Unfinished Business (EPMD album)

Last updated

Unfinished Business
Unfinishedbusiness.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 25, 1989
Studio
  • North Shore Soundworks
  • Powerplay Studios
Genre Hip hop
Length57:09
Label
Producer EPMD
EPMD chronology
Strictly Business
(1988)
Unfinished Business
(1989)
Business as Usual
(1990)
Singles from Unfinished Business
  1. "So Wat Cha Sayin'"
    Released: 1989
  2. "The Big Payback"
    Released: 1989
  3. "You Had Too Much to Drink"
    Released: 1989

Unfinished Business is the second album by hip hop duo EPMD. Released July 25, 1989, [1] the album built upon the success of the group's previous album Strictly Business , which was released the previous year. The lead single, "So Wat Cha Sayin'," was the only charting single released from the album. It was the second album from the group to hit No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Contents

The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on October 16, 1989. It was one of three albums that Priority/EMI Records acquired from Sleeping Bag Records when it ceased operations in 1991; the other two were EPMD's debut, Strictly Business , and Nice & Smooth’s self-titled album. The rest of the Fresh/Sleeping Bag Records catalog was acquired by Warlock Records.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
RapReviews8.5/10 [4]
(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
The Village Voice B+ [6]

Trouser Press wrote that "the rudimentary self-production of Unfinished Business is its most engaging asset: Sermon and his largely silent partner Parrish Smith (the band’s acronym stands for Erick and Parrish Making Dollars) sound like a couple of kids fooling around in mom’s basement, rapping about nothing, singing a line or two, making cut-in jokes with some favorite records and generally amusing themselves while the tape runs." [7]

In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums [8] and, in 2005, was ranked No. 7 on comedian Chris Rock's Top 25 Hip-Hop Albums of all-time list for Rolling Stone . [9]

Track listing

All songs produced by EPMD

No.TitleLength
1."So Wat Cha Sayin'"4:57
2."Total Kaos"4:34
3."Get the Bozack"4:12
4."Jane II"3:33
5."Please Listen to My Demo"3:01
6."It's Time 2 Party"4:37
7."Who's Booty"4:18
8."The Big Payback"4:50
9."Strictly Snappin' Necks"4:29
10."Knick Knack Patty Wack (Feat. K-Solo)"4:56
11."You Had Too Much to Drink (Feat. Frank B.)"7:21
12."It Wasn't Me, It Was the Fame"6:20
Total length:57:09

Charts

Chart (1989)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 53
US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums1 [10]

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [11] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. "Sleeping Bag Records advertisement" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 101, no. 29. New York, NY, USA: Billboard Publications, Inc. July 22, 1989. p. 26. ISSN   0006-2510. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 21, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2023. Street date July 25
  2. Henderson, Alex. "Unfinished Business: EPMD". AllMusic. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  3. Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN   978-0-85712-595-8.
  4. "EPMD :: Unfinished Business :: Fresh/Sleeping Bag Records". www.rapreviews.com.
  5. Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (July 10, 2004). (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. ISBN   9780743201698 via Google Books.
  6. Christgau, Robert (October 3, 1989). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice .
  7. "EPMD". Trouser Press. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  8. "Rocklist.net...The Source 100 Best Rap Albums & Singles". Archived from the original on February 14, 2006.
  9. "The Chris Rock 25". Rolling Stone. No. 989. December 15, 2005. pp. 98–99.
  10. "EPMD". Billboard.
  11. "American album certifications – EPMD – Unfinished Business". Recording Industry Association of America.