Sync Con 2023 honored 50 years of Hip Hop with a special tribute to Erick Sermon, the legendary rapper, producer, and one-half of the iconic duo EPMD. The Hip Hop at 50 Celebration was one of the most defining moments of the three-day music-for-media conference, recognizing Sermon’s legacy and the genre’s influence across music, culture, film, and television.
Known as The Green-Eyed Bandit, Sermon has shaped the sound of hip hop for more than three decades with timeless hits like You Gots to Chill, Crossover, and his solo anthem Music, which famously sampled Marvin Gaye. His music has appeared in several major films, including What’s the Worst That Could Happen? and The Lincoln Lawyer, along with various television and documentary projects that spotlight the evolution of hip hop.
As a guest mentor at the Sync Community and during its live segment, he teaches Sync Community members how to strategically position and license their music catalogs for placement in film, TV, and advertising. His insights bridge the worlds of hip hop and media, inspiring creators to view their art as both legacy and opportunity.
Sermon, whose camp has supported and participated in past Sync Con events, expressed excitement in being part of this year’s revolution and celebration of hip hop culture, calling it “a full-circle moment that honors hip hop’s evolution and the future of its creators.”
The Hip Hop at 50 Celebration served not only as a salute to Sermon’s enduring career but as a celebration of hip hop’s ongoing power to tell stories that move both sound and screen.
