EPMD
Cover of their popular debut album, Strictly Business.
Background information
Birth name	Erick Sermon Parrish Smith
Origin	Long Island, USA
Genre(s)	Rap
Years active	1987 – 1993, 1997 – 1999, 2006 -
Label(s)	Sleeping Bag Records Def Jam

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. Image File history File links StrictlyBusinessEPMD.jpg Licensing This image is of a music album or single cover, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the album or the artist(s) which produced the music or artwork in question. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Map showing Long Island; to the north is Connecticut and to the west are New York City and New Jersey. ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Sleeping Bag Records is a defunct New York City-based old school hip hop and dance music independent record label that operated from 1981 to 1992. ... Def Jam Recordings is an American based hip-hop record label that operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Music Group, which is owned by Universal Music Group. ... Brentwood is a hamlet ( and census-designated place ) located in Suffolk County, New York. ... NY redirects here. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Backronym and Apronym (Discuss) Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations, such as NATO, laser, and ABC, written as the initial letter or letters of words, and pronounced on the basis of this abbreviated written form. ... Alphanumeric List 1-9 1200 Techniques 2 Live Crew Fresh Kid Ice Luke Skyywalker Mr. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... DJ Scratch (born George Spivey) was introduced to EPMD by Jam Master Jay at the Runs House Tour after DJ K LA Boss left Erick Sermon and PMD. Impressed by his skills, the two designated DJ Scratch as their official D.J. by their second album Unfinished Business in...

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. An album is a collection of related audio tracks distributed to the public. ... Strictly Business is the debut album by rap duo EPMD. In 2003, the album was ranked number 459 on Rolling Stone magazines list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The famous Clapton is God graffiti Eric Patrick Clapton CBE (born 30 March 1945), nicknamed Slowhand, is a Grammy Award winning English guitarist, singer and composer, who is one of the most successful musicians of the 20th century,[1] garnering an unprecedented three inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall... Robert Nesta Marley OM (February 6, 1945 – May 11, 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist. ... I Shot The Sheriff is a song written by Bob Marley. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Old school hip hop is a term used to describe the very earliest hip hop music to come out of the block parties of New York City in the 1970s and 1980s. ... This article is becoming very long. ... Electro, short for electro funk (also known as robot hip hop and Electro hop) is an electronic style of hip hop directly influenced by Kraftwerk and funk records (unlike earlier rap records which were closer to disco). ... {{Infobox musical artist 2 |Name = John Dixon |Img = JohnDixon. ... Public Enemy, also known as PE, is a seminal hip hop group from Long Island, New York, known, in accord to their fans, for their politically charged lyrics, criticism of the media, and active interest in the concerns of the African American community; for others, they are known for their... Steve Miller (born October 5, 1943 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American blues and rock and roll guitarist and performer. ... Fly Like an Eagle is a song written by Steve Miller for the album Fly Like an Eagle. ... Kool & the Gang is a highly successful R&B/soul/funk/disco group. ... Jungle Boogie is a funk song released in 1973 by Kool and the Gang on their album Wild and Peaceful. ... ZZ Top is an American blues rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. ... Cheap Sunglasses is a song by ZZ Top off their 1979 album Degüello. ... Roger Troutman Zapp (also known as the Zapp Band) was a soul and funk band formed in 1978 by brothers Roger Troutman , Larry Troutman, Lester Troutman, and Terry Troutman, and also included Bobby Glover, Eddie Barber, Jannetta Boyce, Jerome Derrickson, Sherman Fleetwood, Gregory Jackson, and [[Michael Warren (musician)|Michael Warren... Rage Against the Machine is a Grammy Award-winning American rock band, noted for their blend of hip hop, hard rock, punk and funk as well as their vocal revolutionary socialist beliefs. ... Russell Simmons (born October 4, 1957 in Queens, NY), is an American entrepreneur, the co-founder, with Rick Rubin, of the pioneering hip-hop label Def Jam, founder of another label, Russell Simmons Music Group, and creater of the clothing fashion line Phat Farm. ... Run-DMC is a famous hip hop crew founded by Jason Mizell (Jam Master Jay) and includes Joseph Run Simmons and Darryl DMC McDaniels, all from Hollis, Queens. ... Public Enemy, also known as PE, is a seminal hip hop group from Long Island, New York, known, in accord to their fans, for their politically charged lyrics, criticism of the media, and active interest in the concerns of the African American community; for others, they are known for their... Will Smith For the geologist who invented fossil correlation, see William Smith. ...

