EPMD - Business Never Personal (August 7,1992)

At the end of 1991, the house of one Parish Smith of EPMD was robbed. The assailants clamied to the police that Parish's EPMD partner Erick Sermon paid them to do so. The implications of this incident would lead the entire Hit Squad movement, by then tearing emphatically through the whole hip hop industry, to a deafening halt and, more importantly, put a loathesome strain on a lifelong friendship.

To understand the magnitude of hip hop's loss, the achievements of said Hit Squad must be reflected upon: 3 gold albums, 1 platinum album and a gang of timeless hits by them and fellow Squadians K-Solo & Das EFX. A considerable heap of critical acclaim for the movement's largely-unified sound of grimy funk beats added with a colorful variety of lyrical styles was all the more reason for the Hit Squad to become the blueprint for the collective that would definitively take their place within the annals of hip hop history: The Wu-Tang Clan. Surely you know I'm right by now.

Shedding light away from the negativity for a bit, EPMD were riding high as all the chips of the Hit Squad's success continued to stack in their favor. The surpise sleeper hit Dead Serious along with Time's Up, the second critically acclaimed K-Solo album in a row, prepped Erick "Microphone Wrecka" Sermon and Parish "Microphone Doctor" Smith for launch into a world currently occupied by Sean Comby Combs & them… That of the hip hop executive. Except that EPMD feel like a much more legitimate fit for that lane, don'cha think? Anyway, our duo felt that it was high time they progressed into their fourth opus and second release under the house that the fuckwads built, Def Jam, as they added the finishing touches on what would become the debut album of the lone remaining Hit Squadian, one Reggie Noble aka DJ Kut Killa bka the mighty Redman.

By now, the minimum expectation for an EPMD album was at least five hundred thousand shipped units and a mountain of critical acclaim praising the game-changing nature of said release. Amazingly, Business Never Personal (Almighty God, does that title piss me off now) scored on all fronts, with the album achieving the gold plaque in a mere two months and thereby becoming the fastest-selling EPMD album. Many fans of these two claim this album as their very best, and you're here to fact-check the validity of that claim.

Business Never Personal, boy/girl (pick one):

BOON DOX
A prominent Earth, Wind & Fire loop laced with that James Brown guitar riff helps EPMD top the opening track of their last album, as this braggadocious display of theirs deserves all the light shed on it. This was awesome.

NOBODY'S SAFE CHUMP
Aside from the useless skit at the beginning, E& P successfully recreate the feel of their classic album cut Manslaughter, with their beat based on a melodic Bobby Womack loop.  This album cut game is hard to pull off, yet these two make it seem effortless.

CAN'T HEAR NOTHING BUT THE MUSIC
Trust this pair to turn a four-second excerpt of a soulful Barbara Mason ballad into a hardcore Jeep-rattler. One thing though, Parish: What were you on when you performed the eponymous hook?! The actual verses prevent said hook from developing into a full-blown annoyance that ruins the overall song. Instead, it’s merely a hilarious distraction that you enjoy along with the rest of the track.

CHILL
Now this beat here. EPMD, fucking legends that they are, craft a majestic horn sample woven through an ingeniously slowed-down Foreigner excerpt that makes their patented BNB sound like it was delivered by two giants towering sky high over New York. The DOC and Rakim samples sweeten the deal that much more. This shit is awesome!

HEAD BANGER (FEATURING K-SOLO & REDMAN)
Ruff Ryders' Ryde Or Die? Thank this song. Parliament is the order of this song as our duo upscale the excerpt to a gojazillion! Once again, EPMD allow fellow Hit Squadians Kevin Madison and Reggie Noble to completely outclass them on record, which they do as Solo brings the Knick Knack Patty Wack steez (without spelling shit, thank the Almighty) while Redman completely incinerates the memory of his Hardcore verse with a contribution that deservedly got him his first Source Hip Hop Quotable, so if people were checking for him before, they were rioting in anticipation of his debut, now. Bottom line, this is my joint-favorite song on Business Never Personal and straight up one of the best posse cuts in hip hop history. Hell, this is the song that inspired Protect Ya Neck!

SCRATCH BRING IT BACK, PT.2 (MIC DOC)
DJ Scratch builds a simple loop out of an Emotions bass chord, where Erick bigs up his DJ. Following which Parish spits some hot garbage on purpose. Erick then reprimands him in a funny ass interlude mid-song and orders him to black the fuck out as the beat switches to yet another classic ESG UFO loop by the pair. Parish obliges, of course, with his finest braggadocio to date. I'm not joking. Dope song.

CROSSOVER
By sampling a then-recent Roger Troutman hit then immediately following up with a grimy beat looping a badass Idris Muhammad bassline, EPMD have mastered the art of musical contrast in one go. Which worked wonders for their intended concept, as the hook was intended to be a parody of the crossover attempts rampant at the time. Bafflingly, Crossover remains EPMD's biggest song, as it sold over five hundred thousand units by its lonesome. Once again, these two prove just how adept they are at trashing the music industry following their timeless Give The People (Jeep Mix). And again, songs like this show just how unstoppable Parish can be when motivated, even though Erick barrels through the opening with quotables galore. I applaud the fuck outta EPMD for making this their lead single.

CUMMIN' AT CHA (FEATURING DAS EFX)
Featured Hit Squadians Das EFX pride themselves to be 'Straight From The Sewer'. If any song they ever participated in reflects this, it's this one. The instrumental is that grimy, suffocating gutter shit that you want from your Hit Squad joints. And even though Head Banger is the more popular posse cut, this song bangs just as accordingly. Lyrically, Das EFX rip into the beat something heavy, leaving nothing but destruction in their wake as EPMD deftly set up the alleyoop. This song was actually performed on the Tonight Show back in 1992 when that asshat Jay Leno hosted the shit. That performance deserves to be seen, so I'll include it here. My other joint-favorite song on Business Never Personal.

PLAY THE NEXT MAN
Another EPMD classic instrumental, another heavy Parliament influence! Too bad it's wasted on yet another misogynistic painting of women. These stereotypes were never that rampant, people!

IT'S GOING DOWN
Off the Juice OST, this mesh of a timeless Marvin Gaye performance with that bloodpumping sax, complete with a Billy Squier excerpt threaded therein results in one stadium destroyer of a beat, accompanied by our duo packing enough ammunition from their extensive reserves of battle rhymes. Props to Parish "destroying posses of demo tapes like Agent Orange" Being that they're musical geniuses by this point, EPMD recognize this song's live potential so well that they've never played it during one of their recent live shows. Do I sound pissed? You already know my answer.

WHO KILLED JANE?
This Rick James song has been sorely missing from Jane 3. Well, now it makes its triumphant return to the Jane saga with the best chapter yet with a deftly interwoven Curtis Mayfield snippet. The pair weave the tale implied in the title with just the right amount of social commentary sprinkled across the usual brilliant humor, as Erick & Parish portray a cop & a suspect respectively. Perfect ending to the album.


FINAL THOUGHTS
By all means, heads thought that EPMD reached their absolute zenith with Business As Usual. Oh, how utterly wrong everyone was: These two have turned this consistency issue most rappers struggle with into a goddamn artform, as Business Never Personal remains EPMD's most focused project to date. Almost every single song bangs. I wish I was kidding. Oh, except for that Play The Next Man shit, as you damn well know by now that that don't fly here at BBR.

Sadly, the events described at the beginning of this review eventually shattered all that could've been expected from the legendary Hit Squad team, as not long after this classic album dropped, EPMD splintered apart. Unfortunately, there were some careers that were shelved. Those inculded a pre-fame Craig Mack and saddest of all, the Knucklehedz, as the EPMD franchise went up in smoke within a few months. Erick Sermon and Parish Smith stayed far away from each other for four years, with each dude suddenly deciding to establish a solo career. Hell, they even traded subliminal shots at each other. Good thing they reunited in 1997 but that was when commercialism and Wu-Tang ruled hip-hop. EPMD has since remained a niche and a reminder of what could've been. They still make dope music and get pretty good tour money, though, which may be all that matters to them anymore. It ain't like they've lost their livelihood over this shit.


WORTH IT? Despite the then-somber future of the band, I recommend you acquire this album with every fiber of my being. You read the above. You know where I stand on this ageless art piece. You'll be able to add it to your EPMD shrine, similar to myself.

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:
BROTHERS FROM BRENTWOOD, LI
The b-side to their popular lead single. Even though Erick and Parish utilize an Emotions loop that's been exhausted by most of their fellow Hit Squadians, they still invest new ways to make it sound fresh and exciting. Also, it still feels good to hear these two have fun talking shit together on a record. Call me sentimental and see if I give a fuck. And we're done.

Interested in more of the Hit Squad catalog? Here you go. EPMD enthusiasts can head here, instead. Your call.

K-Solo - Time's Up (June 2, 1992)

After securing the only guest spot on EPMD’s second gem "Unfinished Business", Kevin Madison by day and K-Solo by night managed to convince Erick & Parish to commission an entire album produced by them, despite him introducing a fucking ridiculous gimmick AND fucking it up royally.

With this opportunity that many better rappers dreamed of, Kevin Self Organisation Left Others managed not to fuck it up too much, producing an album that, while hitting all the required notes, failed to connect as a whole with enough people to be fondly remembered 30+ years later.

Nevertheless, songs like "Fugitive", "Tales From The Crack Side" & "Your Mom's In My Business" managed to win over enough acclaim at the time to secure backing for a sophomore effort.

The year is 1992. EPMD, K-Solo & Redman are on top of the fucking world solely because of EPMD's shrewd business moves. Having signed Das EFX the previous year, who went on to release a fucking classic in Dead Serious Thereby, the whole collective would begin their reign as the Hit Squad, a tour-de-force of talented rap acts that would leave quite the dent on the rap game in the coming years.

Next up was our headliner. Now, the first album, while containing a couple of questionable choices, somehow allowed him to discover his knack of storytelling by weaving some interesting themes. This time, being the visionary that he is, he thematically introduces absolutely nothing new to capitalise on his momentum. What he DID do is update his production significantly by introducing the MVP of this album.

On "Your Mom's In My Business", Kevin shouts out a very interesting figure in hip hop.  And no, I’m not talking about his ex-DJ Biggie Smalls the first, later revealed to me as DJ Scratch. (How boneheaded was the decision to replace Scratch as his DJ?! Although that might’ve been because he had obligations with EPMD. Ah well.)

No, he shouts out Sam Sneed, a complete mystery to the world of hip hop at the time, who would enter the game with a bang as a respected underground producer on this very album.  His work here would open the eyes of one Dr. Dre, who would promptly sign him to Death Row Records, promising him the promised land & using his services as producer & occasional rapper for a bunch of tracks, one of which was "U Better Recognize", his debut single & only well-known song, before treating him to the dreaded "Best of luck in your future endeavors." Sam would never return full-time to hip hop ever again, leaving this album as the most extensive completed body of production in his catalogue.

Yes, but what about Kevin? (Anyone else think that Kevin Madison sounds like a rejected Home Alone name?)

Well, the debut gave us a glimpse of what to expect from him lyrically.  Now, knowing that this album also sold zilch copies, let's find out if he can update his formula this time around:

I CAN'T HOLD IT BACK

Enter Sam Sneed.  The second single & the first of six Sam Sneed productions on the album.  You'll see why I mention this guy so much when you hear the P-Funk-heavy beat, as it fucking bangs. Sneed’s instrumental helps Mr. Madison reach new heights with his rhymes, as he sounds pretty fucking inspired, resulting in the song being elevated to new heights. This is what a beat’s proper function is. Nicely done, Kevin and Sam.

LETTERMAN

Mr. Madison acquires the services of the legendary Pete Rock in his prime to produce the lead single which is basically... A continuation of the fucking spelling gimmick laid over some dope Jackie Mittoo organs overlapping a vintage Kool & The Gang sax.  Get a clue, Kev. We're not gonna forget your snafu if you keep reminding us of it.  The only reason I can think of Atlantic warranting a sequel to "Spellbound" is that, somehow, the dipshit record execs' tiny little creative minds thought that continuing this moronic gimmick would result in more sales. Even though the first time was a spectacle of a failure.  Of course, they were wrong.  Again. I will say that the remix, also commissioned by the PR and used for the video, is infinitely preferable to this cut because Pete does away with Solo's asinine hook and amps up the Jeep-rattling sonics. Moving on. 

LONG LIVE THE FUGITIVE

Solo reprises his role (not for the last time) as the Fugitive from the first album, returning to his strong storytelling ways and doing so accompanied by a haunting Funkadelic loop provided by.... HIMSELF???!!! This was one surprise you never would’ve seen coming!  The tale was short & sweet. Just enough to whet my appetite for the next track.

PREMONITION OF A BLACK PRISONER

Here, Kevin continues the tale of the previous track, talking about himself and another inmate, who just so happens to be innocent.  I think this time, he wanted to expand on the themes of "Fugitive". Which was a wise decision, as they fit snugly in this grim-yet-unfortunately-relevant story.  He is accompanied by the second Sam Sneed knockout as he ingeniously slows down a Commodores loop to achieve the desired somber mood.  Seriously, the man is on quite a run during this album.  The momentum is stalled a bit when Kev starts naming his "hit" songs, which doesn't fit the context at all, but the ending to the inmate's harrowing tale provides a telling image.  Overall, this shit was nice!

SNEAK TIP

Sam Sneed does it yet again, delivering the fucking goods in this spiritual sequel to "Tales From The Crack Side," containing the same degree of paranoia, yet this song is actually much more light-hearted than its predecessor.  This time, though, Solo's rhymes don't stand on the realistic edge for long, as he essentially rips off both "Alice in Wonderland" and “the Wizard Of Oz” in a streetwise manner.  The end product is not too shabby, but he's delivered better elsewhere.

THE BABY DOESN'T LOOK LIKE ME

Here, Mr. Madison continues reusing themes from the first album, and so far shows good results.  Kevin travels back to the girl troubles barrel, as so many people have stories for a rapper to use here. Or maybe Kev has fucking bad taste in women. In this tale, he tells how his girl was fooling around on him & got pregnant by a different man.  Erick Sermon returns to contribute to his Hit Squad brother his first of two contributions on the album, although the Carrie Lucas loop sounds so much like a Sam Sneed choice, instead of his usual funk-centric direction. Altogether, Good track.

THE FORMULA (HOUSE PARTY)

The most cinematic song in the entire Hit Squad repertoire makes its appearance.  The brainchild of Parish Smith, who produced the beat, the song starts sounding like a skit, describing a bunch of hoodlums trying to enter a K-Solo concert then transitioning into what sounds like a live freestyle.  The performance fits the underground stage vibe, and the beat, that Jeep-rattling funk of course, is fucking bananas. The song ends when a fight breaks out between the crowd, where Solo stupidly shouts "Cut the sounds off!" while the beat keeps on knocking and he keeps ad-libbing.  Overall, a very entertaining piece. 7 years later, EPMD would issue a remake of it on their final Def Jam album, Out of Business, and produce similar results. Is it just me or does this track serve much better as the intro to the album?  My hat's off to Parish!! (and I don't even own a hat. Because I got this crazy dandruff problem, you see.)

WHO'S KILLIN' WHO?

Sam Sneed appears for contribution #4, and yet again produces a fucking gem. The brilliant fusion of Barry White and Eddie Kendricks accompanies Solo's newfound conviction in spitting his lessons. Here, he continues the theme of "The Messenger" from the first album, but with better results. His voice now carries a certain authority behind it while still being able to relate to the hardheads.  Not bad at all.

HOUSEHOLD MAID

Now, ladies & gentlemen!!! It's sex rap time!!!  K-Solo turns in a much better effort at the sex rap than his previous attempt on "Renee-Renee". The beat is Sam Sneed's first throwaway track as he tries his best Pete Rock imitation, and fails to make an impression.  The rhymes were funny, at least.

ROCK BOTTOM

E-Double returns for his second beat, which delivers his brand of heavy funk properly this time. By his standards, the beat is alright since I like Erick's sound when he's producing grimy gutter shit. Similar to his later work on his debut. For his part, Kev does alright with his lyrics, delivering a notable performance.  Could've been much better, though, given Erick's work with a certain Reggie Noble.

KING OF THE MOUNTAIN

Mr. Madison ends his album with the final Sam Sneed highlight, which is basically the spiritual sequel to "Drums of Death" on the first album. Centered around a majestic Marvin Gaye loop, the beat contains a damn fine sample of the still-very-underrated DMC from Run-DMC to excellent effect and Kevin deals with it accordingly by ripping it to fucking shreds. He lists several of his more notable tracks, which I'm OK with on braggadocious tracks, then continues to tell his story of how he got into music. Corny but vivid. A fitting end to the man's solo career.

FINAL THOUGHTS: This time around, K-Solo sticks to his fucking guns for better or worse, tackling almost the exact same themes as his debut. His lyrical imagery, however, experiences some noticeable growth. Even if his delivery doesn't. It should be very notable that he's not the sole headliner this time around. Sam Sneed deserves as much recognition on this album as Kevin himself.  Maybe even more so. The man turns in a fucking enthralling performance throughout the album, giving K-Solo the necessary edge to improve his product, which he does. Of course, none of this translated into any commercial success whatsoever, so don’t blame Sam for jumping at the promise of what Death Row could offer. Aside from "U Better Recognize", he produced some notable hits like "Natural Born Killaz" and "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" with the good doctor himself, on both of which he wrote Dre's verses. All the while attempting to release his solo debut to no avail. After that, he vanished off the face of the industry and hasn't been heard from until 2010, where he released said debut along with enough alterations to completely fuck up the original.

As for our host?  He followed his pal Sam to Death Row Records where, aside from a few leaked tracks like 16 Dead Doggs, all the bullshit effectively ended his solo career right then & there. He does pop up on Redman's classic "Muddy Waters" where he costars with the Funkadelic Devil himself on the lead single, "It's Like That (My Big Brother)". But that beat was fucking meh and, most importantly, Kevin no longer sounds like a veteran or even a talented MC. Instead, he sounds like a C-teamer who was given the shot of his fucking life on a Redman album.  And he still fucks it up. After a showing on PMD's "Awakening" album and his appearance on Beef I, K-Solo is rarely heard from until the 2012 Hit Squad Reunion, playing some of his old hits. Talk about a fall from grace. He did receive a nice YouTube documentary called They Call Me K-Solo here, although the link doesn’t work for mobile users for some stupid reason. Anyway, this album is a worthy addition to the catalogue of any Hit Squad enthusiast.  Or any head who knows his hip-hop.

WORTH IT? No rap album is worth $50.  Period. Other than that, most definitely! Sam Sneed shines brightly on this gem album, and K-Solo has (or had, anyway) enough skill in him to deliver a quality project, despite rehashing revisited themes.  Plus, his storytelling during the early 90s was always enjoyable. And EPMD themselves (especially Parish) deliver some decent productions, as well.

Click here to further indulge your Hit Squad gluttony, and here if you’re just interested in K-Solo.

Das EFX - Dead Serious (April 7, 1992)

(Again, we have another review I wrote for Max’ Hip Hop Isn’t Dead. I expect to be posting more of those in the near future, and here you get to read the “blogger’s cut” of those posts, if you will. Once again, shoutouts to Max. Also, this Hit Squad run will only be concerned with albums executive-produced by EPMD.)

Remember when mainstream hip hop actually sounded good?

