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EPMD

Formed in Long Island, New York in 1987, EMPD is a hip-hop duo composed of emcees Erick Sermon (AKA E) and Parrish Smith (AKA PMD – Parrish Mic Doc). EPMD is one of the most influential hip-hop acts on the East Coast. Their Gold-certified 1988 debut album, Strictly Business, hit the top of the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and included the hit singles “You Gots to Chill” and “Strictly Business”. EPMD’s funk-influenced hip-hop influenced a new generation of bands and they were both commercially successful and critically acclaimed. Their second album, Unfinished Business, was released in 1989 and also reached Number 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Three singles were released from the album but only one, “So Wat Cha Sayin’”, was a hit. Business as Usual (1990) was their third album and featured three hits including “Rampage” (featuring LL Cool J). After the release of their fourth album, Business Never Personal, in 1992, the duo split up acrimoniously. They each pursued solo reasonably successful solo careers. Surprisingly, EPMD reunited and released the album Back in Business in 1997. The album was another hit and contained two hit singles: “Da Joint” and “Richter Scale”. Their sixth album, Out of Business, was released in 1999. The band’s reunion was short-lived and they soon began working on their own projects again. To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of their debut album, the duo reunited again and released the album, We Mean Business, in 2008. EPMD has continued to make sporadic appearances since the release of We Mean Business.