Sermon is best known as one half of the late-1980s/1990s hip-hop group EPMD. He began recording solo albums for Def Jam in 1993.
In 1997, he rejoined EPMD. The following year, Sermon, Keith Murray and Redman recorded a cover version of "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang, the first hit hip-hop record. EPMD disbanded a second time in 1998. In 2000, Sermon moved over to J Records, and released the album Music the following year. The title track (a Top 40 pop hit that also made it to #2 on the R&B music charts), featured guest vocals from late soul music legend Marvin Gaye, culled from unreleased recordings which Sermon reportedly found in a small record shop in London. React was released in 2002.
In 2003, J Records dropped Erick Sermon due to poor record sales. However, he still went on to establish his Def Squad imprint with Motown Records. At this time, he recorded an album, Chilltown, N.Y., which was released a year later in 2004. The album was powered by the single "Feel It" (which contained a sample of Reggae/R&B Singer Sean Paul), a song which became a moderate success in the United States. In an interview, he stated that he was going to step aside and try to get upcoming artists in the spotlight.
However, Sermon hasn't stopped doing music altogether, as he has produced the song "Goldmine" on Busta Rhymes' album, The Big Bang in 2006. Very soon after, Sermon recorded "Don't Make No Sense" with Def Squad.
Sermon joined up again for a special EPMD worldwide tour in 2006, were he was being held company by Keith Murray among others.
Ain't No Future. . .2001
Erick Sermon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Def Squad, 2002, uh
Aiyyo this sound hard, somethin funky people gon' dance to
Give the record a second, and a chance to
Hittin people like a scene of amazement
Floored by Erick Sermon arrangement
Frontin I can never do (uh-huh)
You checkin out the sounds of a scholar
You say, "Hi E - tell 'em HOLLA, HOLLA!"
I'm the E Double, and I proclaim my name
Straight up big game, peep all gangs
I'm like a rhino, stomp through the roughest pack
They figure I'm a trigga happy nigga so they step back
E, the microphonest
Who last the longest and who the strongest?
It's not a game, it's plain to see (ha)
Check out the sounds of E, and the Squad of D
"To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all"
Y'knahmsayin? Ain't no future in yo' frontin
I never got caught with a kilo
If you ever do, it would never be with me yo
I ain't the one to be servin up a ki' yo
I sell work, but it's more like sellin beats yo
Yo - I never have to worry about me gettin jumped
If I ever do, R-E-D, pop the trunk
Me and my crew, got somethin for all y'all (uhh)
When I'm on the mic, don't play at all
I clock mad G's a week, boomin at my peak
Everytime the E's asked to program a beat
I put it down like this for everybody
Then throw a Def Squad cool out party
Takin over, barkin like a doggie named Rover
(Woof!) I'm pickin suckers like a four-leaf clover
They bitin lyrics on the mic cause they cobras
Are they sayin E.D.'s? Cause ain't no future in yo' frontin
"To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all"
Y'knahmsayin? Ain't no future in yo' frontin
Yo, I'm the E, D-O-U-B-L-to the E and
Down with my homey Keith, and the R-E-D and
Niggaz talk shit cause we still be disagreein
I don't give a FUCK cause I'm from N.Y.C
In the city, where pretty ones low
If you ever shoot through my city NOW YOU KNOW
We get biz, and we got pride
If you don't feel this, then nigga break wide
Cats be lookin, for the M-O-N-E-Y
Livin illegal, is the way, so they die
Cause I ain't got time, to see if things work out
Things get hard I'm robbin no doubt
That be the way, E.D. can not be different
Never change the ways of the world of the government
If I was the President, I'd stay fat
Leave it up to me, I'd paint the White House black
Ain't no future in yo' frontin
"To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all"
Y'knahmsayin? Ain't no future in yo' frontin
Yo, I got dough in my pocket, not from rollin
If I was a fiend then my gold would be stolen
Put my name E, on everything I own
My Excursion truck, outlined in chrome
Shined up good, ride through your neighborhood
StarTec phone, fat rims, and the Kenwood
Music kicked around and, can I have a drop?
