Sunday Music: Too $hort And Erick Sermon, "Buy You Some"

Back in the '80s, Erick Sermon revolutionized sampling, first through his work with EPMD, and later with countless rap and R&B collaborations. His signature sound had this unmistakable energy. Just like the way his voice was subdued and strong, his beats were restrained and tense with this depth. Others tried to copy, but nobody quite had it like Sermon – and that's a contribution to hip-hop deserving of far more recognition than it typically receives.

While Sermon was forming the East Coast sound of the '90s, he couldn't help but notice some of the West Coast elements dancing around, just beyond his grasp. Way over in California, Too $hort was crafting his own unique approach, and also about to leave a lasting impression.

Too $hort mostly opted to buck the sampling trend entirely – a lot of people don't know it. He loved working with live musicians so much that even when presented with a perfectly usable sample, he'd recreate it. There was something about capturing the sound himself in a live room (not to mention, there was something extra special about avoiding sample clearance laws).

Isn't it ironic that while Too $hort was pioneering his musician-driven approach out West, he was equally fascinated by the sounds Erick Sermon was getting back East?

Rivalries? Psshht. If there are rivalries everywhere, we can find mutual respect everywhere too.

By the mid-'90s, Sermon was solo and Too $hort was still doing his thing. They met for a show in Atlanta. Sermon had already moved there from NYC, and he invited Too $hort to come out and play. The coastal beef was already underway, and they wanted to show off their Switzerland status, if not lead by example, showcasing another path forward. The gig went so well that they decided to head to a studio afterward.

Too $hort was already working on his record with The Dangerous Crew and had a drummer and guitar player with him that night. They worked out a basic beat, pressed record, and captured the now-classic "Buy You Some."

It's sloppy. It sounds messy. And it's funky as all hell.

I remember hearing it and thinking, "If they could do this, at this quality, why can't I? This is like a bad Roots!"

Which, strangely enough, came up when Questlove asked Sermon about the song on Questlove Supreme. Quest said he was jealous of how popular the song got, and told Sermon how his boys would make fun of him with, "How you gonna let Erick Sermon come in with a broken, junky-sounding drum set and a half-tuned guitar, and out-do The Roots?" It hurt, and he knew they were right. Even his manager would chime in with, "Do you remember when YOU used to sound that RAW?"

There's magic in this track.

The instrumental backing might seem understated by the standards of Dr. Dre, or even the sample-plus-musician layering A Tribe Called Quest had already accomplished. But, like The Roots' manager used to say, it's just so RAW. And it could only happen by putting the two of them together, on the spot, and pressing record.

Erick Sermon and Too $hort never seem to get their full due. I get the sense they're OK with it. But the fact remains, this moment in time is pure alchemy. Enjoy:

P.S. Little known personal detail: Too $hort’s one of several inspirations for why I do the intros the way I do on the podcasts. He started off making custom tapes for local drug dealers. Glorious, I know. But, everybody wanted him (and his partner at the time) to rap about them on their own personalized songs. It became a status flex around town to have one of these made for you. While I may not have the audience (or the drug dealers) to make one of my custom intros a total status flex, I do believe the level of details and exclusivity have to be worth something, right?! Nothing beats a totally custom experience. Thanks for the idea Short Dog.

If you want more on Erick Sermon and Too $hort, look no further than each of their Questlove Supreme interviews. Both are incredible. It’s awesome to see them have their contributions highlighted.

*go find the Green Eyed Remixes compilations, please, I can’t believe I missed so many of these being gathered in one place!