Erick Sermon

Erick Sermon came up in Hempstead, New York, and first made his name as one half of EPMD alongside Parrish Smith. Their 1988 debut 'Strictly Business' helped define a certain East Coast sound in hip-hop's late-80s boom, built on raw beats and soul samples. Sermon's delivery had a raspy, conversational quality that stood out even then.

EPMD's 1992 album 'Business Never Personal' included 'Whiskey And Coke,' a track that became one of their most recognizable singles. Around that time Sermon began working on solo material, releasing his first album 'No Pressure' the following year. Later tracks like 'React' and 'Ain't Me' showed him adapting to different production styles while keeping his vocal presence intact.

The duo split for a period in the mid-90s after Sermon and Smith had a falling out, though they eventually reunited. Sermon kept making music on his own through the 2000s, sometimes remixing other artists' work like the '4, 3, 2, 1' version that appears among his top tracks.