, what do you want people to say about you when it's all over? Like, what. What you want them to say? Eric Sherman, who he was.

[Eric Sermon]

I was a good dude because I did a lot of for free. And I gave. I gave half of my money away, but I did shit on the strength to mad people who I don't even know.

Say that he was just a good dude. Like, my mother was a giver. At my mother's funeral, mostly everybody who came out was like, oh, Belinda was a giver. Oh, Belinda was a giver. So I learned that my mother was. Before I got on, my mother used to. She didn't really. Like, sometimes if she was filling a whole check, she would borrow $20 to get to the Next person that needed it. I've never seen that before.

[Memphis Bleak]

Nah, that's dope.

[Eric Sermon]

You know what I'm saying? So again, at one time, I just want people to know that part of me, like, no matter what. And my sister tells people. Now, my brother is so simple. I don't know how you can argue with him or be in the conversation with him because he don't want much. Eric is already an introvert. So after that, he want to either binge watch TV or isn't that that and this or if he got jobs to do. I'm never late to that one interview. I never went to late to nothing. I never been late to a performance for a promoter. I respect their time.

[Memphis Bleak]

I'm the same.

[Eric Sermon]

You got to respect somebody's time. So it's very important.

[Memphis Bleak]

My manager always told me, man, if you ain't 10 minutes early, you 10 minutes late.

[Eric Sermon]

Exactly.

[Memphis Bleak]

And nobody want to work with an artist that they gotta wait for.

[Eric Sermon]

No, but anybody. I don't care who, they respect somebody's time.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right. All the time. Do you feel like it's a story that haven't been told that you feel like needs to be still told about Eric Sherman Sermon?

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah, yeah.

[Memphis Bleak]

You know.

[Eric Sermon]

You know what? At once, at one time, though, it's so. Your bleak is. I ain't gonna lie. It feels. It feels normal, you know, with people that you don't hang out with, but they still your brother. That's how this feels though, too. Again, when I see some of my peoples who I haven't seen in a while, and no matter what, if we don't hang out, it's still like, yo, but it's still love.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

But it's real people. But. But you asked me say. Say it again.

[Memphis Bleak]

I said, do you feel like it's a story that had. That hasn't been told, that you at one.

[Eric Sermon]

At one time, I used to be the underrated story.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

I used to always be like, damn, why niggas don't, you know? Not my colleagues. But when you talk about other shit, listen, I'm in 50 of those lists, you know. But are y' all looking at the work? Work?

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

It's only a few of me.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

You know, so you. So if you're going to talk about somebody, because again, that's why I bring up Larry Smith. Niggas, leave them out. But suck em seas. Slick, Rick, Houdini. You know, when you hear these big records, it's this, man. Then you gotta look at Molly Mall without him sampling right there, then it doesn't go forward on that level.

[Memphis Bleak]

It probably wouldn't be no Judge Blazes or Kanye West.

[Eric Sermon]

Oh, none of us. Because he was like, yo, I'm a sample, you know? So again, at the end of the day, I look at myself. Jermaine Dupree, too. A few others. Don't forget Jermaine Dupree is legend. Yeah. But Justin was able to come in the era where, okay, the producer name was getting recognized, and now you got the Metro booms and the mustards.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

You know, producers getting booked for shows. Exactly. So. So, again, I just. I used to look at that, but. But I'm like, this, too. The legendary part of it is they will know.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

Because when there's a need to know, they will know.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right. And y' all legends, man. Like I said, epmd, man, Hit Squad, Death Squad, everything y' all done, man, has been. I've been watching from a afar, bro. And I've been a fan. You.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

I.

[Memphis Bleak]

When I first met you, you treated me like you knew me for a hundred years. And we've been brothers and been loved ever since. My Jesus.

[Eric Sermon]

In my car, I put it. I put a blueprint from top to bottom. So when you come up with the rulers back and you just keep going because don't forget, there's no skip.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

You know, so my momentum comes from this.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

So who in the world can lie to somebody's face and say, you ain't a fan of Jay, you ain't not.

[Memphis Bleak]

A fan of you? That's what I'm about to say, man.

[Eric Sermon]

Oh, no. I watched Jay be like, oh, yo, yo, E. So you made all that. I remember he was with Beyonce one time at the Jones Beat, and they come to watch the show maybe 10, 15 years ago, and they came out the car. So either. Let me say. Let me ask you real quick. So what he said, yo, man, you made all that? So I guess they was playing it in the car the day before, playing all epmd. Because. Because again, I'm like. I heard Jay say, relax your mind on twice on the Dynasty album.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yes.

