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.
Can U Hear Me Now
Erick Sermon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can say whatever on the mic and when?
Let me see if you can hear me now when I'm doin this
Uh-huh, uh-huh, yeah, E. Sermon and ("Kurtis Blow!")
Can you hear me now? Good
Can you hear me now? Good
("Turn it up!") Don't take this serious
[Erick Sermon]
Yo check one two, mic's on
I'm well known like the Osbournes
Me - I love Kelly
See us both in the bed man, touchin bellies
This here "Pimp Juice," I got from Nelly
I got "Punk'd," show it on the telly, damn
My eyes green like Yoda, get cream like soda
Two thousand ("FOUR") means a brand new motor
Phoenix, capitol of Arizona
But that means nuttin, I'm just sayin somethin
Spare the moment them niggaz is suspect
I took a line from Keith Murray off his first cassette
I never took my dog to the vet
And I download songs off the net
But you would rather hear some rapper brag
Meanwhile, bombs bein dropped over Baghdad
[Chorus: x2]
Can you hear me now? Good
Can you hear me now? Good
("Turn it up!") Can you hear me now? Good - Can you hear me now? Good
Can you hear me now? Good
[Erick Sermon]
Check it, yo it's Erick I'm down by law
("TWO") plus ("TWO") equals ("FOUR")
I got no time to razzle and dazzle
I'm in the crib with dad playin Scrabble
I'm usin words like rat, cat
Cheating cause I wrote down Brat
And Brat's a rapper and you can't use names
Oh yeah, the Lakers lost last night's game
I caught me a flick I saw X-Men 2
"Where My Dawgs At?" I'm a X fan too
I'm black like Kunta, my girl got the badoonka
Let me introduce ya ("Hi I'm Big Sexy")
And this ain't got shit to do with nuttin
I'm on the microphone frontin
But this here wins, so I'ma say whatever to get spins
I got a Benz with rims, uh
[Chorus]
[Erick Sermon]
Uh, so mean, never seen the green, knahmean?
This jump off need two trampolines
Rock hard jeans sag low, new Timberlands
I works it like Missy and Timbaland
Cuban link chain hang E emblem
Chick 'round me multiplyin like Gremlins
Word to my momma, I bring drama
Like Osama, I'ma problem, period comma
I come through with the Bizkit, Limp'n
The Underground Kingz in the building, pimpin
Oh no, they must be feelin me
Pinch me now, this don't feel real to me
Oh yeah, it's my son's communion
Next month is my fan's reunion
Write this down in your pad
I'm thirty-("FOUR") and a half, and yeah I'm a Sagg'
[Chorus]
[Chorus: w/ ad libs to fade]
The lyrics of Erick Sermon's song "Can U Hear Me Now" can be seen as a commentary on the state of hip-hop, where anyone can say whatever on the mic and be heard, but the question is whether people are really listening and understanding the message. Erick Sermon starts off by referencing the Osbourne family, known for their reality TV show, and confessing his affection for Kelly Osbourne. He also mentions Nelly's song "Pimp Juice" and being "Punk'd" on a TV show, showcasing his pop culture references.
He goes on to talk about his own success and fame, comparing his green eyes to Yoda, expressing his financial gains, and mentioning his home state of Arizona. However, he also recognizes the fleeting nature of fame, referring to certain moments as suspect. He borrows a line from Keith Murray's song and admits to some personal quirks, like never taking his dog to the vet and downloading songs off the internet. Despite all these materialistic references, he acknowledges the reality of global conflicts like the war in Baghdad.
In the second verse, Erick Sermon continues to play with words, mentioning his affinity for playing Scrabble with his dad and cleverly using the name of the rapper Brat in his wordplay. He also mentions watching the movie X-Men 2 and his love for DMX's song "Where My Dogs At." He introduces a fictional character named "Big Sexy" and emphasizes that his lyrics may seem meaningless or nonsensical, but ultimately it's the delivery that matters in gaining radio spins. He ends the verse by boasting about his Benz with rims.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo, this what hip-hop is comin to?
Is this the current state of hip-hop?
You can say whatever on the mic and when?
Are you allowed to express anything on the microphone and at any time?
Let me see if you can hear me now when I'm doin this
Let's see if you can listen to me when I'm performing.
Uh-huh, uh-huh, yeah, E. Sermon and ("Kurtis Blow!")
Yes, it's E. Sermon and Kurtis Blow!
Can you hear me now? Good
Are you able to hear me now? Great
Can you hear me now? Good
Are you able to hear me now? Great
("Turn it up!") Don't take this serious
Increase the volume! Don't consider this too seriously.
("One, two, three four hit it!")
Counting to four before starting.
[Erick Sermon]
The following lines are spoken by Erick Sermon.
Yo check one two, mic's on
Check one, two. The microphone is turned on.
I'm well known like the Osbournes
I have fame like the Osbournes.
Me - I love Kelly
I love Kelly.
See us both in the bed man, touchin bellies
Picture us in bed, touching each other's stomachs.
This here "Pimp Juice," I got from Nelly
The 'Pimp Juice' I have is from Nelly.