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. Sleeping Bag Records is a defunct New York City-based old school hip hop and dance music independent record label that operated from 1981 to 1992. ... Strictly Business is the debut album by rap duo EPMD. In 2003, the album was ranked number 459 on Rolling Stone magazines list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. ... Electro, short for electro funk (also known as robot hip hop and Electro hop) is an electronic style of hip hop directly influenced by Kraftwerk and funk records (unlike earlier rap records which were closer to disco). ... Kurtis Khaleel (born 4 September 1965, Jamaica), better known as Kurtis Mantronik, is an American hip hop artist who is part of the group Mantronix. ... Unfinished Business is the sophomore effort from legendary Hip Hop duo EPMD. Released one year after their classic debut Stricly Business, Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith were able to avoid the so-called sophomore curse with another acclaimed album. ... Def Jam Records is an American based hip-hop record label that operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Music Group, which is owned by Universal Music Group. ... Business As Usual is the third album from Hip Hop duo EPMD, their first on leading rap label Def Jam. ... Business Never Personal is the fourth album from Hip Hop duo EPMD. After receiving mixed reviews for their previous effort Business As Usual, the duo was able to return to their past acclaim here, the album is considered as their third classic, and was their most successful effort. ... The Hit Squad was a 1990s hip hop collective of East coast hip hop artists formed by Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith better known as EPMD. The collective separated when EPMD broke up in 1993. ... For the chewing tobacco, see Red Man. ... K-Solo (born Kevin Madison) is an American rapper from New York who, along with EPMD, Redman, Das Efx, and Keith Murray, was part of The Hit Squad in 1990s. ... Das EFX is an American hip-hop group. ... Hurricane G (born Gloria Rodríguez) is a Puerto Rican rapper from New York. ...

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). To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... No Pressure is the debut solo album by hip-hop artist Erick Sermon. ... Double Or Nothing is the second solo album by hip-hop artist Erick Sermon. ... Allegory of Music on the Opéra Garnier Music is an art form that involves organised sounds and silence. ...

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. Back In Business is the return album from legendary Hip Hop duo EPMD, who broke up due to personal problems in 1992. ... Keith Murray (born on September 13, 1974 in Central Islip, New York) is a rapper and a member of the rap trio Def Squad, which includes fellow rappers Redman and Erick Sermon. ... Def Squad is a rap supergroup consisting of Erick Sermon, Redman & Keith Murray. ... El Niño is the first album by hip hop supergroup Def Squad. ... Out Of Business is the last album from Hip Hop duo EPMD, who changed their acronym for the release, from Erick & Parrish Making Dollars to Erick & Parrish Millennium Ducats. ... Reefer Madness was issued in a Special Addiction as a reference to the cult films ironic appeal. ... A double album is an audio album of sufficient length that two units of the medium in which it is sold (especially records and compact discs) are necessary to contain the entirety of it. ... The Awakening is the name of an 1899 novel by Kate Chopin and a 1980 sculpture by J. Seward Johnson, Jr. ... Chilltown, New York is an Erick Sermon album released in 2004. ... Motown Records, Inc. ... The Hit Squad was a 1990s hip hop collective of East coast hip hop artists formed by Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith better known as EPMD. The collective separated when EPMD broke up in 1993. ...

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".