[Eric Sermon]

I'm like, yo, yes. You know, I'm like, y' all was.

[Memphis Bleak]

A big influence to a lot of us, bro. And, like, don't ever think you. You not Amongst those, the JDs and them. Like, bro, when say your name, they know the classics. You produce the classics, you rap.

[Eric Sermon]

You gotta stop. I gotta stop because it's my Partner, Boogie, boogie. And he said, eric, everybody who, when they in front of you, say the same thing, why can't you see it?

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

My sister would be like, why can you see it? My mother used to be like. I said like, yo, Ma, I saw something last night. She was like, and they saw you. They saw you.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right. Because you know why you can't see it? Cause you living in it.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleak]

If you took a chance and just stepped back and just looked outside of your life and inside, right, you'll see it.

[Eric Sermon]

But all y' all say it, you'll see. My sister used to get mad, too. I'd be like, yo, Kim, I can't help it. I don't know no other way. Because even though mom says it, my humbleness comes from this. And Russell Simmons said, eric, you humble to a fault because you gotta act a certain way sometimes and walk in the room sometimes like you're you.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, like, as we say in my hood, man, you gotta drag your nuts sometime. Let these niggas hold up.

[Eric Sermon]

That's me, too, right? I'd be like, sometimes when I point that nigga, I take my nuts out right now and drag them on the floor and have them bleeding in the middle of the street.

[Memphis Bleak]

Drag them.

[Eric Sermon]

You would never be me. I would do it, but not in front of people.

You know, I would talk shit.

[Memphis Bleak]

What's next? What's next for you, my brother?

[Eric Sermon]

Okay, I'm going to big up.

The 88 fresh I got coming on Starz. It's a four documentary series. I got a thing called Beats and Bars out there where I go to 10 cities. You go on the Web. You see it now. I go to 10 cities. Sway the Executive with my boy Nails. We go and I go and I go to different cities. And I've been out 50 rappers and 25 producers. And then we pick one out of each one, and then we go to 10 cities. And they all would battle at the end of New York, the 10 producers and the 10 rapists. And then they get to split 250 grand. So that show is coming out soon, too, on Netflix.

[Memphis Bleak]

Beats and Bars.

[Eric Sermon]

Yeah, Beats and Bars. So. But you go in there, too. You will see the cities that we went to so far. Me Sway and Nails.

[Memphis Bleak]

Shout out, Sway and Nails, man. Nails, man. They my guys.

[Eric Sermon]

Oh, Nails Sway. My God, Nails is on the beat, too.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

And then I got Def Ruggs out there, which is my sister, K Sermon, too, who's. I'm taking part of my percentage back. But, but, but, but. But we do rugs for everybody. Everybody has our rugs in their house.

[Memphis Bleak]

I need a rug. We got them tapping in.

[Eric Sermon]

So go on defrugs.com or go to Def Rugs on Instagram, whatever, and you will see. I don't care who you name sports fucking rappers, fucking whatever we did. Everyone has. Has my material. And then my boy Unique Autosports, you know, Will. Will been doing all y' all cars forever.

He's still doing it. Matter of fact, I think he just did Fat Joe's Rolls Royce that's recently inside the thing. And he had Carmelo Anthony's cyber truck in there a couple times. So as always, we also do that. But me and him as partners now, we got some cost of. What you saying? Two on the small scale.

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, wow.

[Eric Sermon]

Right. So it's what you're saying podcast. We getting that together. But it's not going to be in the like a scale like that. It's just something that we're doing as him. Will was the first one to do my car in 1988. He put my ragtop on and did my car. One of the first cars he ever did.

[Advertiser/Announcer]

So.

[Eric Sermon]

So we go back 37 years. So. So on. So on that part, those what we have now, what I got going on now. And along with the volume two, my boy Boogie has Boogie Nights coming now. Eric Sermon presents. Boogie Nights have the underground people.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Eric Sermon]

Like nature, you know. Ali Vegas to the hoodies. Vegas.

[Memphis Bleak]

Damn. I heard that name.

[Eric Sermon]

I know.

That nigga's always been dangerous.

[Memphis Bleak]

Word up. Ali Vegas, man.

