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{{Infobox album
| name       = Def Squad Presents Erick Onasis
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[Erick Sermon]]
| cover      = Def Squad Presents Erick Onasis.jpg
| alt        =
| released   = {{Start date|2000|6|27}}
| recorded   = 1999&ndash;2000
| studio     = {{hlist|L.I.T.E. Recording Studios ([[Long Island]], NY)|Mirror Image Recorders (New York)|[[Masterdisk]] (New York)|Urban House Studios, Inc. ([[Atlanta]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|GA]])}}
| genre      = [[Hip hop music|Hip hop]]
| length     = {{Duration|m=47|s=9}}
| label      = [[DreamWorks Records|DreamWorks]]
| producer   = {{hlist|[[DJ Scratch]]|[[Erick Sermon]]|[[Redman (rapper)|Redman]]|Suave House Productions, Inc.}}
| prev_title = [[Double or Nothing (Erick Sermon album)|Double or Nothing]]
| prev_year  = 1995
| next_title = [[Music (Erick Sermon album)|Music]]
| next_year  = 2001
| misc       = {{Singles
 | name        = Def Squad Presents Erick Onasis
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = Focus
 | single1date = 2000
 | single2     = [[Get da Money]]
 | single2date = 2000
 | single3     = Why Not
 | single3date = 2000
}}
}}
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="AllMusic">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/def-squad-presents-erick-onasis-mw0000064154|title=Def Squad Presents Erick Onasis Def Squad|last=DiBella|first=M.F.|website=[[AllMusic]]|language=en-us|access-date=April 4, 2019}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''RapReviews''
| rev2score = 7.5/10<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2000_07_onasis.html|title=Erick Onasis :: Def Squad Presents Erick Onasis :: Dreamworks|date=July 19, 2000|website=RapReviews|access-date=April 4, 2019}}</ref>
}}
'''''Def Squad Presents Erick Onasis''''' is the third solo studio album by American rapper and record producer [[Erick Sermon]]. It was released on June 27, 2000, via [[DreamWorks Records]]. 

The recording sessions took place at L.I.T.E. Recording Studios in [[Long Island]], Mirror Image Recorders and [[Masterdisk]] in New York, and Urban House Studios, Inc. in [[Atlanta]]. The album was produced by Sermon, [[DJ Scratch]], [[Redman (rapper)|Redman]], and Suave House Productions, Inc. It features [[guest appearance]]s from Khari, Redman, Sy Scott, Big Kim, Billy Billions, Boe & Ruck, [[Dave Hollister]], [[DJ Quik]], [[Eazy-E]], [[Ja Rule]], [[Keith Murray]], Noah, Nolan Epps, Peter Moore, [[PMD (rapper)|PMD]], [[Slick Rick]], [[Too $hort]], and [[Xzibit]]. It also features the recording debut of rapper [[Rick Ross]], who went by his original name Teflon da Don.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.15174/title.rick-ross-recalls-drawing-inspiration-from-epmd|title=Rick Ross Recalls Drawing Inspiration From EPMD|last=Burgess|first=Omar|date=May 18, 2011|website=[[HipHopDX]]|access-date=April 4, 2019}}</ref>

The album peaked at number 53 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] and number 15 on the [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] charts in the United States. It was supported with three singles: "Focus", "[[Get da Money]]" and "Why Not".

==Album title significance==
The album title is based on an alias that Sermon briefly adopted at the time for this particular album. In regards to the meaning, he stated:
<blockquote>"The name is something I came up with when I was watching the [coverage of the] death of [[John F. Kennedy Jr.|JFK Jr.]] They [were] talking about him and [[Kennedy family|his family]] and [[Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis|his mom]] came up, and then [[Aristotle Onassis|Aristotle]] came up. Then I read something on him, about four or five pages. And it was interesting to me, about how he was, how spiritual he was, how he was just coming up in the game until he mastered his field and became who he became. So I took that name".</blockquote>

Another reason for the album's title was due to contractual issues stemming from Sermon's previous label [[Def Jam Recordings]].<ref name=":0" /> Because of the issue, ''Def Squad Presents Erick Onasis'' was promoted as a [[compilation album]], despite Sermon's appearance and production on most of the songs.

