'We really rap': Masters of the Mic tour brings hip-hop icons EPMD, Rakim to Rochester

The goal for teenage Erick Sermon was to simply get his song played on the radio.

Sermon didn't foresee multiple No. 1 albums or that he'd still be rocking stages with EPMD partner Parrish "PMD" Smith 35 years after their debut album "Strictly Business" became a staple recording from hip-hop's golden era.

The latest stage EPMD will rock is at Blue Cross Arena, when the Masters of the Mic: Hip Hop 50 tour visits Rochester at 7 p.m. Saturday. Rakim, KRS-One, Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh will join EPMD for the old school Hip Hop concert celebrating its 50th anniversary. Tickets can be purchased on ticketmaster.com.

"None of us knew this would last forever," Sermon told the Democrat and Chronicle.

Hip-hop honor: Rochester pastor to be honored with Hip Hop Hero Award at Blue Cross Arena

What can Rochester fans expect from Masters of the Mic: Hip Hop 50?

Rochester can expect a wide range of songs from EPMD's set. The duo spawned classic records like "Strictly Business" and "You Gots to Chill." Bring your dancing shoes when Sermon plays his Marvin Gaye-assisted "Music" from his 2001 solo album.

"We actually rhyme over the record. We're up there doing hip-hop," Sermon said. "We only know one way to perform, and we really rap. That's what people come to the show to see. Not to hear the radio. They come to see you really perform and really hear you on the mic. That's what we've been doing for years and we ain't going to stop."

Slick Rick is a revered storyteller whose 1988 album "The Great Adventures of Slick Rick" is held in high regard. His work with Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew — who shot an album cover in Rochester — on "The Show" and "La Di Da Di" are some of Hip Hop's most important recordings.

KRS-One, who began his career with Boogie Down Productions, is one of the most influential rappers ever. His thunderous voice helps him move crowds of all of ages, whether you know the words to "South Bronx" and "Black Cop" or not.

Rakim's multi-syllable rhymes and atypical flows birthed modern rapping techniques ahead of its time when he dropped "Paid in Full" in 1987 as part of the duo Eric B. and Rakim. Sermon praised Run DMC and Rakim as direct influences. Growing up on Long Island together, Sermon, who had a lisp, was inspired by Rakim's "slow flow".

"Everybody credits Rakim for their influence. Old and new," Sermon said.

Hip-hop is far removed from its boom bap beginnings. DJ Kool Herc created break beats with two turntables during a South Bronx party on Aug. 11, 1973. The genre evolved many times since, but Sermon saw a major culture shift in the mid-2000s when Atlanta and southern musicians leaped over New York City and the East Coast's dominance. Sermon said modern day hip-hop music should be placed into subgenres.

"It's not the same," Sermon said. "Hip-hop has a nostalgia with it. It got bigger but that doesn't mean it got better. No disrespect. ... It's not the culture."

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Masters of the Mic tour brings hip hop icons to Rochester NY