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

This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Parrish J. Smith (born May 13, 1968) is an east coast rapper from Smithtown, New York. ... DJ Scratch (born George Spivey) was introduced to EPMD by Jam Master Jay at the Runs House Tour after DJ K LA Boss left Erick Sermon and PMD. Impressed by his skills, the two designated DJ Scratch as their official D.J. by their second album Unfinished Business in... DJ or dj may stand for Disc jockey, dinner jacket The DeadJournal website, or Djibouti. ... Jesus (8–2 BC/BCE to 29–36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ...

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.

A pair of And 1 basketball shoes. ... A pair of And 1 basketball shoes. ... The National Basketball Association of the United States and Canada, commonly known as the NBA, is the premier professional basketball league in North America. ... Marquis Antwane Daniels (born January 7, 1981 in Orlando, Florida) is a 66 (198 cm), 200 lb (91 kg) shooting guard/point guard for the National Basketball Associations Dallas Mavericks. ... Willie J Green (born July 28, 1981 in Detroit, Michigan) is a professional basketball player in the NBA. After a college career at the University of Detroit Mercy, Green was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the second round (41st overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft. ...

Discography

Album cover	Album information
	Strictly Business Released: 1988 Certification: Gold Billboard 200 chart position: #80 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #1 Singles: "It's My Thing"/"You're A Customer", "Strictly Business", "You Gots to Chill", "I'm Housin'"/"Get Off the Bandwagon"
	Unfinished Business Released: 1989 Certification: Gold Billboard 200 chart position: #53 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #1 Singles: "So Wat Cha Sayin'", "The Big Payback", "You Had Too Much to Drink"/"It's Time to Party"
	Business as Usual Released: 1990 Certification: Gold Billboard 200 chart position: #36 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #1 Singles: "Gold Digger"/"Rap is Outta Control", "Rampage"/"I'm Mad", "Give the People"/"Manslaughter"
	Business Never Personal Released: July 28, 1992 Certification: Gold Billboard 200 chart position: #14 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #5 Singles: "Crossover", "Headbanger"/"Scratch Bring it Back, Pt. 2 (Mic Doc)"
	Back In Business Released: September 16, 1997 Certification: Gold Billboard 200 chart position: #16 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #4 Singles: "Never Seen Before"/"Never Seen Before (Remix)", "Richter Scale"/"Intrigued", "Da Joint"/"You Gots 2 Chill '97"
	Out Of Business Released: June 29, 1999 Certification: none Billboard 200 chart position: #13 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #2 Singles: "Symphony 2000"/"Right Now"

Image File history File links StrictlyBusinessEPMD.jpg Licensing This image is of a music album or single cover, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the album or the artist(s) which produced the music or artwork in question. ... Strictly Business is the debut album by rap duo EPMD. In 2003, the album was ranked number 459 on Rolling Stone magazines list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Unfinishedbusiness. ... Unfinished Business is the sophomore effort from legendary Hip Hop duo EPMD. Released one year after their classic debut Stricly Business, Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith were able to avoid the so-called sophomore curse with another acclaimed album. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Businessasusual. ... Business As Usual is the third album from Hip Hop duo EPMD, their first on leading rap label Def Jam. ... MCMXC redirects here; for the Enigma album, see MCMXC a. ... Image File history File links Businessneverpersonal. ... Business Never Personal is the fourth album from Hip Hop duo EPMD. After receiving mixed reviews for their previous effort Business As Usual, the duo was able to return to their past acclaim here, the album is considered as their third classic, and was their most successful effort. ... July 28 is the 209th day (210th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 156 days remaining. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... Image File history File links Backinbusiness. ... Back In Business is the return album from legendary Hip Hop duo EPMD, who broke up due to personal problems in 1992. ... September 16 is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years). ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Outofbusiness. ... Out Of Business is the last album from Hip Hop duo EPMD, who changed their acronym for the release, from Erick & Parrish Making Dollars to Erick & Parrish Millennium Ducats. ... June 29 is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 185 days remaining. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

External links

• EPMD VH1 website

• Biography (in German)