I got "Punk'd," show it on the telly, damn
I got 'Punk'd'; they aired it on television, damn
My eyes green like Yoda, get cream like soda
My eyes are green like Yoda, and I make a lot of money.
Two thousand ("FOUR") means a brand new motor
In the year 2004, it signifies a new car engine.
Phoenix, capitol of Arizona
Phoenix, the capital of Arizona.
But that means nuttin, I'm just sayin somethin
But that is not significant; I'm just saying something.
Spare the moment them niggaz is suspect
At the spur of the moment, those guys are suspicious.
I took a line from Keith Murray off his first cassette
I used a line from Keith Murray's first cassette.
I never took my dog to the vet
I never took my dog to the veterinarian.
And I download songs off the net
Furthermore, I download songs from the internet.
But you would rather hear some rapper brag
But you prefer to listen to a rapper boast.
Meanwhile, bombs bein dropped over Baghdad
Meanwhile, bombs are being dropped over Baghdad.
Can you hear me now? Good
Are you able to hear me now? Great
Can you hear me now? Good
Are you able to hear me now? Great
("Turn it up!") Can you hear me now? Good - Can you hear me now? Good
Increase the volume! Can you hear me now? Great - Can you hear me now? Great
Can you hear me now? Good
Are you able to hear me now? Great
[Erick Sermon]
The following lines are spoken by Erick Sermon.
Check it, yo it's Erick I'm down by law
Listen up, it's Erick and I follow the rules.
("TWO") plus ("TWO") equals ("FOUR")
Two plus two equals four.
I got no time to razzle and dazzle
I don't have time for unnecessary showiness.
I'm in the crib with dad playin Scrabble
I'm at home playing Scrabble with my father.
I'm usin words like rat, cat
I am using words like rat and cat.
Cheating cause I wrote down Brat
Cheating because I wrote down 'Brat' on the board.
And Brat's a rapper and you can't use names
And Brat is a rapper, and you can't use names in Scrabble.
Oh yeah, the Lakers lost last night's game
Oh yes, the Lakers lost last night's game.
I caught me a flick I saw X-Men 2
I went to the movies and watched X-Men 2.
"Where My Dawgs At?" I'm a X fan too
"Where My Dawgs At?" I'm also a fan of X.
I'm black like Kunta, my girl got the badoonka
I am as black as Kunta Kinte, and my girl has a large posterior.
Let me introduce ya ("Hi I'm Big Sexy")
Allow me to introduce you ("Hello, I'm Big Sexy")
And this ain't got shit to do with nuttin
And this doesn't have anything to do with anything.
I'm on the microphone frontin
I am pretending on the microphone.
But this here wins, so I'ma say whatever to get spins
But this song will succeed, so I'll say anything to get airplay.
I got a Benz with rims, uh
I have a Benz with rims, uh
Can you hear me now? Good
Are you able to hear me now? Great
Can you hear me now? Good
Are you able to hear me now? Great
("Turn it up!") Can you hear me now? Good - Can you hear me now? Good
Increase the volume! Can you hear me now? Great - Can you hear me now? Great
Can you hear me now? Good
Are you able to hear me now? Great
[Erick Sermon]
The following lines are spoken by Erick Sermon.
Uh, so mean, never seen the green, knahmean?
Uh, so exceptional, never witnessed this level of success, you know what I mean?
This jump off need two trampolines
This event requires two trampolines.
Rock hard jeans sag low, new Timberlands
Wearing loose jeans and new Timberland boots.
I works it like Missy and Timbaland
I work it like Missy Elliott and Timbaland.
Cuban link chain hang E emblem
My necklace has a Cuban link chain with an 'E' emblem.
Chick 'round me multiplyin like Gremlins
Women around me are increasing in number like Gremlins.
Word to my momma, I bring drama
I swear to my mother, I bring conflict.
Like Osama, I'ma problem, period comma
Like Osama, I am a significant problem, full stop and comma.
I come through with the Bizkit, Limp'n
I arrive with the group Bizkit, limping.
The Underground Kingz in the building, pimpin
The Underground Kingz are present, pimping.
Oh no, they must be feelin me
Oh no, they must be enjoying my music.
Pinch me now, this don't feel real to me
Pinch me now; this doesn't feel real to me.
Oh yeah, it's my son's communion
Oh yes, it's my son's communion ceremony.
Next month is my fan's reunion
Next month is the reunion for my fans.
Write this down in your pad
Make sure to write this down in your notebook.
I'm thirty-("FOUR") and a half, and yeah I'm a Sagg'
I am thirty-four and a half, and yes, I am a Sagittarius.
Can you hear me now? Good
Are you able to hear me now? Great
Can you hear me now? Good
Are you able to hear me now? Great
("Turn it up!") Can you hear me now? Good - Can you hear me now? Good
Increase the volume! Can you hear me now? Great - Can you hear me now? Great
Can you hear me now? Good
Are you able to hear me now? Great
[Chorus]
This is the chorus.
[Chorus: x2]
This is the chorus, repeated twice.
[Chorus: w/ ad libs to fade]
This is the chorus, with additional improvised vocalizations until the song fades out.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Erick S. Sermon, Kurt Walker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind