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EPMD's blueprint for East Coast rap wasn't startlingly different from many others in rap's golden age, but the results were simply amazing, a killer blend of good groove and laid-back flow, plus a populist sense of sampling that had heads nodding from the first listen (and revealed tastes that, like Prince Paul's, tended toward AOR as much as classic soul and funk). A pair from Long Island, EPMD weren't real-life hardcore rappers -- it's hard to believe the same voice who talks of spraying a crowd on one track could be name-checking the Hardy Boys later on -- but their no-nonsense, monotoned delivery brooked no arguments. With their album debut, Strictly Business, Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith really turned rapping on its head; instead of simple lyrics delivered with a hyped, theatrical tone, they dropped the dopest rhymes as though they spoke them all the time. Their debut single, "You Gots to Chill," was a perfect example of the EPMD revolution; two obvious samples, Zapp's "More Bounce to the Ounce" and Kool & the Gang's "Jungle Boogie," doing battle over a high-rolling beat, with the fluid, collaborative raps of Sermon and Smith tying everything together with a mastery that made it all seem deceptively simple. There was really only one theme at work here -- the brilliancy of EPMD, or the worthlessness of sucker MCs -- but every note of Strictly Business proved their claims.
© John Bush /TiVo
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Parrish Smith, ComposerLyricist - Erick Sermon, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Charlie Marotta, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - EPMD, MainArtist - PMD, Producer
℗ 1988 Priority Records LLC
Parrish Smith, ComposerLyricist - John Poppo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Erick Sermon, ComposerLyricist - Charlie Marotta, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - EPMD, Producer, MainArtist - Jim Foley, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Al Watts, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1988 Priority Records, LLC
Parrish Smith, Composer - John Poppo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Erick Sermon, Composer - Charlie Marotta, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - EPMD, Producer, MainArtist - Jim Foley, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Al Watts, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1988 Priority Records, LLC
Parrish Smith, Composer - John Poppo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - ROGER TROUTMAN, Composer - Erick Sermon, Composer - Charlie Marotta, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - EPMD, Producer, MainArtist - Jim Foley, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Al Watts, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1988 Priority Records, LLC
Parrish Smith, Composer - John Poppo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Erick Sermon, Composer - Charlie Marotta, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - EPMD, Producer, MainArtist - Jim Foley, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Al Watts, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1988 Priority Records, LLC
Parrish Smith, Composer - John Poppo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Erick Sermon, Composer - Charlie Marotta, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - EPMD, Producer, MainArtist - Jim Foley, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Al Watts, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1988 Priority Records, LLC
Parrish Smith, Composer - John Poppo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Erick Sermon, Composer - Charlie Marotta, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - EPMD, Producer, MainArtist - Jim Foley, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Al Watts, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1988 Priority Records, LLC
Parrish Smith, Composer - John Poppo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Erick Sermon, Composer - Charlie Marotta, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - EPMD, Producer, MainArtist - Jim Foley, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Al Watts, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1988 Priority Records, LLC
Parrish Smith, Composer - John Poppo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Herb Powers, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Erick Sermon, Composer - Charlie Marotta, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - EPMD, Producer, MainArtist - Jim Foley, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Al Watts, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1988 Priority Records, LLC
Parrish Smith, Composer - John Poppo, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Erick Sermon, Composer - Charlie Marotta, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - EPMD, Producer, MainArtist - Jim Foley, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Al Watts, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1988 Priority Records, LLC
Parrish Smith, ComposerLyricist - Simon Harris, Producer - Erick Sermon, ComposerLyricist - EPMD, Producer, MainArtist
℗ 1989 Priority Records LLC
Parrish Smith, Composer - ROGER TROUTMAN, Composer - Erick Sermon, Composer - EPMD, Producer, MainArtist
℗ 1988 Priority Records LLC
Parrish Smith, Composer - ROGER TROUTMAN, Composer - Erick Sermon, Composer - EPMD, Producer, MainArtist
℗ 1988 Priority Records LLC
Parrish Smith, Composer - Erick Sermon, Composer - EPMD, Producer, MainArtist
℗ 1987 Priority Records LLC
Parrish Smith, Composer - Erick Sermon, Composer - EPMD, Producer, MainArtist
℗ 1987 Priority Records LLC
Album review
EPMD's blueprint for East Coast rap wasn't startlingly different from many others in rap's golden age, but the results were simply amazing, a killer blend of good groove and laid-back flow, plus a populist sense of sampling that had heads nodding from the first listen (and revealed tastes that, like Prince Paul's, tended toward AOR as much as classic soul and funk). A pair from Long Island, EPMD weren't real-life hardcore rappers -- it's hard to believe the same voice who talks of spraying a crowd on one track could be name-checking the Hardy Boys later on -- but their no-nonsense, monotoned delivery brooked no arguments. With their album debut, Strictly Business, Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith really turned rapping on its head; instead of simple lyrics delivered with a hyped, theatrical tone, they dropped the dopest rhymes as though they spoke them all the time. Their debut single, "You Gots to Chill," was a perfect example of the EPMD revolution; two obvious samples, Zapp's "More Bounce to the Ounce" and Kool & the Gang's "Jungle Boogie," doing battle over a high-rolling beat, with the fluid, collaborative raps of Sermon and Smith tying everything together with a mastery that made it all seem deceptively simple. There was really only one theme at work here -- the brilliancy of EPMD, or the worthlessness of sucker MCs -- but every note of Strictly Business proved their claims.
© John Bush /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 15 track(s)
- Total length: 01:09:01
- Main artists: EPMD
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: FRONTLINE CATALOG (P81)
- Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
© 2013 Priority Records LLC ℗ 2013 Priority Records LLC
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