EPMD
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| EPMD | ||
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 Cover of their popular debut album, Strictly Business.
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Erick Sermon Parrish Smith |
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| Origin | Long Island, USA | |
| Genre(s) | Rap | |
| Years active | 1987 – 1993, 1997 – 1999, 2006 - | |
| Label(s) | Sleeping Bag Records Def Jam |
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EPMD is an American rap group from Brentwood, New York, active from 1987 to 1999; one of the prominent acts in East coast hip hop. The group's name is an acronym for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referencing its members: rappers Erick Sermon ("E Double") and Parrish Smith ("PMD"). Diamond J, DJ K La Boss, and later DJ Scratch were DJs for the group.
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[edit] Early years 1987-1993
EPMD's first album, Strictly Business, appeared in 1988, spawning the massive underground hit "Strictly Business", sampling Eric Clapton's version of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff". Many critics see their first album as their most influential. The group's brand of funk-fueled sample-heavy hip hop proved to be a major force in hip-hop. Unlike old school hip hop, which was first based on disco hits but eventually became more electronic, EPMD based its music mainly on lifting funk & rock breaks for samples, and helped to popularize their usage, along with Marley Marl and Public Enemy. "You're a Customer" combined snippets of Steve Miller's "Fly Like an Eagle", Kool & the Gang's "Jungle Boogie", and the bassline from ZZ Top’s "Cheap Sunglasses". "Jane", about a romantic rendezvous turned bad, would be revisited on no less than five sequels; a first for rap, and perhaps rock and roll. "You Gots to Chill" used 80s funk band Zapp's "More Bounce to the Ounce" , which has become one of the most enduring sample sources for rap. "I'm Housin'" was covered some 12 years later by Rage Against the Machine. Managed early on by Russell Simmons' RUSH Management, the group toured with such hip-hop luminaries as Run-DMC, Public Enemy, and DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince.
EPMD was signed to Sleeping Bag Records for their debut album Strictly Business, by electro funk pioneer, Kurtis Mantronik. Propelled by several strong singles (You Gots to Chill, the title track), the album eventually went gold, selling over 500,000 copies, as did 1989's follow-up, Unfinished Business. Financial frustrations followed when Sleeping Bag went under in 1990. The duo then signed to Def Jam. EPMD returned in 1990 with Business As Usual and Business Never Personal two years later. By 1992, they presided over an extended family dubbed Hit Squad, including Redman, K-Solo, Das Efx, Hurricane G, and the Knucklehedz.
In 1992, EPMD had a hit with their song "Crossover" which lamented rappers making blatant concessions to pop sensibilities (aka 'selling out') in order to get mainstream attention from music audiences.
The duo split by January of 1993, under controversial circumstances. According to interviews in The Source and Rap Pages, in late 1991, Smith’s house was burglarized by armed intruders. According to Smith, in the ensuing police investigation, one of the apprehended culprits supposedly gave up Sermon’s name as having allegedly paid them to do it. Sermon was arrested and briefly detained for questioning, but no charges were filed. Still, it led to lingering tensions, and by the time of the breakup, Sermon alleged financial impropriety on Smith’s part. The pair found themselves as solo artists by default: Sermon debuted in 1993 with No Pressure, followed by Double or Nothing (1995), Music (2001), and React (2002). Smith made his statements on 1994's Shade Business, followed by Business is Business (1996).
[edit] Later era 1997-1999
The duo re-formed EPMD in 1997, recording a comeback LP, Back In Business. Sermon released an album with Redman & Keith Murray as the Def Squad in 1998: El Niño went gold that same year. EPMD’s last LP, Out Of Business, was released in 1999 as both a single CD and a limited edition double CD. The limited edition double CD contained both new material and greatest hits. Smith released The Awakening (2003) on his own Hit Squad label, and Sermon released Chilltown, N.Y. (2004) on Motown/Universal. A Hit Squad compilation LP (overseen by Smith, featuring a new EPMD track) was released on Nervous Recordings in 2004.
[edit] Reunited in 2006
A reunited EPMD with DJ Scratch performed live st the Rock the Bells Tour in New York on October 14, 2006 at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, their first NYC show in 8 years. The tour also featured former Hit Squad members Keith Murray, Das Efx & Redman. YouTube currently hosts a number of videos of the EPMD reunion concert.
Two months later, in December, EPMD and Keith Murray released a new song, titled "The Main Event", produced by DJ Knowhow. It is currently uncertain whether or not the duo will record a new album together. In the March 2007 issue of Swedish rap magazine Quote Magazine Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith talks on whether the duo plans to record together again. On their recent tour they announced that they are working on a new album, called "We Mean Business".
[edit] Personnel
- Erick Sermon aka E-Double: vocals, production
- PMD (Parrish Smith): vocals, production
- DJ Scratch (George Spivey): D.J.
- DJ K La Boss - D.J., circa 1987-88
- Diamond J - D.J., circa 1986-87
[edit] Trivia
- EPMD used to stand for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", but they changed it to "Erick and Parrish Millenium Ducats" prior to the release of their last album titled "Out of Business" in 1999.
- AND 1 Mixtape Volume 2 starts off with the instrumental of the Introduction song featured in the album "Out of Business".
- This Introduction song from the album also appears in AND 1 Mixtape Volume 8 as a remixed instrumental in the chapter that features NBA players Marquis Daniels and Willie Green.
[edit] Discography
| Album cover | Album information |
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Strictly Business
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Unfinished Business
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Business as Usual
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Business Never Personal |
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Back In Business
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Out Of Business |
