‘We really rap’: Masters of the Mic tour brings hip-hop icons EPMD, Rakim to Rochester – Democrat & Chronicle

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.

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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.