Erick Onasis: Def Squad Presents Erick Onasis

As a producer, one-third of EPMD, and the mentor of artists such as Redman and Keith Murray, Erick Sermon has left an indelible mark on hip-hop. As a solo artist, however, he's been a non-entity, releasing a pair of forgettable albums, neither of which scored critical or commercial success. At a crossroads in his career, Sermon has done what any reasonable rapper would do: switch labels and rename himself after a short, repulsive Greek billionaire whose marriage to Jackie Kennedy horrified a nation. Never the world's best rapper, Onasis is a quintessential team player, at his best when surrounded by superior MCs. Not surprisingly, then, the best songs on Def Squad Presents Erick Onasis are collaborations in which Sermon's remedial lyrics and penchant for obvious pop-culture references are rendered irrelevant by strong chemistry and rock-solid production. "Focus" is an irresistible party jam featuring Xzibit and DJ Quik that takes its cues from Quik's airy, Vocoder-happy West-Coast funk. "Why Not" skillfully alternates between Sermon's lisping, cartoonish flow and Slick Rick's butter-smooth delivery. The low-riding, infectious Too $hort collaboration "Fat Gold Chain" would be a highlight if it weren't a scaled-down, renamed, inferior version of "Buy You Some" from $hort's 1996 album Getting It, minus strong verses from MC Breed and Kool-Ace. Onasis sags when Sermon is handling mic duties, but his still-underrated production more than picks up the slack. Consistently solid and filled with mix-tape-worthy collaborations, Onasis may just be the album to break Sermon's solo losing streak.