EPMD is an American hip-hop music group from Brentwood, New York, active fr… Read Full Bio ↴EPMD is an American hip-hop music group from Brentwood, New York, active from 1987 to 1999, reuniting in 2006; one of the prominent acts in East coast hip hop.

The group's name is an acronym for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referencing its members: rappers Erick Sermon ("E Double") and Parrish Smith ("PMD"). Diamond J, DJ K La Boss, and later DJ Scratch were DJs for the group.

The duo split by January of 1993, under controversial circumstances. According to interviews in The Source and Rap Pages, in late 1991, Smith’s house was burgled by armed intruders. According to Smith, in the ensuing police investigation, one of the apprehended culprits supposedly gave up Sermon’s name as having allegedly paid them to do it. Sermon was arrested and briefly detained for questioning, but no charges were filed.

Hold Me Down
EPMD Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Erick Sermon]
Hold me down
Hold me down
Hold me down
Ah yeah yeah hold me down
Yeah uh-huh uh-huh, hold me down
Word up, yeah, yeah, to hold me down
Hold me down

Word to, everybody that, hold me down
Huh? Ah-huh, yo, what?

Hey yo P back me up now, hold me down
While I go around this town, snatching crowns
From those supposed, wannabe rap vocalists
If you nice get your rope and dosey-do in this
Let me know something, you wanna fight? Let's go something
If not, close your mouth and say nothing
Y'all imitations, fucking up the whole situation
With sucker MC infiltration

[Parrish Smith]
Hey yo straight up, you light MC's better get your weight up
I'm benching three hundred and change, starving cats get ate up
Ain't that ill? How I can just stare, and watch the blood spill
From an unknown rapper, but now the rapper's no thrill
Now how real is that? Burning gats, knifes and bats
Hot rhyme, status, with the hot wax
Mixed with the street slang, is where it's at
Perhaps, you should close your mouth kid and slide back

Yo E, hold me down
I'm holding you down
Yo P, hold me down
I'm holding you down
Yo E, hold me down
I'm holding you down
PMD, hold me down
I'm holding you down
Yo E, hold me down
I'm holding you down
PMD, hold me down
I'm holding you down
Yo E, hold me down
I'm holding you down
PMD, hold me down
I'm holding you down

[Parrish Smith]
You got shit harder than this, Erick Serm' and Parrish Smith?
What's this? Piped out five, with the kit?
And millions to back it, keep it rugged never wack kid
This ain't just rhymin, God's on the way, and he's askin
Who's been followin the rules, two noided, so we strap tools
And can't cool, this go out to the cats in school
It's not the norm, word bond, so get ready for the rainstorm
Too hot, fuck lukewarm, when we swarm

[Erick Sermon]
Yeah we swarm MC's with the bee effect, zzzzz, sting em
Like Muhammad, set the scene I'm bombin on
CEO's, A&R's, street team to a manager
For the cream, we damage ya
On light-skinned, dark-skinned, albino
From a crackhead, dopefiend, or wino
Bring the Ultra-ment, stick you with the Magnetic
Give a shout, to them sweet cats, rap diabetics

Yo P, hold me down
I'm holding you down
Yo E, hold me down
I'm holding you down
Yo PMD, hold me down
I'm holding you down
Yo E, hold me down
I'm holding you down
Yo PMD, hold me down
I'm holding you down
E-Dub, hold me down
I'm holding you down
Mic Doc, hold me down
I'm holding you down
Green Eyed Bandit, holding it down
Yeah, I'm holding you down

[Parrish Smith]
Niggas trying to jam the frequency, when on the low
They be peeping me and the E, DJ Scratch, EPMD
The Dream Team, who fiend for the cream since sixteen
Dodging po-nine and marks, with the high beams
God-body, rap style, Mazerrati
Catching bodies, E Double holding shit down with the sawed off shotty
What you thought? We taking more than nickels and shorts?
Get the fuck out of here, nothing sweet here, you get your shit torched

[Erick Sermon]
I spit flames at Oklahoma
When done, you can smell the Sermon aroma
In a coma, burned to death, man listen
Did he deserve, the kicked to the curb, ass whipping?
Believe you me, it was his destiny
For the child to end for fucking with men
P and I got something for all y'all
Who stand tall, and dose that like to ball
So we ball like Spalding, in the time of need
Who you calling when your career is falling?
Way down, you've been hit, lay down
Hit the ground, don't get up, stay down

Relax a minute, you shouldn'ta put your two cents in it
Now you up a creek, in the back of a car that's rented

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to EPMD's song "Hold Me Down" are written in a conversational style between Parrish Smith and Erick Sermon. The song is about the duo's feelings toward the music industry and fake rappers. The opening verse shows the importance of having people who genuinely support you and "hold you down" while ridding the industry of phony rappers. The second verse talks about Parrish Smith's strength as an MC and his disdain for rappers who don't put in the work. He raps about how he's been successful in the industry by staying true to himself and not compromising his ability.
The chorus sees the two trading verses about who is holding each other down in a mutually beneficial relationship. The third verse shows off Erick Sermon's skills as an MC and his ability to bring different rap styles together. The verse highlights the duo's lyrical flow and the way they can swap between each other's verses while still maintaining their unique style. The last verse of the song is about the duo's ability to dominate the rap space and the consequences of trying to challenge them.

Line by Line Meaning

Hold me down
Erick Sermon asks for his friends to support him during his activities

Hold me down
Reiterating the request for support from friends

Hold me down
Continuing to request for support

Ah yeah yeah hold me down
Acknowledges the support he has already received

Yeah uh-huh uh-huh, hold me down
Asking for support with enthusiasm

Word up, yeah, yeah, to hold me down
Asking for support using street slang

Hold me down
Continuing the request for support

Word to, everybody that, hold me down
Acknowledging and appreciating the people who have already supported him

Huh? Ah-huh, yo, what?
Asking for a response from his friends

Hey yo P back me up now, hold me down
Asking his friend P to support him immediately

While I go around this town, snatching crowns
Erick Sermon will be busy challenging and outdoing competitors

From those supposed, wannabe rap vocalists
Competing with rap artists who are not as talented

If you nice get your rope and dosey-do in this
Asking proficient competitors to challenge him

Let me know something, you wanna fight? Let's go something
Challenging anyone who opposes him

If not, close your mouth and say nothing
Asking people to avoid voicing opinions if they cannot compete

Y'all imitations, fucking up the whole situation
Calling out inferior artists who are ruining the industry

With sucker MC infiltration
Accusing these inferior artists of dominating the industry

Hey yo straight up, you light MC's better get your weight up
Asking less successful rap artists to improve their skills

I'm benching three hundred and change, starving cats get ate up
Parrish Smith is a powerful competitor who easily defeats less proficient artists

Ain't that ill? How I can just stare, and watch the blood spill
Parrish Smith is so powerful he can win without trying hard

From an unknown rapper, but now the rapper's no thrill
Parrish Smith defeats his competitors so easily that they are perceived as uninteresting

Now how real is that? Burning gats, knifes and bats
Asserting his authenticity by saying he doesn't need weapons to win

Hot rhyme, status, with the hot wax
Employing his impressive rapping skills to win

Mixed with the street slang, is where it's at
Using street slang adds to his authenticity

Perhaps, you should close your mouth kid and slide back
Asking less skilled artists to step back

Yo E, hold me down
Reiterating the request for support from Erick Sermon