Just because I'm ridin people think I'm sellin rocks
Ain't no future in yo' frontin
"To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all"
Y'knahmsayin? Ain't no future in yo' frontin
Yo, I'm cool to the rules of the world
Livin life raw, cause I never liked the law
Wear top ten on my ass my own jeans
Sell the game, tit for tat to the fiends
Make much dough but never break a sweat
Time to move out? My niggaz sayin BET
You got my back and I got yours
What time is it? Tear down the doors
"To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all"
Ain't no future in yo' frontin
"To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all"
Ain't no future in yo' frontin
"To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all"
Ain't no future in yo' frontin
"To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all"
Uhh, yo, combustible, uhh
Uhh, yeah, huh, Def Squad
Huh, PPP yeah uhh
Funky Noble y'all, huh uh, Phillie addict uh
Keith Murray word up uh-huh
Uh-huh, yeah, Daytona y'all
Uhh, uhh, Khari uh-uh
Sy Scott, uh, what? How we do what?
Uh, all day baby
Def Squad, uh, uh peace to MC Breed
Uh-huh, yo, uh-huh, yeah yeah
Check it out y'all, uh
In Erick Sermon's song "Ain't No Future...2001", the rapper delivers a hard-hitting message about his uncompromising values and work ethic. From the get-go, Sermon is confident in his flow, declaring his sound to be hard and funky and urging listeners to give it a chance. He boasts of being a scholar in the game, proclaiming his name with pride and daring others to test his skills. Sermon shows no tolerance for fronting or dishonesty, stating that selling drugs isn't his game-- instead, he channels his energy into producing beats and clocking big G's (dollars) at his peak.
The song's central theme is encapsulated in its repeated phrase, "Ain't no future in yo' frontin". Essentially, Sermon is saying that you can't fake your way through the game-- eventually, your lack of authenticity will catch up with you. The song also touches on themes of loyalty, with Sermon expressing solidarity with his crew and a commitment to looking out for one another. Overall, "Ain't No Future...2001" is a statement of purpose from a talented MC who knows where he stands and isn't afraid to say it.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, peace to MC Breed
Giving respect to MC Breed
Def Squad, 2002, uh
Introducing the group and the year the song was released
Aiyyo this sound hard, somethin funky people gon' dance to
The song is catchy and meant for dancing
Give the record a second, and a chance to
Asking the audience to listen carefully
Hittin people like a scene of amazement
The song is impressive and captivating
Floored by Erick Sermon arrangement
Acknowledging Erick Sermon's talent in making the song
Frontin I can never do (uh-huh)
Not pretending to be someone else
So now I'm lookin dead at you, so what you gonna do?
Directing the question to the audience
You checkin out the sounds of a scholar
Claiming to be knowledgeable and skilled in music
You say, "Hi E - tell 'em HOLLA, HOLLA!"
Asking for a shoutout from Erick Sermon
I'm the E Double, and I proclaim my name
Introducing himself as Erick Sermon
Straight up big game, peep all gangs
Looking impressive and intimidating
I'm like a rhino, stomp through the roughest pack
Being tough and unstoppable
They figure I'm a trigga happy nigga so they step back
Being perceived as dangerous
E, the microphonest
Being skilled in rapping
Who last the longest and who the strongest?
Questioning who will stay on top
It's not a game, it's plain to see (ha)
The music industry is serious and requires talent
Check out the sounds of E, and the Squad of D
Promoting his group Def Squad
"To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all"
Encouraging people to dance along to the beat
Y'knahmsayin? Ain't no future in yo' frontin
Questioning the value of fronting or pretending
I never got caught with a kilo
Claiming to have no involvement with drugs
If you ever do, it would never be with me yo
Not wanting to be associated with drug-related activities
I ain't the one to be servin up a ki' yo
Not willing to sell drugs
I sell work, but it's more like sellin beats yo
Selling his music instead of drugs
Yo - I never have to worry about me gettin jumped
Not being afraid of physical confrontation
If I ever do, R-E-D, pop the trunk
Having backup from his crew
Me and my crew, got somethin for all y'all (uhh)
Being able to handle anything that comes their way
When I'm on the mic, don't play at all
Taking music seriously
I clock mad G's a week, boomin at my peak
Earning a lot of money from his music
Everytime the E's asked to program a beat
Being in demand for his music production skills
I put it down like this for everybody
Making music that appeals to everyone
Then throw a Def Squad cool out party
Celebrating the group's success
Takin over, barkin like a doggie named Rover (Woof!)
