Unfinished Business | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | July 25, 1989 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | Hip hop | |||
Length | 57:09 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | EPMD | |||
EPMD chronology | ||||
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Singles from Unfinished Business | ||||
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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.
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.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
RapReviews | 8.5/10 [4] |
(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide | [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 .
All songs produced by EPMD
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
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 |
Chart (1989) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Billboard 200 | 53 |
US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | 1 [9] |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA) [10] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Done by the Forces of Nature is the second studio album by American hip hop group Jungle Brothers, released on November 7, 1989, by Warner Bros. Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in 1989 at Calliope Studios in New York City, and production was handled by the Jungle Brothers. It was mixed at Apollo Studios by Kool DJ Red Alert and the Jungle Brothers. The album's title may refer to a line from the Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu scripture, wherein Krishna says, "Those who are deluded by the illusive power (Maya) of Nature become attached to the work done by the forces of nature," 3:28.
Dogg Food is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Tha Dogg Pound, released on October 31, 1995, by Death Row Records, Interscope Records and Priority Records. The album features guest appearances from Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Michel'le, The Lady of Rage, Tray Deee, and Mr. Malik. Two singles were released from the album: "Let's Play House" and "New York, New York".
EPMD is an American hip hop duo from Brentwood, New York. The duo's name is an acronym for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referring to its members: emcees Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith. During an interview on college radio station WHOV in 1987, Parrish Smith stated that the name evolved from the original: "We were originally known as "EEPMD", but chose to go with EPMD because it was easier to say." He also stated that they dropped the two "E's" because N.W.A.'s Eric Wright was already using "Eazy-E" as his stage name. The group has been active for 37 years.
The Platform is the debut studio album by American hip hop trio Dilated Peoples. It was released on May 23, 2000, through Capitol Records. The recording sessions took place at Audio X in Burbank, D&D Studios in New York, Can Am Studios in Tarzana and Threshold Studios in Santa Monica. The album was produced by members Evidence and DJ Babu, as well as Alchemist, Joey Chavez, E-Swift, KutMasta Kurt, and T-Ray. It features guest appearances from Aceyalone, B-Real, Everlast, and Likwit Crew members Defari, Phil Da Agony, Planet Asia, and tha Alkaholiks. The album represents a movement of several California underground hip hop artists away from the violence and misogyny of gangsta rap, towards a more traditional, conscious form of rap.
Dead Serious is the debut studio album of American hip hop duo Das EFX, released April 7, 1992, on compact disc and audio cassette on East West Records and distributed through Atlantic Records. The recording sessions took place at Firehouse Studios in Brooklyn, New York and at Charlie Marotta's North Shore Soundworks studio in Long Island, New York.
Kill at Will is an extended play by American rapper Ice Cube, released in 1990 via Priority Records. It was released soon after AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted and capitalized on Cube's newfound solo success.
One for All is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Brand Nubian, released on December 4, 1990, by Elektra Records. The album was highly acclaimed for its politically charged and socially conscious content. Sales never matched the wide acclaim — the album has only sold 350,000 copies as of May 2013 — but it has remained in print since its 1990 release. The album is mainly produced by Brand Nubian, but it also features production by Skeff Anselm, Stimulated Dummies, and Dave "Jam" Hall. The album's production contains many motifs of hip hop's golden age including James Brown-sampled breakbeats and funky R&B loops. The album is broken down track-by-track by Brand Nubian in Brian Coleman's book Check the Technique.
Mr. Scarface Is Back is the debut studio album by the American rapper Scarface. It was released on October 8, 1991, by Rap-A-Lot Records and Priority Records. The album was supported by two singles: "Mr. Scarface" and "A Minute to Pray and a Second to Die". Both attained minor success on the charts.
Business Never Personal is the fourth studio album by hip hop duo EPMD. It was released on July 28, 1992, on Def Jam Recordings. Following mixed criticism of their previous studio effort, 1990's Business as Usual, the duo was able to return to their past acclaim on Business Never Personal. The lead single, "Crossover," became its biggest success, nearly reaching the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is about keeping it real and not crossing over to the mainstream, but became EPMD's biggest mainstream success.
Back in Business is the fifth studio album by American hip hop duo EPMD. It was released on September 16, 1997, through Def Jam Recordings. The recording sessions took place at Mirror Image and Soundtrack Studios in New York. The album was produced 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.
Out of Business is the sixth studio album by American hip hop duo EPMD. The album was originally scheduled for a December 1998 release under Def Jam Recordings, but had been delayed numerous times as a result of a merger between Seagram's PolyGram and Universal Music Group's MCA Records, combining Def Jam and Island Records' operations together under the Island Def Jam Music Group. Ultimately, the album was released on July 20, 1999. It is the first official Def Jam album released under the newly-formed Island Def Jam Music Group and the group's last album released under the label as they left the imprint a year later before going inactive for the second time.
Sleeping Bag Records was a New York City-based independent record label founded by musician Arthur Russell and entrepreneur Will Socolov. It was active between 1981 and 1992, and specialized in dance music and hip hop.
Fresh Records was a New York City-based independent record label that operated from 1985 to 1992. The label was a subsidiary of Sleeping Bag Records that sold hip hop music. The label's roster included EPMD, Nice & Smooth, Just-Ice and T La Rock; house-music pioneer Todd Terry; and electro artists Hanson & Davis and Chocolette.
The Hit Squad is an American hip hop collective of East Coast hip hop artists. Originally formed in the 1990s by Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith of the rap group EPMD, the group included rap artists such as K-Solo, Redman, Das EFX, Top Quality, and Knucklehedz. When EPMD broke up for the first time in 1993, the collective separated, with Sermon forming Def Squad and Smith retaining the Hit Squad name.
Strictly Business is the debut album by hip-hop duo EPMD. It was released on June 7, 1988, by Fresh/Sleeping Bag Records around the world and BCM Records in Germany. It peaked at No. 80 on the Billboard 200 soon after release, yet it earned an RIAA gold album certification within four months of its release. In addition, it has received much positive critical attention since its release. In 2012, the album was ranked number 453 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Oh, My God! is the debut album by the rapper Doug E. Fresh. It was released in 1986 on Reality Records, a short-lived subsidiary of Fantasy Records. The album was produced by Dennis Bell and Ollie Cotton. The album was only a moderate success, peaking at #21 on the Top R&B Albums chart. To date, it has not been released on compact disc.
"Crossover" is a single by American hip hop group EPMD released in August 1992 from their album Business Never Personal. The song's lyrics criticize rappers who crossover to R&B or pop in order to sell more. The single became EPMD's highest charting as it climbed the Billboard charts at #42. The song was also certified gold by RIAA, becoming the group's only single to accomplish that feat. The song samples "Don't Worry If There's a Hell Below " by Curtis Mayfield and Roger Troutman's "You Should Be Mine". A music video, colored in blue, was released for the song which features Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith rapping around a building under construction with other people around doing various activities like break-dancing.
"Head Banger", also "Headbanger", is the second single released from EPMD's fourth album, Business Never Personal.
This is the discography of American rap duo, EPMD.
Stephen Jerome Williams, known by his stage name Stezo, was an American rapper and producer.
Street date July 25