Erick Sermon
The Green-Eyed Bandit, a hip-hop architect whose minimalist funk production built the bedrock for EPMD and a legion of followers.
Born 1968 (age 58)·American rapper and producer·Birthday: November 25·Generation X
Biography
Erick Sermon, with his deep, deliberate flow and an ear for a killer break, formed one-half of the foundational hip-hop duo EPMD alongside Parrish Smith. Operating out of Brentwood, New York, they didn't just make records; they built a sonic empire based on stripped-down, bass-heavy funk loops. Sermon's production, often sampling from James Brown, Kool & the Gang, and Zapp, became a signature sound of late-80s and 90s hip-hop—raw, repetitive, and irresistibly funky. Beyond the group's hits, his Midas touch extended to a who's who of the genre, crafting beats for Redman, Keith Murray, and Jay-Z. As a solo artist and head of the Def Squad collective, Sermon solidified his role as a quiet but mighty pillar, a curator of the groove whose influence echoes in every producer who understands the power of a perfectly chopped sample.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Erick was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Erick Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Erick's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the highly influential hip-hop duo EPMD, known for albums like 'Strictly Business' and 'Unfinished Business'.
- Produced the hit song 'Music' for himself featuring Marvin Gaye, using a posthumous vocal from Gaye.
- Founded the Def Squad collective, launching the careers of Redman and Keith Murray.
- His production work extends to hits for artists like Jay-Z ('The Ruler's Back') and Method Man & Redman ('Da Rockwilder').
Did You Know?
His stage name 'E-Double' comes from his initials, E.S. (Erick Sermon).
He survived a near-fatal heart attack in 2011.
Sermon is known for his extensive collection of vintage funk and soul records, which he samples.
He made a cameo appearance in the Chris Rock film 'CB4'.
“We just took the funk and made it street.”