Dominating the music industry
I'm pickin suckers like a four-leaf clover
Being successful in finding good opportunities
They bitin lyrics on the mic cause they cobras
Being imitated by jealous competitors
Are they sayin E.D.'s? Cause ain't no future in yo' frontin
The song's title is a warning against pretending
Niggaz talk shit cause we still be disagreein
Having disagreements with other rappers
I don't give a FUCK cause I'm from N.Y.C
Being proud of his hometown
In the city, where pretty ones low
Living in a place where attractive people are common
If you ever shoot through my city NOW YOU KNOW
Warning outsiders about the dangers of his city
We get biz, and we got pride
Taking their music career seriously
If you don't feel this, then nigga break wide
Challenging people who don't appreciate their music
Cats be lookin, for the M-O-N-E-Y
Other rappers are motivated by money
Livin illegal, is the way, so they die
Being involved in illegal activities is dangerous
Cause I ain't got time, to see if things work out
Taking risks without worrying about the consequences
Things get hard I'm robbin no doubt
Being willing to resort to robbery in difficult times
That be the way, E.D. can not be different
Being true to oneself no matter what
Never change the ways of the world of the government
Resisting conformity and authority
If I was the President, I'd stay fat
Jokingly commenting on the difficulties of being a president
Leave it up to me, I'd paint the White House black
Wanting to do things differently if he were in charge
Yo, I got dough in my pocket, not from rollin
Having money from music, not from drugs
If I was a fiend then my gold would be stolen
Being grateful for not being involved in drugs
Put my name E, on everything I own
Being proud of his work and putting his name on it
My Excursion truck, outlined in chrome
Having a fancy car
Shined up good, ride through your neighborhood
Showing off his car in other people's neighborhoods
StarTec phone, fat rims, and the Kenwood
Having the latest technology and accessories
Music kicked around and, can I have a drop?
Networking and asking for opportunities
Just because I'm ridin people think I'm sellin rocks
Being profiled as a drug dealer
Yo, I'm cool to the rules of the world
Not conforming to societal norms
Livin life raw, cause I never liked the law
Preferring to live life on his own terms
Wear top ten on my ass my own jeans
Being unique and not following fashion trends
Sell the game, tit for tat to the fiends
Making music for his fans
Make much dough but never break a sweat
Being successful effortlessly
Time to move out? My niggaz sayin BET
His crew is always ready to move on to the next opportunity
You got my back and I got yours
Loyalty among friends
What time is it? Tear down the doors
Motivating his crew to take action
"To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all" "To the beat y'all"
Repeating the beat to encourage dancing
Uhh, yo, combustible, uhh
Introducing a new artist
Uhh, yeah, huh, Def Squad
Repeating the group name
PPP yeah uhh
Referring to another group
Funky Noble y'all, huh uh, Phillie addict uh
Introducing more new artists
Keith Murray word up uh-huh
Acknowledging Keith Murray's talent
Daytona y'all
Referring to a brand of car
Uhh, uhh, Khari uh-uh
Introducing another new artist
Sy Scott, uh, what? How we do what?
Asking how they make music
Uh, all day baby
Saying they are always working on music
Def Squad, uh, uh peace to MC Breed
Ending the song with shoutouts
Uh-huh, yo, uh-huh, yeah yeah
Repeating the beat as the song ends
Check it out y'all, uh
Inviting the audience to keep listening to their music
Lyrics © A SIDE MUSIC LLC
Written by: GEORGE CLINTON, ROGER TROUTMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind