The Breakfast Club - INTERVIEW: Erick Sermon Clarifies Diddy Incident, Owning His Publishing, Iconic Sound + More

Episode Date: December 11, 2025

Today on The Breakfast Club, Erick Sermon Clarifies Diddy Incident, Discuss Owning His Publishing, Iconic Sound. Listen For More!YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BreakfastClubPower1051FMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Morning, everybody. It's DJ NV. Just hilarious. Shalamey and the Guy. We are the Breakfast Club. Lawn LaRose is here as well And we got a special guest in the building The legendary

Eric sermon ladies and gentlemen E double How you tell you know you're one of the greatest producers of all time But we're going to get to that in a second We need to get to this ridiculous ass story that you told on the Ditty document We told him

You're going to talk already I've been wanting to talk to you about this Since I saw the documentary Now when you sat down and told this story Right And then went back and watched it Right Did you say to yourself

I told them wrong That sounded ridiculous No, it's just not ridiculous. I'm going to tell you what I said was the truth. I never kept. So what I did say was the truth, how it went down. You know, because, again, me and me says friends, I love me to the death. I would never do something to try to disrespect that.

Because behind the scenes, I gave her the number to call Alex. And she wrote in the text to, oh, yeah, if it wasn't for Eric, I wouldn't even reached out. she told Alex no about the documentary so I wouldn't even did that if I was trying to disrespect her on that was just giving my story to what I said me and her are sitting in the car she in the driver seat she in the driver seat

right so if something was going on I wouldn't be in the car talking you know what I'm saying I'll be you know whatever so somebody knocked on my window and it was him did he so of course he goes with her now so of course anybody will be angry and be mad

because that's his girl but wasn't it your car? Yeah, but I'm saying the far as him being angry that we got to sit in the drive of seat he snuffed you he never touched me

come on stop and now stop come on now this me he when I got out the car he was angry so he swung on me whatever he did get out to car

yeah I got out the car right he can't swing in the car in the window he swung on you when you were sitting in the car no no no no no I got the car and we started talking

Then he swung on me So now at the end of the day Me being respectful Knowing that too I didn't want to do that In front of her Because I know I'm on you You just swing back

E? Listen Envy you understand You would have dragged him I'm asking why didn't you swing back Because of the respect Of her Or was Misa in the car So Misa was in the car

She got out the car She said she got So you told her get out And told D-DDD was No I told her get out She's got out Of course you're going to get out We see people talking

You know Don't forget Don't forget he's yelling you know what I'm saying so but me and him is also friends though too

don't forget I was in the intro of the Mary Jay Blanche album yeah right so automatically and then he had come and talk to me too which is EPMD

so I had to get the clearance for that though too so we was already you know kind of friends he befriended me so it wasn't like I'm like yo I couldn't believe that it happened to begin with

so my thing was let's go around the corner so we won't have to do that in front of my friend and you're angry. So y'all really was cool. I was cool with him. So that's like me and envy getting into something. Right.

See that's not how the story look on. I know. Again, that's on Netflix it looks crazy. So let me fix the other part about the Biggie Smalls. Of course Biggie Smalls is not out yet. So it's new music. So when somebody says, oh, it don't add up with

the baby and this not being born. I'm saying, no, it was new music. So again, after you finish going around the corner, you calm down now because now there's no reason for you to get hype now because now this situation is all calm. So now I was like, yo, check this out. And then we talked about Keith Murray because he was a big Keith Murray fan. So he's like, yo, Eric, what's going to keep me? I'm like, Keith Murray signed to me. So again, the conversation that people don't know about, this is what happened.

So what was the ride around the corner? Like when he got in the car, what did y'all talk about if y'all was driving around the corner? Now we're just thinking about nothing, so we stopped. So y'all stopped and realized we don't really want to fight. It was never going to get there for him, you know? Y'all had already talked outside the car and kind of cooled it down, is what you're saying? No. Oh, so it wasn't cool.

Can I please ask, God damn? All right, hold up. Why was she driving your truck? She didn't drive it. Why was she in the driver's seat of your truck? That's his girl. No, I just, she just wanted to be in the driver's seat. Oh, what kind of truck was it?

It was a, uh, what I had? was a forerunner. And she just wanted to be, so you weren't trying to get her back or nothing? Nah. Let her hop in the driver seat. Nah,

when I'm trying to do that. All right. And so when she got out, y'all left her just right there. She was in front of her crib. Oh, all right. So this was at the crib. Oh, yeah, we parked in front of the crib.

Right. I'm like, why would you go around to another location outside? No, no, no, no. We were in front of her house. All right. So what was the song fucking you tonight? No,

would you stop? No, this was, this was very, this was very, to die. He's not already. He was not out yet. Let me tell you about with Puff.

I would just tell him my story. You know, it wasn't like I was trying to even diss him neither. Don't forget, Puffy came and got Keith Murray for every remix. Every song. He called me for Joyce's remix. So if you had

angry with somebody, I wouldn't be getting phone calls. He called for Redmond. He called every time something came out on Bad Boy, one of my artists was somebody who he called or he called me to remix it so again I understand how it might look but it wasn't like

that's why I couldn't wait to get here y'all was friends I get it now now I get it so the next question is why the documentary because I didn't see that on my bingo car when I seen the documentary and I see Eric someone the document so who reached out for the documentary and why did you decide to do it? They asked me the questions you know how 50 is again

I had 50 with Bernard in the beginning you know don't forget Cory Rooney brought 50 cent to my crib next door like walked over with him be like yo here's my artist whatever I end up doing heat wave you know and I end up doing a couple

other songs though too so I'm also friends with him too so when they ask me the question I'm like yo okay I do it not knowing it was going to be you know how you put stuff together I told a couple of stories envy this is a story that they end up keeping

you know so again I'm not here to if anybody knows me is you that's what I said and you know my crew and you know me as far as just how I roll again the end of the day I'm not trying to debunk or

make everything sound nice or whatever it is people don't know the friendship of Misa and me and him we was actually friends and I would never ever try to put Misa in the situation on that and I said friends I didn't say we was

like that and we was doing all that that was my friend you know because we never really put together as being boyfriend and girlfriend it was just like a friend thing you know have you talked to okay now and this is the part that

again at the end of the day I didn't I was at Art Basel I heard that she was there but I didn't see I didn't see her out but but again I know she wasn't going to pick up my phone call because again you have to let somebody calm down and be like whatever and see because she was getting so much stuff, whatever.

