S. Samuel
After Erick Sermon's VH1 Hip-Hop Honors rant earlier this month about not being recognized by the network, SOHH reached out to Keith Murray about his reaction to his Def Squad associate's choice words toward the network.
Standing up for “The Green Eyed Bandit,” Murray pointed out Sermon’s accomplishments under Def Jam’s wings as EPMD.
“My thoughts on Erick Sermon blasting VH1 — is he’s right,” Murray wrote to SOHH via a statement. “How are they not gonna have one of the groups that made Def Jam what it is today not do their number one, back to back five or more albums’ singles? Looks like Def Jam and management should be put on blast for that. Somebody f*cked up bad and did hip-hop a great i justice and the EMPD legacy that night and every time that show is played on TV and I see it, it will disgust me that people just don’t care about [the] TRUE history of hip-hop.” (SOHH)
While not mentioning specific names, Sermon previously pointed out the network’s lack of recognition for EPMD’s accomplishments in hip-hop.
“I have yet to be officially invited to the VH1 Hip Hop Honors,” he wrote in a blog posting. “Yes, I know many of you are sitting there with your mouths open and a cloud with a question mark over your heads wondering how such an incredible oversight like this could ever happen, 5 years in a row. Although I say that with a pompous amount of sarcasm I still believe that EPMD is synonymous with Hip Hop- am I alone on this? Yet the two times we’ve been included in this occasion, which is supposed to honor those who have made great contributions to Hip Hop culture, it has been at the request of other artists or by some strange turn of events. This year, I spoke with a VH1 producer from the show who told me that he ‘found a spot for me.’ At the time, this remark didn’t bother me that much because it was buffered with the rundown of all the great people involved and a rumor that I had said I didn’t want to be a part of the festivities. Of course no executives contacted me directly to establish if this were true or not- so they took me off the original schedule because of this so-called “rumor” they heard. But that’s beside the point.” (All Hip Hop)
EPMD, with over two decades of music to their names, joined forces with Def Jam in the early 1990’s.
EPMD signed to Sleeping Bag/Fresh Records for the debut album Strictly Business. Propelled by several strong singles (including “You Gots to Chill” and the title track), the album eventually went gold, as did 1989’s follow-up, Unfinished Business. Signed to Def Jam by the beginning of the ’90s, EPMD returned in 1990 with Business as Usual and Business Never Personal two years later. (All Music)
Former Def Jam labelmate N.O.R.E. also blasted VH1’s showcase.
“I feel invisible !!!!!! I never get noticed I never get props i deserve!!!,” he wrote via Twitter. “I bet if they honor the neptunes my name wouldn’t even come up They’ll give everybody else props!!! Lyor [Cohen] stalked me to be on defjam It’s a good show f*ck it I’m not a hater just feel invisible but imma manage to manage!!!” (Nore’s Twitter)
Check out a recent Erick Sermon interview below:
