One-half of the legendary hip-hop duo
EPMD,
Erick Sermon was also among the genre's most prominent producers, deservedly earning the alias "Funklord" with his trademark raw, bass-heavy grooves. Born in Bayshore, New York on November 25, 1968,
Sermon -- aka
E Double,
the Green-Eyed Bandit, and
MC Grand Royal -- teamed with rapper
Parrish Smith in 1986 to form
EPMD, an acronym for "
Erick and
Parrish Making Dollars"; signing to the tiny Sleeping Bag label, they soon released their debut 12", "It's My Thing," which went on to sell an astounding 500,000 copies. In the years to follow,
EPMD emerged as one of rap's most vital acts, their hard-edged beats and
Sermon's mumbled, monotone delivery becoming a great influence on the burgeoning gangsta movement. In addition to producing their own material, the duo also helmed records for the extended family of performers dubbed
the Hit Squad, whose ranks included
Redman,
K Solo, and
Das EFX.
In early 1993,
EPMD disbanded, and
Sermon soon resurfaced with his solo debut,
No Pressure; he also became a sought-after producer and remixer, working with everyone from
En Vogue to
Blackstreet to
Shaquille O'Neal. After a second solo effort, 1995's
Double or Nothing, he and
Smith re-formed
EPMD in 1997, releasing the LP
Back in Business. Soon after
Sermon announced he was retiring as an artist in order to make room for up-and-coming talent. Most of his work would then be behind the scenes with
Busta Rhymes along with releases from
Method Man and
Redman, then in 2008 he launched the EP Records label and reunited
EPMD for the album
We Mean Business. After suffering a heart attack in 2011, he became an advocate for cardiac health awareness. He then returned to his solo career in 2015 with the single "One Shot" and the album
E.S.P. His eighth set landed in 2019. Titled Vernia, the album featured appearances by
Big K.R.I.T.,
David Banner,
Keith Murray,
Raekwon, and many more. ~ Jason Ankeny