But she texted my best friend Bernard and didn't say some nice things. Of course not. So again, but it was in the beginning. You know what I'm saying? So hopefully, you know, she sees this and then I'll be able to talk to her, you know, and say, you know, I didn't mean to do nothing to her

because she is my friend. I guess, I guess what this new generation, damn near, every man on that dock looks like a victim. You know what I'm saying? You got guys on their talk about. I know that, but I'm saying. You got guys on their talk about. They butts got touched and everything.

So when people will see you on the doc, they're like, the hell is going on it. Yeah, I wasn't supposed to, yeah, I'm crazy. Like, I didn't belong there. You know, when you see everybody else, after you see it down, I was like, yo, I didn't belong to your envy. I swear, I want to do, we want Superman going around the world again, be like, you know what? I can rewind us all back. You know what I'm saying? And do it over because everybody who saw said the same shit, what is Eric doing in that documentary?

You know? But at the end of the day, it's like this. I can't even take this, though, too. Since 19, whatever, 89, though, Jess, the 90, this is my first time being this on fire. Really? Just like music, right? No, no, that's...

You reinvented yourself so many times? Tell me, let's explain what you need. Show me, one second. I'm telling you, man, this right here is a different type. Like, I felt like, nah, I'm telling you. Like, this is the whole world. Like, you can have a hit record and be around the world, but you're talking about 23 countries, number one Netflix.

49 countries. Yeah, well, okay, whatever. You got to adjust. All this. And then the album coming at the same time, I'm number one, you know, on iTunes. Like, I didn't have this, though, shall be. I don't want them to know you for the docket.

Not that story. That story sounds crazy. No, no, no, no. No, no. No, listen, I'm not saying that. I'm just saying, as far as me being, listen, I don't want to be hot for that neither. I'm saying, but it did, it helped the project of dynamic duels. Did you purposely align the album?

They kept pushing back. The album was, listen, Jess, this album is four years old. Okay. It was doing COVID. Whatever Kevin Lous came and got me in two, two, what, 19, 2019, 2020. Then after that two years went by COVID And then all of a sudden They buy $300

For $400 million After that So you would sign that $300 Right I was signed with Kevin As a partner Oh I didn't know that You know NB I'm too old for to be signing somebody So after that

Whatever time went by Over a sudden three and a half years went by Then I had to get The politics of Prodigies of State Nate Dog's estate Sean Price's estate So all this stuff

Took a little time So now we ended up here It kept coming back Going back going back And then December 5th It finally happened They was calling me Dr. Jay Oh Eric's lying

Is never coming And I understand Because I was telling these This lie Since you know To them For four years How did you get Denzel

Washington And do the intro It wasn't Denzel You know a C-King Yo that's my own way Yeah exactly yeah He does The impressionation so good

I literally thought I'm like, Yo, Erk he's gonna fight you. You got Denzel We're preaching out Like, I'm like, damn Eric's over Hey, just I believe you don't have

I'm mean, but Jim Zell I'm like, damn, you know Dizzo on the intro, okay, shout out to CKO. He is crazy. Okay.

You know, you talk about your history in this music industry, right? And I think you're a forgetful person, right? Because people forget forget all the hits that you have, the artist that you have, And when they have a lot of times these conversations... A sound that he created.

The sound that you create. I feel like when they have these conversations, they don't mention Eric Sermon enough. Right. Do you feel that way? Yeah, I mean, listen, man, there's people that don't know who Larry Smith is, right? And Larry Smith, I know you're not talking about, you know, Slic Rick,

you know, whether this man was a genius. So when I look at that happening and then Molly Mall, too, not being talked about, this will not be where we're at now, too. So, N.B., sometimes I look at that, but I look at the ones that came before, but like, damn, they ain't talked about neither. Then Jermaine DePreed, though, too, is one of those two

who somebody would be like, you know, who was underrated. You know what I'm saying? But, again, as long as you know, and my colleagues, like, when I see Farrell and he starts bowing and stuff, you know, it makes me know, like, okay, yo, you know, I did something. So in actuality, it doesn't matter. As long as y'all know, you know what I'm saying? I'm cool with that.

Well, we got to show the New Jersey. generation. Like you're, you're one of the architects of the East Coast sound period. Correct. Like, like, what inspired that sonic identity? And artists on the East Coast. Show me, those people, them new kids don't care about who's what? Yes, they do, because they think you Buffy victim number three. And we're not having that. Oh, my God. We're not going to have that. Number five. I would not let them do that to you. All right. So what inspired that?

Yeah, what inspired that sound? Did you know at the time you were creating something new? Well, again, EPMD was, you know, just stop it. Okay, EPMD was something that, like I said, for me in Paris, they didn't know, I mean, that we was producers. We thought every record that we heard was done by the artists. So we didn't know about the name producer. So whatever that we was making, we made thinking that this is how it's supposed to go. So all the records that Mom had against the speaker,

because back then, you know, you too young and know about this, but they used to put the albums and stack them up against the speaker, or stack them up against the whatever war unit you had. So that was all lined up. So you just picked whatever you picked. My dad had all these albums, you know, just the whispers, you know, Earth When the Fire, B.T. Express. You know, of course, Parliament, the whole nine.

And Paris father had Zap. So that's where more bounce came from. So he had all that. Then all the stuff coming from Brentwood, we had a mixture of white, black, and Puerto Rican that we grew up with. So I knew all the rock songs, Led Zeppin. I knew about, you know, Genesis. I knew about, you know, Van Halen.

So we mixed all that. Zizi Top is you a customer. I want to say it out there, but at the end when he says, when I say at the end, you hear the guitar playing. You were here to Van Ent, Van Ent, we played it for the hood. The hood said, take the guitars out. So you're a customer became playing.

Just a beat in the baseline. But we had the ZZ Top, cheap sunglasses sample in it. So we had, you know, Godzilla by, Oh man Blue Us the Colt All these songs we had And we knew So EPMD was a mixture

Of stuff that we grew up with And stuff that we I found in the crib And that became whatever the sound was With the Roger Because once we got the more bounce We kept that going And then the parliament

We kept that going The thing I loved about EPMD Y'all had like a chemistry That just was effortless It was all run the MC Okay Everything that we did Was run the MC because

one thing, don't forget, when we made the demo record, pieces by demo, me and Pratt really built a 68 Camaro car, you know, stripped it, the whole nine got it, you know, painted up by Earl Shibbs.

You're too young for that, too. Earl Shab was $99. So you get the car, go through the paint machine, get it all painted up. You know what I'm saying? And we drove it. The car overheated, though,

but, you know, we got to Manhattan, and we walked to the, to three labels that we found on the album, See, back then on the albums, they had the addresses. So we walked, we just given us some old. I'm 56 years old. So you look at the situations and we got the address and we walked

and then we got to fresh records. And that's when we met, you know, Juggy Gales and Will Sokoloff. And next thing you know, three days later, we got signed on that, you know, from doing that part. What was the secret to your partnership, though? And like, how did you in Paris challenge each other? creatively.

Yeah, see, Paris didn't rhyme when I met him. Really? The Paris was a DJ. So I came from another part of Brentwood, which was kind of like, you know, say if the Bronx was the Bronx. That was my side I came from. We had graffiti, breakdancing, DJ,

and the whole shit was hot where I was at. So when I came to Paris's neighborhood, I moved to my grandmother's house. I met Paris at the bus stop, and he snapped on me too. Like, you know, me, he didn't even know me but he was like yo what kind of sneakers you got on i'm like these are pumas he's like nah those ain't the real pumas so and he was bold for that though just because i didn't know but i paid 30 dollars for them though charlemagne but they didn't have the holes so they was so

baskets was the real one i had on the puma invaders they didn't have the holes they sound like the i know i know the puma invaders But I didn't know, I had them the leaves, I had in the Tika shirt, I had the outfit on, but I had in the wrong sneakers. That had to hurt. You thought you was flying. I know. Just walking from killing him in the invaders. I thought I was right.

And he's like, yo, what old you got on? And again, people laughed, and I was like kind of embarrassed. But then after a while, he found out that I knew how to rhyme. So he was like, yo, you know, so I rhymed. And I had the Jane story. I had James since I was 12 So when I rhymed the James story He was like yo damn

You got something else I'm like yo I got the story about this guy named Bernard Gets You know So I had the Bernard Gett story too By him shooting the train up So those are my first kind of My mother

God best to death She brought home Rapids of Light And a break called Apache Apache had the green label On it right So she brought these two records home So already knew

and, again, my big ass used to pop too when I was younger, but I was, of course, small. Oh, God, damn. What? My big ass used to pop. Dancing, man. You ain't holding yourself, Eric!

I was trying to help you. It's not. Enough with the pause. Dancing. I know what I'm saying. Dancing. All right. So, so, listen.

Solomon, will you stop? Come on, man. You mean, you were good friends. So. I'm sorry. Stay focused. Just stop it. All right.

On Soul Train was a guy called the Papa Long Kid, right? And he was in the Shalimar group. So I used to watch him when he was on Soul Train. So I became the Papa Long Kid, too. So at the time, you know, this is what I was doing. And the whole neighborhood was rapping. But they would let me get like 10 seconds on the mic, the whole not this, and that, that, and this.

So I really wasn't getting off as far as in my neighborhood because I was young. So I moved to my grandmother's house and then Parrish gave me the shot. The reason, Paris gave me the shot Without Paris giving me the shot I would never ever been Or even try to make a record Because I had a strong lisp Like a real, way stronger than this

So you heard my records You know I used to say it's like I got golf balls in my mouth Paws Goose That inspired me I got a list So growing up like people like you inspired me

Cool G-Rat Yeah but you can still hear you Yeah My shit you couldn't hear The words You know what I'm saying And I always want to know, you know, Nala, our niece, she comes up paying. I told her one time, next time I'm in Queens,

I'm going to take it to some of the big spots in Queens, LL's house, the Rock and all that. So we're going to drive out to Long Island go to East House. The reason I said that is the first mansion I ever been to and seen was Eric Sermontown. You know, why you always bring that up? Because it's inspiring. Yeah, but then he forced on me on the last interview. But now I got one too. But it was inspiring because he was letting me in his house.

And you're seeing where Keith Murray made records and with Red Man made. records where he produced you've seen the the landscape and I'm like black people could really have mansions you know I mean so it meant so much so I always wanted to know when it came to that we've never heard Eric Sermon having financial problems but I've never heard right what did you do differently than most of these people in industry because you always say this person lost this this person that I mean you even see dame who just went into to court for for bankruptcy or whatever it was he went to court for how can we never heard that with you like what I think that again And I watched Parrish in the beginning get houses early.

Paris was already getting houses early before me. You know what I'm saying? So he was already into real estate. So then when I was able to to get some bread after the breakup, because doing the breakup, I really didn't have that much money, you know, with EPMD. They didn't really make that much money during EPMD days? I didn't have it, you know, I'm saying, said, but I didn't have it. And plus I was young.

