EPMD legend Eric Sermon reflects on the unexpected impact of an 8 Mile line that brought him new recognition—from his kids.
Erick Sermon recently joined Peter Rosenberg on Juan Ep Is Life to share stories from his long career in hip hop. The host was curious about one moment: a memorable name-drop in Eminem’s 8 Mile.
Surely, you remember this line: “You’re like Erick Sermon, the generic version”.
Delivered by B-Rabbit in a battle, it was both a jab at his opponents and a shout out to the rapper Eminem admired. However, Sermon did not anticipate the surprising aftermath.
“I got cool with my kids when Eminem mentioned my name”, he said. “In school, they were telling my kid, ‘Yo, is your dad the one that Eminem said?’ 8 Mile was that big… him saying my name was huge to my kids”.
For a younger generation, being named by Eminem in 8 Mile carried instant credibility. Sermon understood that immediately. The exposure was powerful and showed how far Em’s words could reach.
Respect That Predates the Movie
Long before that moment on screen, Eminem felt the same power emanating from EPMD’s music.
In 2020, before playing “You Gots to Chill” on Shade45, he explained:
“The first time I saw this video, EPMD had done something to me that had not been done yet in hip hop. It was the way they mixed funk, the beats, with mellow vocal tones. That shit was so crazy… This is when you knew that hip hop was not going away”.
Later, Em jumped on Nas’s track “EPMD 2” from King’s Disease II, sharing a verse to pay tribute to hip hop icons who shaped his sound.
New Plans: Sermon Eyes a Posse Cut
Now Sermon wants to take the tribute further. He’s considering a new posse cut based on Eminem’s famous “’Till I Collapse” verse, the one where Em names his personal top MCs:
Reggie, JAY-Z, 2Pac and Biggie
André from OutKast, Jada, Kurupt, Nas, and then me.
Whether it happens or not, the bond between generations of MCs remains strong.
And that one line in 8 Mile, originally a battle jab, still carries weight, especially for Sermon’s kids.
