Spin Doctors Sessions- Sermon's Domain

SC: Where you repping from?
SD: I'm born and raised in Seattle, Washington.

SC: How did you come up with the name for your site?
SD: In high school, I acquired the nickname Sermon from someone I knew. My real name is Erich, so he started calling me "Erick Sermon, The Generic Version," based off the 8 Mile line (and it was random too). It just kind of shortened over time to Sermon. Then, when I was thinking of names, I wanted something that felt like mine. Max B's "Public Domain 2" came out in late December 2007 and somehow I just kind of connected the domain part.

SC: Your a dope interviewer (also shout out to highlighting your interview key points on your YouTube page). Who was your favorite interview and why?
 SD: There's so many to choose from. I've done over 60 interviews with all kinds of big names ranging from Mac Miller to Next (remember them?). If I had to name a couple, I say my first Tech N9ne one, which was 30 minutes, is up there but got lost on a hard drive. Same with my Lil B one that was special. The interview I did with Glasses Malone and Mistah F.A.B. was hilarious. Riding in a car with Macklemore back to Seattle from Federal Way created a good long interview. There's so many.

SC: What are some tips for artists to improve their interviewing skills?
SD: Watch old promos that The Rock cut. Ha. Nah, in all seriousness, you just have to be able to talk and think on the spot. It's not rocket science. If you got a personality, show it. Going back to the Glasses and F.A.B. interview I did, you'd never expect either to be really funny but put them together and it was hilarious. They were comfortable. Any artist needs to also act like they want to do the interview and they need to give good answers like their career depends on it (maybe a little too extreme). I've seen artists give one sentence answers to deep questions and it sucks, especially when it happens to you as an interviewer.

SC: I remember reading your Sunday Sermons  "Do you remember me?" article and your "Preach on, Sermon: The Red pill or the Blue Pill" (I love the wordplay in that title) and feel in love with your site. How important is writing articles/editorials on a hip hop site to you?
SD: First off, I really do appreciate you reading those two pieces. I'm glad they've worked and helped bring new people to the site. I feel like writing editorials and other pieces is very important because it personalizes the site more. You also stand out from those who just post music all day. That's why I think Sermon's Domain has become respected, for all the writing I do and opinions I share. My number one goal is to be a journalist/writer for my career and the site has allowed me to hone my abilities. For me, that's exactly what I wanted to do over time. I learned more on my own than in school so far.

SC: What are some things that you are seeing going wrong within hip hop?
SD: There's a lot of things going wrong with hip-hop. A big problem is labels making these multi-million dollar deals for an artist who has the "flavor of the month" single. A lot of them don't end up being beneficial in the long run but they still insist on doing them. But, I'm not here to try to fix the problems. I'm here to introduce good talent to the world through my site and maybe one day labels will pay attention to it.

SC: I'm going to do the chicken or the egg riddle with you, since you gave me that answer. Do you think that's more of the artists or the labels fault with the current state that it's in?
 SD: It's both. Artists got lazy and felt like they didn't need to have the necessary skills to really master their craft. One single puts a lot of pressure on someone and when they come into all this money off it, it's just a lot to handle. That's why you don't see artists like YC ("Racks On Racks") or Hurricane Chris too much anymore. The game needs one hit wonders but the deals they get are unfair and that's why labels are losing. Come up with a new type of deal that caters to this ideal.

SC: What are some pet peeves that artists do to you (Whether it be dealing with your site or in hip hop in genreal)?
SD: Currently, I hate the words "music submission." I get hundreds daily it seems. You have to be different. I dislike when an artist types in ALL CAPS LIKE WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS? Then, there's the Twitter spam. Oh, lord, the Twitter spam. It's so frowned upon within the blog community but struggling rappers don't seem to listen. I've had artists with thousands of followers spam me, which leads to suspect they were bought numbers. You wouldn't need to spam unless they were.

SC: What are 3 tips that you would give inspiring artists?
SD: 1. Actually be interested in the blog you're pitching to. So many artists grab an email, add them to their list and never try to make it personal or build a legit connection. You can tell the difference from someone who actually likes your site versus one who doesn't. Like, you, for instance, referenced two pieces I wrote by title, so I know you read the site.

2. Be creative with your approach. This is a tough one for anybody. Standing out isn't easy when everyone is a rapper, producer, manager, etc. The best bet is to get out to these events and link up with someone in person. Introduce yourself but don't come on forced and trying to get on their site. If you establish a relationship, eventually that person might want to check out your music. It takes time. That's just one way of doing it.

3. DO NOT try to sound like anybody else. Discover your own sound and don't be trying to duplicate a Rick Ross or Chief Keef. From the production to the lyrics to the concept, someone we've never heard is going to stand out in the long run. You got to find your niche with your music.

SC: Any shout outs or last words?
SD: I appreciate you for reaching out to want to do this interview. It made me think and share some insight into things I've never really spoken on. Keep up the good work.