20 of the Best Beats Produced by Erick Sermon

What makes a great producer? Some would say a sonic signature and an unmistakable style that helps shape cultural waves. Whenever the age-old debate about producers gets started, names like Pete Rock and DJ Premier seem to swirl in the atmosphere as names that helped to shape hip-hop during its golden era. Rarely, though, do heads entirely give props to the green-eyed bandit, Erick Sermon.

The E of EPMD, Erick and Parish brought their brand of Rakim-inspired energy and wordplay that took the game by storm. They moved units and released three studio albums before they broke hip-hop’s heart and split ways -- a move that helped to shape the career paths of both the Hit Squad, which counted Das EFX in its ranks, and the Def Squad, which consisted of Keith Murray and Redman. Their breakup had a few purported causes, including the rumor that Erick setting up PMD to be robbed and shady money dealings. Regardless, they regrouped roughly three years later.

Aside from his work on the mic, Erick got just as busy on the boards. As a producer, his sound has a distinctive blend of thick funk, deep chunky bass and a tinge of electro synth. He probably has one of the most underrated catalogs out there. We've taken the liberty of digging through the 48-year-old legend's discography and compiling 20 of the best records he ever produced. So sit back and relax, you in the danger zone.