Like Russell gave, he came and got us from Fresh Records. He'd spend the $1.6 million to get us. But again, we didn't see it. So, and then we taught a lot, though, too. So I was able to get me a crib and get me a bins, you know. But it was like I didn't really see anything as far as bank account type situations until I moved to Atlanta and the group broke up. And once the group broke up, I started buying all type of shit.

And I wasn't even living in the cribs. You know, I was getting apartments, getting houses, whatever this is doing whatever at the time. All of a sudden, though, envy, you see what I was doing. I had so many groups in so many places. I think Angie Martinez had said one time, how does it ever get all these deals? Because I was going to the labels winning.

So it wasn't like I was going there and taking money. So that means Reggie was winning there, Keith Murray, winning that jive. You know, Dave Hollister was winning at, you know, at DreamWorks. You know, I had people, Afanza Hunter was at EMI, You know, then I've had the death squad came out. Then Red and Meth came out. You know what I mean?

Deals I had. How much up front money I was getting? You know, that's a deal. Yeah, but that was parish more too. But I ended up selling my half, which is, I don't know why I did that at the time, but I gave 40% this and that, and then Clive Davis came, you know. You know, that was $4 million. This is like, you know, again, at the end of the day, it was like,

it just kept doing what it was doing. Kadar Marsenberg at one time too So it was the fact that And then publishing what you see now Don't forget I never sold because I didn't have to So now at the end of the day The publishing is doing what it is And you probably saw the post

After so many years Weekend does I don't want to know by You know whatever 1.9 billion streams 1.9 billion streams brings you $250,000 every quarter. So every quarter you get $250 for them sample of you.

Jesus Christ. For 4% on one record. So this is what I try to tell people. I never told the people to flex. I was trying to tell artists, like you said, if you have your publishing and you own it, here's what can feed you like a 401K or some type of retirement type of thing

if you own your publishing. But I get it. If you don't have the money, you have to sell it. And people are cashing in for the big money. understand that $200 million, $200,000, I'm going to do the same thing too if I was Dre and Neo and Dream and all them. I do it too. But again, but in the small scheme of things, I never had to do that. So when I sit back and I be at home and years go by, I took over 12 years could be because I was on drug for 12 years. So again, at the end of the day, them Perkinsets

had me at home anyway. You know what I'm saying? So this is 12 years of being able to sit down because you got publishing checks from all that music that I was able to do, was able to have me sit down. That's how I live and be without me doing work is publishing. Perkinses was when, you know, well, when I had that thing in 2001

when I said I fell from the window, that was my first time on Vicodon. Do you ever tell a story that? You never told a story that. Yeah, I mean, people know it wasn't that. I was in the wrong place the wrong time, but it wasn't that. They said it was suicide and everything

wasn't suicide. But Vicodin is what you get first. That's why I said, Michael Jackson, it was the pills before he got to Prophophoffo, whatever. But I had the Vicodin first. Once I had the Vicodin, I'm like, you know what? Salomon, I'm like, this is cool. So I was off for the Vicodin once I forgot. May 24th, 1990, a pipe bomb explodes in the front seat of environmental activist Judy Berry's car.

I knew it was a bomb the second that it exploded. I felt it ripped through me with just a force more powerful and terrible than anything that I could describe. In season two of Rip Current, we ask, who tried to kill Judy Berry and why? She received death threats before the bombing. She received more threats after the bombing. The man and woman who were heard had planned to lead a summer of militant protest against logging practices in Northern California. They were climbing trees and they were sabotaging logging. equipment in the woods.

The timber industry, I mean, it was the number one industry in the area, but more than it was the culture. It was the way of life. I think that this is a deliberate attempt to sabotage our movement. Episodes of Rip Current Season 2 are available now. Listen on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Lama is a spirit. It's not just a city.

I didn't really have an interest of being on air. I kind of was up there to just try and infiltrate the building. It's where Kronk was born in a club in the West End. Four world star, it was five, five, nine. Where a tiny bar birthed a generation of rap stars, where preachers go viral, and students at the HBCU turned heartbreak into resurrection. How do you get people to believe in something that's dead?

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And I'm like, oh, what, you're right. Atlanta doesn't wait for permission. It builds its own spotlight. I'm Big Rube. Let us guide you through the stories behind Atlanta's most iconic moments. Listen to Atlanta is on the I Heart Radio app. Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, I'm Danny Shapiro, host of the hit podcast Family Secrets.

We were in the car, like a Rolling Stone came on. And he said, there's a line in there about your mother. And I said, what? What I would do if I didn't feel like I was being accepted is choose an identity that other people can't have. I knew something had happened to me in the middle of the night, but I couldn't hold on to what had happened. These are just a few of the moving and important stories

I'll be holding space for on my upcoming 13th season of Family Secrets. Whether you've been on this journey with me from season one, or just joining the Family Secrets family, we're so happy to have you with us. I'll dive deep into the incredible power of secrets, the ones that shape our identities, test our relationships, and ultimately reveal who we truly are. Listen to Family Secrets on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm I'm Ithelangorja. And on our podcast, Hungry for History, we mix two of our favorite things. Food and history.

Ancient Athenians used to scratch names onto oyster shells, and they called these Ostercon, to vote politicians into exile. So our word ostracize is related to the word oyster. No way. Bring back the Ostercon. And because we've got a very Mikaasa esucasa kind of vibe on our show, friends always stop by. Pretty much every entry into this side of the planet was through the Gulf of Mexico. No, the America. No, the Gulf of Mexico. Continuano are being so forever and ever.

It blows me away how progressive Mexico was in this moment. They had land reform. They had labor rights. They had education rights. Mustard seeds were so valuable to the ancient Egyptians that they used to place them in their tombs for the afterlife. Listen to Hungry for History as part of the My Cultura podcast network of a available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Robert Smith. This is Jacob Goldstein. And we used to host a show called Planet Money.

And now we're back making this new podcast called Business History about the best ideas and people and businesses in history. And some of the worst people, horrible ideas and destructive companies in the history of business. Having a genius idea without a need for it is nothing. It's like not having it at all. Very simple, elegant lesson. Make something people want. First episode, how Southwest Airlines use cheap seats and free whiskey to fight its way into the airline business.

The most Texas story ever. There's a lot of mavericks in that story. We're going to have mavericks on the show. We're going to have plenty of robber barons. So many robber barons. And you know what? They're not all bad. And we'll talk about some of the classic

great moments of famous business geniuses, along with some of the darker moments that often get overlooked. Like Thomas Edison and the electric chair. Listen to Business History on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Better. 2009, I had back surgery. Of far as like one of the L-5s or whatever, my nerves had wrapped around my spine.

So it had numb my whole from my balls all the way down to my legs was all numb. So I was 72 hours away from nerve damage on that Right What's wrong with you He ain't got to say pause He's talking about balls So it's just It's not right

Yeah I know he was looking That's right Sorry Sorry It's right You're a child You're a kid man He's talking about his addiction

And you know Yeah It's terrible man Go ahead of me I'm stupid That's crazy You're big kid Man

So he was none from the balls down Wait a second, it was a delay. It was a one-minute delay. He came back. He tried to look at him. And he wanted to be to catch him and laugh. But I would not look at him. But I said, no, but Envy.

You thought you can't wait to beat. I didn't say, I said, I was, I was, I was numb. I was, I was chilling. You couldn't have from the balls down. I was numb. No action. Sorry, so they gave me 120 progenettes. Damn.

Milligram. So the bottom. it was this tall. So it's 120. So for the first two days, I didn't fuck with him, you know? Because I didn't know what it was. I wasn't, I'm like, we're the vicar than that, you know, whatever.

But then the pain started. So now I take the percocets. Now the pain stopped, but I like the feeling. And I for that, it was over. He's a 10 years? 12. How did you finally get off? I went to rehab in 2022.

Thank God. What was your rehab? Was it? Me. Thank God. And I didn't go to no celebrity rehab. I went to a rehab upstate with regular people. And they talk about it, too, they hit me on the things like,

Yo, can't believe you was in here the whole nine because I figured if I went to one celebrity ones, you were allowed to leave. And say if Solomon is a fan, I could ask him to get me some purpose and he'd get it for me. You know what I'm saying? So, again, this place was really kind of locked down. They really didn't play.

It was a girl and a guy situation. So it was 22 girls upstairs and 40 men downstairs. So every day you go to a class from, seven to from seven to eight so you have classes and you have people who come in on Tuesdays and talk for you

So you couldn't leave at all No no leave So during that time you couldn't produce You couldn't do nothing You can just just reflect Because because the first five days is you're doing detox And you're doing

What's that That shit they use for whatever They give you that for the first Four days and that you start rehabbing How was detoxing that after having it for 12 years? Four days is crazy Because you get the shit called The shaked

The bukes? Yeah, well, it's restless legs. So your leg is kicking and then your arm starts kicking. So you can't sleep. So now I'm up for 72 hours doing this, arm punching like I said for it. Sometimes I used to get emotional, but again, not now, but your leg is kicking and your arm is kicking. It's called restless legs. So that happens in the beginning.

So now they want you to take some shit called Suboxin, but Suboxone is another drug. So I was not going to put myself back on something else to calm this down. never understood why they do that in rehab they'll give you something else another drug to wane you off the one that you want but it has the same shit same thing so if I were to came home I would have been on that so I'm like fucking I just wait 72 hours

this and that whatever whatever so I end up taking some bina gel out of everything too to put me to sleep after the 72 hours and that work after that it was bloody cool I was just going through it but then they tell you don't go back into your environment that means if you go back home that driveway is going to

remind me of my dealer coming to my driveway. If I go around the corner, that store is going to mind me because I always had them meet me somewhere. Like, my kids didn't know. My kids didn't find out. They ain't know nothing for a while. All of a sudden, though, I mean, I'm looking at this situation like, yo, I can't get

out of here because, again, I'm going to have to go someplace else because if I stay here, it's going to call. Right after that, my mother's in stage five. Oh, wow. So now, for the whole year, I'm taking care of her. Now, I don't pose to be in that environment because now I'm going to get stress and the first thing I'm going to

is the perks. But my mother said, if you do that, I'm not going to make it. So once she said that, there's no way I'm going to touch the pill. So you was talking to her about the challenges, you were facing. Well, she, no, she's not that. She just knew that I came up from rehab. And I wasn't supposed to be in that environment

or any type of stressful environment. She knew that. But again, I had to take care of her. You know, at the end of the day. So once that happened, from June to May when she passed away, right? My mother was so ill because my mother knew that how it was going to hurt me for me to see her die. So I got the call from Kanye West to go produce. I knew I was leaving that week, Charlemagne.

All of a sudden, she told my sister, tell Eric to get on the plane and don't miss that opportunity. She's dying. And she's like, you know, well, go do it. that. So I go on the plane, I land, me and B. As soon as I land, he passed me the phones, my sister, my mother transitioned. Kanye called and says, Eric, it happened to me too. My aunt called me. Don't worry about that. Come to the studio tomorrow. So when the niggas talk about Ye, too, he was there for me. Yeah. You know, so that whole seven months with him had me off of what does happen. Even though I went home to bury my mother, I went home and buried her.

I flew to Italy where he was at So we worked in Italy And I came back home again And after that, whatever, I knew that It had left me Because believe me, those shit It's called pause Post-acute

Stressor something, whatever Where you get the symptoms Of it calling you, Chris Rock Post-acute withdrawal syndrome There you go. It's calling you. So now it's like, okay, well, damn, you know, how can I get this? But I know I don't want to do this, but something's going to have to stop me because if not, that pause is coming in.

What was that first, like, meet up with you and Kanye as you're going through all of this stuff about your mom and he's there with you and he's been through it. Like, what was that first initial, like, come here, I got you? He just told me that when his mom's died, he went to work too. So the music helped all of it I went into the studio he had a big 25,000 square feet warehouse

in Slawson right so we went in there and next thing you know it was him and 88 keys whatever and the engineer and I just stopped playing music and he was just like getting excited and we was like whatever and the producer came in and said you're Eric before you came here we had no vibe

you know what I'm saying so whatever was working at the time was just working and we just kept me just doing what we was doing. What came from those sessions? Because I remember you had said that Kanye was putting out of an album called Y3 and Kanye was like nine putting out of Y3. Listen, Shaliman, you were the stuff that we was doing was classic yay. Samples, beats, rhymes, the whole nine. Once I came back from burying my mother and I flew the Italy, I saw a Todd Dollar sign. And I looked on the board. I saw my songs, but all the rest of them was him and Todd Dollar sign. So they switched the whole situation when I was gone. That turned into vultures. Right.

Did I need those songs? Oh, damn. No. No, they leaked a couple of songs. Worship and something else came out if that did. But it was a leak. I always wondered, man, because I don't know, for the people who don't know, Eric Sermon discovered Red Man, you heard him mention Keith Murray. I always wondered if EPMD doesn't break up, do we still get Red Man to Keith Murray?

Oh my God, Jesus Christ, man. Of course, because Reggie was there. Okay, okay. Murray was there too, but I can imagine the five years. Don't forget, this is Headbinger and Crossover. And we out. So imagine the five years in between, I wonder what would have happened, you know? Was there other groups that would have came?

Was the Wu-Tang and the chronic would have been, you know, able to, you know, the rain that we had. Was Kim Murray would have been the new added addition at that moment? Now we, oh, my God. You know, another one? You know, so five years in between, I ask that question all the time. I wonder what it would happen. How is Keith what I doing? And illegal. People forget about it.

Yeah, with Jamal. Yeah, Jamal. Yeah, Jamal. Jamal. How is you speaking to Keith? How's Keith? How's Keith doing? Yeah, he's doing good.

I don't really talk to him and see him as much, though, but. He used to hit me all the time. I haven't heard from Keith in a minute. Yeah, yeah. Well, Keith had moved down south. You know what I'm saying? But again, I know that the death squad is in the talking right now as far as the death squad. squad LP. So hopefully that does happen. You know what I'm saying? Again, right now what

music is at to me is fun, but I'm not with the system of putting my music at this time would a name through platforms. Now, this album right now is going through a platform because I'm happening at 300 I was signed to and Warner took it so it's going through the platforms. but that's not my future won't be that. I like Mass Appeal though. I like what Mass Appeal's doing. I saw you talk about Mass Appeal in Rolling Stone and... Yeah, listen I like that too. I just don't... I want to make all the money.

At this time, because again, listen, the president of Spotify, not the owner, the president makes he made $300 million in 2024. Damn. In 2025, he made $425 million.

Not the owner, the president. President. Wow. So we're still making zero, zero, zero for less than a penny, right? Congress just passed a bill that we get one cent now. But one cent is one million streams is 14 grand, right? If I get 14,000 people to give me $1,000, I made $14,000. I don't know how Jay said numbers don't lie.

This is just the truth. So if I get 8,000 fans to give me 200 bucks, that means merchandise, records the whole night, I made $1.6 million. I don't need a million people. I don't need $200,000, I need 8,000 people. If 8,000 people give me $100,000, it's $800,000. This doesn't make any sense.

DJ Envy is already a name. You're already a name already. So at the end of the day, you know you've got people who are going to support you. There's the fact that you don't want to take that shot, because again you don't trust it but why not you're already popular so they're going to support whatever you show them you talked about in a rolling stone article bringing back giving people a blueprint to certain things right so with what you just said to the blueprint that you're

telling artists now even new artists is what creator dot com like create their own streaming like what is that business model the same thing that you're doing right now that no matter what Everybody has a W-WW. It doesn't matter. That never left. We left the websites because nobody talks about them no more. But on your website, you can have band camp and Shopify.

And it's the same thing, no matter what. So this is what you do. You direct them to that same marketing promotion that you would spend, how you would market to promote something. Now you send them to your website. Every major show you watch, every major person with a, you know, that's

holding line whatever has a WWW and when they want you to look at something

they direct you to their website that's the whole thing the website is back make it dope again make it

colorful make it the fact that whatever make it whatever and then put your shit on there Shopify in the band

camp or whatever you can use for them to purchase your situation and that's the model that I would use

I'm not saying the new people because they're going to be harder for somebody who doesn't have a name but somebody

who already has a name. I'm just telling you the numbers again. If you got a thousand people giving you $5,000, there's the numbers. You can't lose on that. And you see the people making you sleep, Jess, and you're making $30,000, whatever,

and you're resting because this shit that you put out hat is moving while you're sleeping. She didn't kill them with sunglasses. Come on right there with it, you know what I'm saying? Yo, but people don't want to do that because they like, this is what I heard from some artists. I'm going to mention his name. Somebody just said, yeah, that's dope, though, but I want people to hear my music worldwide.

