In rap music's infamous "golden era," subliminal shots both real and imagined flew back and forth often. On an upcoming episode of Math Hoffa's My Expert Opinion, Erick Sermon discusses subliminal shots between Rakim and EPMD.
"Rakim came out with 'I Ain't No Joke' and said 'You could get a sack for this.'" the "You Gots To Chill" MC recounted. "Then we came out with 'You're A Customer' and said 'It's like a dig 'em smack, you smack me and I'll smack you back.' The hood took it, and they [said to Rakim], 'You heard what EPMD said, they dissed you.'"
Sermon then tells the story of an encounter at EPMD and Eric B. & Rakim's accountant's office.
"It was Eric B., his brother Ant Live, me and Rakim. I'd [previously] told this girl that I wasn't feelin' Rakim's last album, and I didn't know that she went and told him. This is the God, and I rhyme because of him. I came in the room, and he was sitting there, and he said, 'You're stressin me.' We were on the 20th floor in front of a big window, I could see me going through that widow."