==Track listing==
{{Track listing
| all_writing = 
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| title1 = Talk to Me
| note1 = Intro
| writer1 = [[Erick Sermon]]
| extra1 = [[Erick Sermon]]
| length1 = 1:41
| title2 = I Do 'Em
| writer2 = {{hlist|E. Sermon|[[DJ Scratch|George Spivey]]}}
| extra2 = [[DJ Scratch]]
| length2 = 2:23
| title3 = Don't Get Gassed
| writer3 = {{hlist|E. Sermon|[[Hank Shocklee|James Boxley]]|[[Chuck D|Carlton Ridenhour]]|[[Eric Sadler]]}}
| extra3 = Erick Sermon
| length3 = 2:41
| title4 = Why Not
| note4 = featuring [[Slick Rick]]
| writer4 = {{hlist|E. Sermon|[[Slick Rick|Richard Walters]]}}
| extra4 = {{hlist|Erick Sermon|Darryl "Pop" Trotterr <small>({{abbr|co.|co-producer}})</small>}}
| length4 = 3:00
| title5 = Live It up (Interlude)
| note5 = featuring [[Redman (rapper)|Redman]] and Khari
| writer5 = {{hlist|E. Sermon|[[Redman (rapper)|Reginald Noble]]|Khari Santiago}}
| extra5 = [[Redman (rapper)|Redman]]
| length5 = 2:40
| title6 = Hostility
| note6 = featuring Redman and [[Keith Murray]]
| writer6 = {{hlist|E. Sermon|Noble|[[Keith Murray]]}}
| extra6 = Erick Sermon
| length6 = 2:52
| title7 = Mastering With E
| note7 = Skit
| writer7 = {{hlist|E. Sermon|T. Gist}}
| extra7 = Erick Sermon
| length7 = 0:28
| title8 = So Sweet
| note8 = featuring [[Eazy-E]]
| writer8 = {{hlist|E. Sermon|[[Eazy-E|Eric Wright]]|[[Rick Rubin]]|[[Ad-Rock|Adam Horovitz]]|[[Adam Yauch|Nathaniel Yauch]]|[[Mike D|Michael Diamond]]}}
| extra8 = Erick Sermon
| length8 = 3:17
| title9 = Focus
| note9 = featuring [[DJ Quik]] and [[Xzibit]]
| writer9 = {{hlist|E. Sermon|[[DJ Quik|David Blake]]|[[Xzibit|Alvin Joiner]]|[[Roger Troutman]]|[[Larry Troutman]]}}
| extra9 = {{hlist|Erick Sermon|[[DJ Quik]] <small>({{abbr|add.|additional producer}})</small>}}
| length9 = 4:25
| title10 = Feel Me Baby
| note10 = featuring Khari and Sy Scott
| writer10 = {{hlist|E. Sermon|Santiago|Sy Scott}}
| extra10 = Erick Sermon
| length10 = 3:16
| title11 = Can't Stop
| note11 = featuring [[Dave Hollister]] and Peter Moore
| writer11 = {{hlist|E. Sermon|[[Dave Hollister]]|Peter Moore|[[Phife Dawg|Malik Taylor]]|[[Ali Shaheed Muhammad]]|[[Ronnie Foster]]|[[Q-Tip (musician)|Jonathan Davis]]}}
| extra11 = Erick Sermon
| length11 = 4:05
| title12 = [[Get da Money]]
| note12 = featuring [[Ja Rule]]
| writer12 = {{hlist|E. Sermon|[[Ja Rule|Jeffrey Atkins]]}}
| extra12 = Erick Sermon
| length12 = 3:38
| title13 = Ain't Shhh to Discuss
| note13 = featuring [[Rick Ross|Teflon Da Don]] and Noah
| writer13 = {{hlist|E. Sermon|[[Rick Ross|William Roberts]]|Noah Stephenson|[[T-Mix|Triston Jones]]}}
| extra13 = Suave House Productions, Inc.
| length13 = 3:36
| title14 = Sermon
| note14 = Speech
| writer14 = E. Sermon
| extra14 = Erick Sermon
| length14 = 0:56
| title15 = Vangundy
| note15 = featuring Big Kim, Sy Scott, Nolan Epps, Boe & Ruck, Billy Billions and [[PMD (rapper)|PMD]]
| writer15 = {{hlist|E. Sermon|Kim Sermon|Scott|Nolan Epps|T. Warren|Robert Sherman|Harrell Dixon|[[PMD (rapper)|Parrish Smith]]}}
| extra15 = Erick Sermon
| length15 = 4:51
| title16 = Fat Gold Chain
| note16 = featuring [[Too $hort]]
| writer16 = {{hlist|E. Sermon|[[Too Short|Todd Shaw]]}}
| extra16 = Erick Sermon
| length16 = 3:20
| total_length = 47:09
}}

;Sample credits
*Track 3 contains excerpts from "[[Don't Believe the Hype]]" written by [[Hank Shocklee|James Boxley]], [[Chuck D|Carlton Ridenhour]] and [[Eric Sadler]], performed by [[Public Enemy]].
*Track 6 contains excerpts from Public Enemy's ''[[It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back]]''.
*Track 8 contains excerpts from "[[The New Style (song)|New Style]]" written by [[Rick Rubin]], [[Ad-Rock|Adam Horovitz]], [[Adam Yauch]] and [[Mike D|Michael Diamond]], performed by the [[Beastie Boys]].
*Track 9 contains an interpolation from "I Play the Talk Box" written by [[Larry Troutman]] and [[Roger Troutman]].
*Track 11 contains excerpts from "[[Electric Relaxation]]" written by [[Phife Dawg|Malik Taylor]], [[Ali Shaheed Muhammad|Ali Muhammed-Jones]], [[Ronnie Foster]] and [[Q-Tip (musician)|John Davis]], performed by [[A Tribe Called Quest]].

==Personnel==
{{div col}}
*[[Erick Sermon]] – vocals, producer <small>(tracks: 1, 3, 4, 6-12, 14-16)</small>, mixing <small>(tracks: 13, 15)</small>, executive producer, sleeve notes
*Richard "[[Slick Rick]]" Walters – vocals <small>(track 4)</small>
*Reginald "[[Redman (rapper)|Redman]]" Noble – vocals <small>(tracks: 5, 6)</small>, producer <small>(track 5)</small>
*Khari Santiago – vocals <small>(tracks: 5, 10)</small>
*[[Keith Murray]] – vocals <small>(track 6)</small>
*Eric "[[Eazy-E]]" Wright – vocals <small>(track 8)</small>
*David "[[DJ Quik]]" Blake – vocals and additional producer <small>(track 9)</small>
*Alvin "[[Xzibit]]" Joiner – vocals <small>(track 9)</small>
*Sy Scott – vocals <small>(tracks: 10, 15)</small>
*[[Dave Hollister]] – vocals <small>(track 11)</small>
*Peter Moore – vocals <small>(track 11)</small>
*Jeffrey "[[Ja Rule]]" Atkins – vocals <small>(track 12)</small>
*William "[[Rick Ross]]" Roberts – vocals <small>(track 13)</small>
*Noah Stephenson – vocals <small>(track 13)</small>
*Kim "Big Kim" Sermon – vocals <small>(track 15)</small>
*Nolan Epps – vocals <small>(track 15)</small>
*T. Warren – vocals <small>(track 15)</small>
*Robert Sherman – vocals <small>(track 15)</small>
*Harrell Dixon – vocals <small>(track 15)</small>
*Parrish "[[PMD (rapper)|PMD]]" Smith – vocals <small>(track 15)</small>
*Todd "[[Too $hort]]" Shaw – vocals <small>(track 16)</small>
*George "[[DJ Scratch]]" Spivey – producer <small>(track 2)</small>
*Triston "[[T-Mix]]" Jones – producer <small>(track 13)</small>
*Darryl "Pop" Trotter – co-producer <small>(track 4)</small>
*Tommy Uzzo – engineering & mixing <small>(tracks: 2, 4, 11)</small>
*Marc Berto – engineering & mixing <small>(tracks: 3, 5, 8-10, 12, 15, 16)</small>
*Troy Hightower – engineering & mixing <small>(track 6)</small>
*Bernard Alexander – executive producer, marketing
*Jaycen Joshua – associate executive producer
*Johnny Sparkles – art direction, design
*[[Jonathan Mannion]] – photography
*[[Ron Handler]] – A&R
*Kisha Maldonado-Madrid – A&R, project management
*Chris Tricarico – project coordinator
*Deborah Mannis-Gardner – sample clearances
{{div col end}}

==Chart history==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col" |Chart (2000)
! scope="col" |Peak<br /> position
|-
{{album chart|Billboard200|53|artist=Def Squad|rowheader=true|access-date=April 4, 2019}}
|-
{{album chart|BillboardRandBHipHop|15|artist=Def Squad|rowheader=true|access-date=April 4, 2019}}
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://ericksermon.bandcamp.com/album/def-squad-presents-erick-onasis Def Squad Presents: Erick Onasis] on [[Bandcamp]]
*{{Discogs master|188353|Def Squad Presents Erick Onasis}}

{{Erick Sermon}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:2000 albums]]
[[Category:Erick Sermon albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Redman]]
[[Category:DreamWorks Records albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by DJ Scratch]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Erick Sermon]]