Back in Business (EPMD album)

Last updated
Back in Business
Backinbusiness.jpg
Studio album by
EPMD
ReleasedSeptember 16, 1997
Studio
  • Mirror Image (Long Island, NY)
  • Soundtrack Studios (New York, NY)
Genre Hip hop
Length46:08
Label Def Jam
Producer
EPMD chronology
Business Never Personal
(1992)		Back in Business
(1997)		 Out of Business
(1999)
Singles from Back in Business
  1. "Da Joint"
    Released: September 1997
  2. "Richter Scale"
    Released: November 1997
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]
RapReviews7/10 [6]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]

Back in Business is the fifth studio album by American hip hop duo EPMD. It was released on September 16, 1997, [8] [9] [10] [11] through Def Jam Recordings. [12] Recording sessions took place at Mirror Image and Soundtrack Studios in New York. Production was handled by members Erick Sermon and PMD, as well as DJ Scratch, with Agallah and Rockwilder serving as co-producers. It features guest appearances from Das EFX, Keith Murray, Nocturnal and Redman.

Contents

In the United States, the album peaked at number 16 on the Billboard 200 and number 4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on November 17, 1997 for selling 500,000 copies. It also reached number 100 on the UK Albums Chart and number 14 on the UK Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart.

The song "Never Seen Before" was released as a split single with Foxy Brown's "Big Bad Mamma" from Def Jam's How to Be a Player soundtrack . "Da Joint" made it to number 94 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the duo's second most successful single (after "Crossover") in the album era. The final single off of the album, "Richter Scale", only reached number 62 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

The album marks the reunion of the group after five year disbandment, when the pair had broken up due to financial issues. [5] [13]

Critical reception

Vibe wrote that "Sermon's sluggish production makes the duo's paper-thin and finance-driven subject matter that much more irritating". [14] Rolling Stone declared: "Gone is the Wall of Sound funk that made EPMD famous". [15] The Austin American-Statesman thought that "jams such as 'Richter Scale' and 'Get With This' show true EPMD style as Erick and Parish sound perfect together over guitar funk". [16] The Guardian wrote that Back in Business "returns to the breaks and beats that made [EPMD] great: kooky 1970s funk samples mixed with guitar loops and cool-as-ice vocals". [17]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro" Erick Sermon Erick Sermon 0:13
2."Richter Scale"
Erick Sermon3:14
3."Da Joint"
3:28
4."Never Seen Before"
Erick Sermon2:51
5."Skit"
  • P. Smith
  • Andre Weston
  • William Hines
 PMD 0:24
6."Intrigued" (featuring Das EFX)
  • Sermon
  • P. Smith
  • Weston
  • Hines
Erick Sermon3:37
7."Last Man Standing"
  • PMD
  • Erick Sermon (co.)
3:35
8."Get wit This"
Erick Sermon3:42
9."Do It Again"
  • Sermon
  • P. Smith
  • Tom Browne
  • Thomassina Carrollyne Smith
Erick Sermon2:50
10."Apollo Interlude"
  • Sermon
  • Darryl Trotter
Erick Sermon1:19
11."You Gots 2 Chill '97"
  • Sermon
  • P. Smith
  • Roger Troutman
  • Rob Bell
  • Ron Bell
  • Boyce
  • G. Brown
  • Mickens
  • C. Smith
  • Thomas
  • Westfield
 EPMD 3:26
12."Put On"
 DJ Scratch 3:54
13."K.I.M." (featuring Keith Murray and Redman)
Erick Sermon4:38
14."Dungeon Master" (featuring Nocturnal)
  • Sermon
  • P. Smith
  • Yasin Muhammedi
3:24
15."Jane 5"
PMD2:41
16."Never Seen Before" (Remix)
  • Sermon
  • P. Smith
  • Mark Adams
  • Steve Arrington
  • Ray Turner
  • Stephen C. Washington
  • Danny Webster
Erick Sermon2:52
Total length:46:08
Sample credits

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [23] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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References

  1. ↑ Stanley, Leo. "EPMD - Back in Business Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  2. ↑ Baker, Soren (September 26, 1997). "EPMDBack In Business (Def Jam) (star) 1/2On..." Chicago Tribune . Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  3. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. p. 301.
  4. ↑ McGuinness, Paul (October 17, 1997). "This Week's Pop CD Releases: EPMD – Back in Business". The Guardian . London. Retrieved June 18, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. pp.  281. ISBN   978-0-7432-0169-8.
  6. ↑ Juon, Steve 'Flash' (July 30, 2019). "EPMD :: Back In Business – RapReviews". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  7. ↑ Fernando, S. H. Jr. (October 2, 1997). "Recordings: EPMD – Back in Business". Rolling Stone . No. 770. pp. 54, 56.
  8. ↑ Erwin, Jack (November 2009). "Long Player: XXL Presents Def Jam's Entire Rap Discography" (PDF). XXL . No. 119. Harris Publications. p. 72. ISSN   1093-0647.
  9. ↑ Reece, Doug (August 23, 1997). "Rapped Up For Christmas". Billboard . p. 62. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  10. ↑ Kaufman, Gil; Nelson, Chris (July 23, 1997). "R 'N' R Three Dot: Fugees Set Record Straight". MTV . Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  11. ↑ Watkins, Grouchy Greg (June 16, 2008). "Black (Hip-Hop) Music Month Timeline III: '96 - '99". AllHipHop . Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  12. ↑ Nelson, Havelock (July 26, 1997). "EPMD Reopens For 'Business'". Billboard . Vol. 109, no. 30. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 21, 24. ISSN   0006-2510 – via Google Books.
  13. ↑ Ducker, Jesse (September 19, 2022). "Rediscover EPMD's 'Back in Business' (1997) | Tribute". Albumism. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  14. ↑ Ex, Christian (November 1997). "Revolutions". Vibe . 5 (9): 148.
  15. ↑ "Back in Business". Rolling Stone (770): 54, 56. October 2, 1997.
  16. ↑ "EPMD". Austin American-Statesman : C1. September 27, 1997.
  17. ↑ "Music: This week's pop cd releases". The Guardian : 16: 4. October 17, 1997.
  18. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  20. ↑ "The Billboard 200". Billboard . Nielsen Business Media, Inc. October 11, 1997. p. 106. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Top R&B Albums". Billboard . Nielsen Business Media, Inc. October 11, 1997. p. 32. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  23. ↑ "American album certifications – EPMD – Back In Business". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved November 18, 2023.
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