[Eric Sermon]

The hoodies. Who else? Fago bass, UFO thief. So. Huh? Yeah, me. So all the underground parts that I didn't do is on that project, too. The new Eric Sermon produced. Memphis Bleak. Produced by Eric Sermon. All of it. Because. Listen. No, no, listen. No, because the days of the one producer is gone. That's why Alchemist did so much work for the past year. Freddie Gibbs fucking Larry June, you know, and didn't do most of Mobb Deep, but again, still Mobb Deep. And.

[Memphis Bleak]

Come on, man, I need a project with you. I'm working on a project. Cool. And Dre, I need that.

[Eric Sermon]

It doesn't matter. The more material you have. Don't forget, you're the one that's saving your publishing.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right. So.

[Eric Sermon]

So you build your catalog up.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

Right. So now you got these four or five albums here. If you want to do this. Yeah. See, the people don't understand. Say, if you got this new publishing and you got this here, too, you Might not want to sell your ocean, but the new stuff I can make a million dollar deal with and then I can. I can keep going.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right, keep going, man.

[Eric Sermon]

That's game for young people watching.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right, keep going. Reinvest, man. I appreciate you stopping by, my brothers. Good seeing you. Good health, good spirits.

[Eric Sermon]

Hey, listen, man, this is. It's a lot of sexy right here. But listen.

Hey, Cheese, you better stop. No, but listen, man, this is what I tell people all the time. Like, my birthday is November 25th, right?

[Memphis Bleak]

Oh, right there, man.

[Eric Sermon]

Right. I'll be in Atlanta with my. With my dad, who just turned 80 and my sister.

[Memphis Bleak]

God bless.

[Eric Sermon]

My mom lived there before she passed away. And so my sisters are there. My two sisters and then my nieces and nephews. So I'll be sending my birthday there and my son is my 20 year olds coming with me. Then I'll be going from Thanksgiving to Miami, where I live at till two. But I got Art Basil.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, I'll be down there.

[Eric Sermon]

I've never been there before.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, I'll be there.

[Eric Sermon]

So. So I'm doing. You could take this out do. I'm doing Drink Champs live on the third.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's my partner.

[Eric Sermon]

Okay, okay. I'm doing that on the third. And then I'm gonna go around too, because I'm recently.

See, I don't want to tell these women that this is a variable because it's gonna start a frenzy. But listen, if you see me, right, like, oh, you got. That's the Green Eyed Bandit. Yeah, listen to just back it up and slow it down some. You know what I'm saying? Because I'm not gonna be. And none of my cars, I'm gonna be in the Uber because they like that too. Yeah, but I know, because I want to pull nothing out. But listen.

[Memphis Bleak]

They like Ubers.

[Eric Sermon]

I'm only for grab because, yo, the flossing that niggas be doing, oh my God, y' all be like, yo, you don't need that no more. Like, you know, yo, you bugger. You got. You're broke because you think that car is going to get you that. And the nigga right now, that's home.

[Memphis Bleak]

Nigga riding a skateboard going to get that. It's laying that out straight up.

[Eric Sermon]

You out here broke. Yep.

[Memphis Bleak]

You don't need none of that. I remember, yo, you said that before we go. I remember I wanted the Bentley. I'm telling HOV my credit wasn't right.

[Eric Sermon]

Right.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, I need you to co sign for the bit for me, right? He like, what you need a Bentley for? You got the 600. So I'm like, yo, bro, you know what type of joints I could get with the. He said, you know that all the girls take their clothes off the same way whether you walk, drive, or get off the bus. He said, so if they get naked different, then I'll get you to bed.

[Eric Sermon]

Sagittarius. Same mind. No matter how rich you are, there's no rich restaurant for you.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

I'm still. We still going to book a job. House or sailors or child's.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

Ain't no. Ain't no rich bathroom for you.

[Memphis Bleak]

No.

[Eric Sermon]

Ain't no rich store for you.

[Memphis Bleak]

They take you in the back door. You know what I mean?

[Eric Sermon]

When I'm walking in there. But I'm still eating, I'm still going in the same suitcase supermarket with you.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Eric Sermon]

Still going in the same clothes store.

[Memphis Bleak]

100.

[Eric Sermon]

There's no.

[Memphis Bleak]

There's no rich area for the people. No, it's just same guy.

[Eric Sermon]

You might have money, but I still.

[Memphis Bleak]

Can shop at the same place. That's right, man. So you already know what it is, man. I appreciate the things, my brother.

[Eric Sermon]

Thank you. Let me do a job.

[Memphis Bleak]

This is rock solid. You know what it is. Brought to you by Doucet. Eric Sermon, not Sherman. You know what it is, man.