Nigel, you're already famous. Meaning that they want to put their music on the platforms so everybody can hear it. You passed that already. But you know what? What some people get, you know, I could understand that artist because, like, if your fan base is used to just getting it anyway. You know, there's so many subscription-based shits going on. It's like, yo, I got to ask for, they got to pay for something else. And people with the fans, like, even in the Twitch chat,

they're always like, somebody always selling something. And it's like, you know, how many subscriptions do you want or can you pay for? But yes, but you work hard. We get up in the morning. We go to work. I press them buttons. I do all that shit. And all of a sudden, somebody, would you buy something?

Would you give away something for a penny? Nah, I'm with you. I get it. That what I'm saying. Like, yo, I'm giving away something for less than one cent. Yeah. That's all I'm saying. Now, like at this stage now, I'm selling my ship for less than a penny.

No, I can't do that. And it feels like robbery when I hear artists say the music is the promo for the tour and the merch. I'm like, nah, you should be getting paid off the music too. Solomon, I'm glad you mentioned that that right there is so true. That's what they be saying, which is crazy. That's also crazy. No, it makes no sense. I went to the Massa Pills shop the other day.

I dropped some coins. You did? What? Because they had the Nas-Illmatic jacket. That shit's so fired. Ghostface, my favorite artist. So when you're walking around the store, you like a kid in the candy shop,

it's all of this different merch. You want the merch? Certain things I did do. Like, next year I got, Levi's got the EPMD jacket, EPMD shirt. They signed Nas and they signed EPMD. That's dope.

I did it for... Jeanne jackets? Yeah, jean jacket. Come on, man. But I did it for the leverage of stuff, knowing that there was no money. I don't know. I don't know what Nas got paid, but they didn't give me a dime. Now, I'm leaving out.

I'm cool. I'm cool. But again, the leverage of me having this and then being able to use that. Everything usually too, though. I know y'all know about leverage. Leverage is the money will come, but certain things you do, things you do to get into the second door and the third door. Yeah.

You know what I'm saying? You know, I'm like, hell yeah, fuck it. You know, I'm like, hell yeah, fuck it. What it was. But, you know, they're giving me two things. The shirt was just the first thing. It's like, oh, we want to give you a jacket too. Yeah.

Let's do that. You fuck it, you know. Well, all this business success, I also saw you talk about the artist you could have signed that you didn't sign. So like 50 cent, Rick Rawls, Akon, Fugis. Like, looking back at that now, like, first of all, how, did you not think to just do the label and then keep all those artists close to your chest

because you see this is what I said on one of my posts that I'm sorry for keep repeating the stories but then the beautiful lady asked again so you're gonna hear it again for the third podcast you know at the time I was just I had my own groups so I didn't look at you know what it was what somebody else was doing I had my own crew the hit squad was my own crew so when when they was

when all of them was coming to you me at the time, I wasn't, you know, focused on them like that. I kind of, listen, man, the guy got to say Bernard, Envy going to know too, Bernard back there's like, too, he bought me the Fugees, whatever, I just wasn't at the time paying attention to it at the time, you know? But again, lucky I didn't, because the Lauren Remy, without that, probably wouldn't have heard the Fugees, you know? None of those artists that you mentioned excited me.

There's one artist that I always wish was with Eric Sturman. and hit squad. Who's that? Cannabis. Yeah, he was with me. I know, but I wish he would have stayed with y'all and did his debut album.

I know. We'd be having a whole other conversation about cannabis. But again, Ross was brought to me by Tony Draper, you know, and he was Teflon, so I did put him on the 99 album as Teflon, though.

What happened with Cannabis? Why didn't he stay with you? He signed to Dwight. Oh, yeah, but again, yeah, the money. The money was always. offered. I think it was like a million dollars, something like that was offered to him. I wouldn't have took the money. Take the sound. That sound would have been totally different.

But all those groups, the Wu-Tangs, the whole nine, too, again, Bernard, his father had a church in Staten Island, you know, for over 30 years, and he took me to the, whatever project they was at, whatever, and I met all of them. There's a picture, I told you, that's out, Park Hill. There's a picture that's out with me or my I rock, with all them on it, you know? It was out there somewhere and now we can't find it but but again um you know I was really going to sign Ray Kwan by himself first but um again time go by you know and I ended getting rob and stuff now so they got you back they got it you know so with this album is a title volume one you got other volumes coming yeah volume two is coming so two and I

just like looked at it's kind of crazy because I played a locks record by mistake on the on another podcast on you know on his podcast on Joe and Jay Yeah, and I didn't know that they were going to keep it, so it's playing. My daughter said, yo, that was the Lox record. I'm like, how do you know about that? She said, oh, no, it's on the podcast. At the end, so at the end, it played. So I had that as a surprise.

I might be got to make something else if I don't get popular. But I already do CNN, you know. Oh, it's going to get popular. You number one in 49 countries, baby. No, no, no, no, but I have all the stuff CNN, Black Star, you know, you know, shit, I was getting the locks I told you before. Damn it, A-ball MJG,

Rayquine and Ghostface. Healther-skelter. No, no, this is what I've had, illegal. Oh, you got illegal? Yeah. Okay. It's a, it's a, don't forget, it's 23 groups, right?

The reason why I put on Little Wayne, the game, and Conway is because I'm also doing making up dynamic duels, too. The Little Wayne is not on the one that you're hearing, but they played that on Joe and Jay, too, and that's also going. I'm like, God damn, I can't even bring the remix back, you know what I'm saying? Yeah. You got Wayne and Burr? man. Yeah. Yeah, but no, what about

big timers? Yeah. Big time. Fire. You get that. Yeah. So, so people ask me too, where's the South groups?

You think I don't want to get, you know, you know, UGK, PimC's not here. I think we want to get outcast if I could. This is impossible to get those. So, you know, I didn't want to go all New York. I used three West Coast. I did dog pound, snoop in the Nate Dog and Cybers Hills.

And the game. You know? In the game. Yeah. right so but i didn't want to go all east i could have went that way because my first thing i wanted to get was slick rick and and dougie i wanted to make another show part two just differently my way you know just i had i called them first and nice and smooth i couldn't get smooth i couldn't get the um the things going at the time but but i want to do um um common and and and um what's that

Oh, my God. You need black star? I got, yeah. You said black star? You said black star? Yeah. It's a common? Common who?

Black door. Oh, okay. So I want to make my duels, put them together, though, too. It makes sure. Hey, Envy, you know what? I was playing the Dallas P record on your album. You know, that beat was, yo, it was tough. Yo, way before it's time.

Tough. Okay, is there anything that we're going to lose in Charlemaine? Eric was supposed to sign him. And listen. Are you supposed to sign him to Simon? Yes. Listen, I need you to... You know, this right here's going to sound crazy, though,

but I need to make sure that we got clickbaits. So start something up real quick. No, he did. Seems you up to the thing. All of the young people here, when they talk about the Diddy Dog, they'd be like, oh, man, I ain't know Diddy was messing with dudes. So they'd be like, Little Rod, Kurt, Eric Sermon. I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa, you ain't watched the doc then if you say Eric Serman.

I never heard of why say Eric Serbian. Nobody said that shit. It's just the perception of the doc. Because the guy that's... No, I'm serious. Listen to me, Eric. Eric, listen to me. The perception of the doc.

It's crazy. You know, I'm not even mad. He's my friend, but this is, I'm not, I'm not even mad. This is him. You know, I'm not even mad. You know, I'm not even mad. Listen, I said, I did it. Right.

Hey, Jess. I've never heard that. Hey, Jess, you know what? Listen, listen, I don't want to be the interview where it was like, okay. Like, y'all have the biggest. stars in America and like and like and have the people up here that be saying some other shit that would no Eric you got a story already you don't have to do that you guys let me let me do listen man what you about to do I need to have to click I need the shit to be

I need some trying to be on some rage at so like you want that virality yeah you want that virality there was another young Eric there was another young Eric there's another young boy up here that was talking and he was just talking about the did he And he was like, yeah, man, dude didn't pay the producer $250,000. And the producer says sometimes he woke up with girls. Sometimes he woke up with boys. And I'm like, what's the producer? He was like Eric Sermen.

I said, no, that was little broad. Oh, you said that? Yes. That's what I'm trying to tell you. These young people, you know, listen, Salamane, I'm going to believe you for a quick second. Why you just told me to make up some clickbait? Wow. You just told me to make up some shit.

Now you think you believe that. But the documents don't say that, though. No. That's my point. Why you're listening to me? Absolutely. You know what the hook bait for me? You don't want it.

You don't even know I'm doing clickbait. Okay, my bad. Let's get into a record off down. What you want to hear him out of me? Eric is so funny, though. Which one of you want to play? Oh, man. Let's do sidewalk executives, man.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. MOP. Let's get into it now. E-Double, we appreciate you for joining us. Okay. Love you. You know, you'll do some. Wait, wait, wait.

Wait, wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. No, no, right. No, listen. No, because Charlamagne is not being fair. This right here is, that's a cool one, but, no, you usually do a lot more, and I feel like I'm getting shorted. No, no, not. You're a icon.

You have real stories to tell. I was here back in, I was here in 1997. You wasn't here on 97. I was here 99. I got one. You said it was stories you told and a doctor that didn't make it. Tell us one of those stories. Oh, no, no, I can't.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. What's the other for? No, I didn't do that. I'm not doing that. But, Jess, I can do that. Hey, Jess, listen. Are you going to make me viral or you're not? I am.

I already did it earlier, but I'll say it again. When Diddy drove you around the corner. Was he in the backseat? Was he sitting behind you? Thank you. You, I love it. I love it. No, I love you.

We heard it was a cool. Peace. Peace, we love you. Thank you. We love you. We love you. Bye-bye. Thank you.

Bye-bye. Peace. The breakfast club. Good morning. Get my feet. Wake that ass up. Earl, in the morning. The Breakfast Club.

I know he has a reputation, but it's going to catch up to him. Gabe Ortiz is a cop. His brother Larry, a mystery Gabe didn't want to solve until it was too late. He was the head of this gang. You're going to push that line for the cause? Took us under his wing and showed us the game, as they call it. When Larry's killed, Gabe must untangle a dangerous past. one that could destroy everything he thought he knew.

Listen to the Brothers Ortiz on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. She said, Johnny, the kids didn't come home last night. Along the central Texas planes, teens are dying, suicides that don't make sense, strange accidents, and brutal murders. In what seems to be, a plot ripped straight out of Breaking Bad. drugs, alcohol, trafficking of people.

There are people out there that absolutely know what happened. Listen to paper ghosts, the Texas teen murders, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Danny Shapiro. We were in the car, like a Rolling Stone came on, and he said, there's a line in there about your mother. And I said, what? What I would do if I didn't feel like I was being accepted is choose an identity

that other people can't have. I knew something had happened to me in the middle of the night, but I couldn't hold on to what had happened. These are just a few of the moving and important stories on my 13th season of Family Secrets. Listen to Family Secrets on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Atlanta is a spirit.

It's not just a city. It's where Cronk was born in a club in the West End. Before World Star, it was 5.59. Where preachers go viral. And students at the HBCU turned hard. break into resurrection, where Dreamers brought Hollywood to the South and hustlers bring their visions to

create black wealth. Nobody's rushing into relationships with you. I'm Big Rube. Listen to Atlanta is on the I-Hard Radio app. Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. You know the shade is always Shadiest right here.

Season 6 of the podcast Reasonably Shady with Jazele Bryan and Robin Dixon is here, dropping every Monday as two of the founding members of the Real Housewives Potomac were giving you all the laughs, drama, and reality news you can handle. And you know we don't hold back.

So come be reasonable or shady with us each and every Monday. Listen to reasonably shady from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.