[Eric Sermon]

I want to put Memphis on blast right now because this is crazy. He's not going to speak about this.

[Memphis Bleak]

What?

[Eric Sermon]

But Puffy became a billionaire. Alcohol, E40, Rick Ross, anybody that got this. So geisha, I don't know how much money you're making, but this nigga is lying, yo. Because.

[Memphis Bleak]

Because I'm shopping in the same supermarket.

[Eric Sermon]

Because. Because Ace of Spades. Anybody who has alcohol has paper so bleak is able behind. Able to hide behind the marriage. Because now I'm home with the wifey, so I'm not in the street. But that money. Cause Snoop Dogg is like that, too. Snoop, we know you paid. Nigga like. Yo, stop it, Bleek. I'm just keeping it 100. Whoever is at the job and whoever is an employee and y' all didn't get no Christmas bonus. Somebody speak up.

[Memphis Bleak]

You know what it is? Doucet Mafia.

[Eric Sermon]

You ready?

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You can do it. It's rolling.

[Eric Sermon]

Which one?

[Memphis Bleak]

Either one.

[Eric Sermon]

This camera right here.

E dubbed my name myself twice, man. I'm the George Grover in the rap. Call me the Iceman. It's Eric Sermon, the Bandit. Half of epmd, a third of Death Squad. I'm here, right here with Memphis Bleak on Rock Solid. Rock Solid. I never knew again. Let me do it again.

[Memphis Bleak]

No, no, no, it's good.

[Eric Sermon]

Okay. You'll cut this up and put that right there. I'm gonna do it one more time. I'm right here, E Dub. I named myself twice, man. I'm the George Gervin, the Rap, call me the Iceman. It's Eric Sermon, the Bandit, half of epmd, a third of Death Squad. I'm here with my main man, my brother Memphis Bleak, here on Rock Solid and don't get it Twisted. I know twisted is a name people always say all the time, but don't get it up. Holla.

[Memphis Bleak]

For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows at. And you can follow me on any social media social media platform under the name Memphis Bleak. You see anybody frauding, flag them.

[Eric Sermon]

What a matchup we got, y'.

[Memphis Bleak]

All. This is that classic HBCU vibe. Non stop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit. Chance echo drum beat, everybody showing that school pride. A game like this. Yeah, it calls for an ice cold Coca Cola.

[Eric Sermon]

Ah, crisp and refreshing.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's a game changer right there.

Yeah, that taste always hits the right note. Just like the band at halftime. And just like that, we're back at it.

[Eric Sermon]

Passionate fans, school colors everywhere and in.

[Memphis Bleak]

Ice cold Coca Cola. That's a winning combo no matter the.

[Eric Sermon]

Sport, no matter the yard. Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work.

[Memphis Bleak]

So grab a coat Coca Cola, and keep that HBCU pride going. Enterprise AI is redefining business operations and voice technology leads this transformation. While Alexa showcases consumer applications, AWS AI.

[Eric Sermon]

Delivers enterprise scale voice solutions that are.

[Memphis Bleak]

Reshaping customer engagement across industries. Leverage Amazon's proven AI innovation to transform your customer experience and drive operational excellence. AWS AI the Voice of Innovation Discover the Alexa [e-mail] our-story JBL Wireless earbuds.

[Advertiser/Announcer]

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[Narrator/Advertiser]

Santa, the kids left you. Pepperidge Farm cookies.

[Eric Sermon]

Milano mint chocolate, so rich. Chessman butter cookies, so buttery. And Linza raspberry.

[Advertiser/Announcer]

A holiday classic. These are fancy Santa.

[Eric Sermon]

Fancy Santa, Fancy Santa.

[Advertiser/Announcer]

Designer cologne. Spritz me vintage timepiece.

[Eric Sermon]

Classy o'.

[Advertiser/Announcer]

Clock. Gold chain with diamonds.

[Eric Sermon]

Now that's fancy. Pepperidge Farm cookies. Fancy a taste.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

At Hill's Pet Nutrition, we know that pet parent guilt is real. Leaving too long, playing too little.

[Memphis Bleak]

New homes, new babies.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Waking them up when they look so comfy. Running out of patience. Running out of treats.

[Eric Sermon]

Running the vacuum.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

You can only do so much. That's why there's hills. Science led nutrition to help you give more love than humanly possible. Because you're only human. There's hills. Find the right [e-mail] science does more. This is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.