In the early 1990s, the G-Funk sound from the West Coast had the game, to quote Inspectah Deck, "in the Cobra Clutch". Its figurehead, Dr. Dre, had been storming the charts ever since his days with N.W.A. His Death Row Records brethren only furthered the aggressiveness of their takeover, basically snatching radio airplay from under New York's struggling noses. Well, not necessarily struggling: a few established acts, such as Public Enemy, were still selling well. But the new blood failed to make any sort of impact on the radio, and the old guard were fading from popularity.

As a counteractive measure, New York stuck to its roots, producing gritty hip hop albums with heavy emphasis on creativity, and they eventually gained some ground back within the mainstream in what was dubbed "The East Coast Renaissance". But which act spearheaded the movement back into the public eye?

Three acts come to mind: Naughty By Nature, Onyx and Das EFX.

Now the first two knew what they were doing when they crafted such well-known songs as "OPP", "Hip Hop Hooray", and "Slam". But ironically, Das EFX had absolutely no friggin' clue what they were doing, and they watched as their self-produced debut single, "They Want EFX", became a hit nationwide in 1992. But I know what the real question on your mind is: Who in the flying fuck are Das EFX?

They were one Teaneck, New Jersey native named Andre Weston, who was was an excellent plastic dishwasher under the name Krazy Drayz, and Brooklynite William Hines, who was the water boy for the local girls' junior high soccer team, who for some reason kept calling him 'Books In Reverse'. Which was pretty stupid from the fucking brats. But he cherished them oh so much that he went with Skoob as his rap name. Get it? Books? Skoob? Hardy har har. The duo named themselves Das EFX, with “Das” standing for “Drayz And Skoob” and “EFX” meaning, well, effects. I’ll let the fact that they almost named themselves Skoob And Drayz Effects sink in for a moment. Sad EFX. Yep.

Anyways, EPMD, high off the success of their third masterpiece Business As Usual, found these two shits in a no-name hip hop contest in Virginia that would award one hundred dollars to the winning act, just as Erick Sermon and Parish Smith were beginning to build up their powerhouse Hit Squad collective. As a result, they signed the pair to EastWest Records and executive-produced their entire debut, Dead Serious, which turned out to be a great fucking move, as the album sold a jillion copies and made Das EFX household names.

But is this a good album, or just another pile of crap?

This is Dead Serious.

MIC CHECKA
Enter the other headliners of the album: Solid Scheme, consisting of Chris Charity and Derek Lynch, were a production duo that Skoob knew from growing up in Brooklyn. “Mic Checka”, the second single from the album, fucking bangs due to a deft James Brown loop. Even with the ear-gouging loop that will be all that you remember from this song, the “iggedy” gimmick (that the duo calls, get this, "sewage") is in full effect from the very beginning. But contrary to what many think, the "sewage" style wasn't these guys' fundamental claim to fame, even if it was a major one: rather, it was the duo's attempt at covering every pop culture reference and nursery rhyme they can think of to create hilarious punchlines that very few rappers can conjure, such as Lord Finesse, Big L and their Hit Squad comrade Redman. The references to Slick Rick and “Bonita Applebum” were pretty good. More importantly though, Solid Scheme issued a remix with a prominent bassline that rips this version to shreds.

JUSSUMMEN
The hook here is a damn fine sample taken from Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick's iconic “La Di Da Di”. I believe Solid Scheme deserve a crisp pat on the back for successfully replicating the Jeep-rattling Funk that is EPMD’s forte for the beats heard so far here. And the punchlines keep on flooding, with the Plymouth Rock reference killing me every time. Bottom line, you will enjoy this gem. Pete Rock, remixer extraordinaire, commissioned a remix that's still revered to this day.

THEY WANT EFX
The lead single. Your grandmother knows this song by heart. Hell, Brian Austin Green knows this song by heart, if Beverly Hills 90210 is any indication. This was a very interesting choice, as it wasn't as refined as the other tracks on Dead Serious, but in turn, the lyrical choices are more haphazard, which adds to the entertainment value. The use of the KRS-One and Erick Sermon vocal samples work in the James Brown-centric instrumental's favour, which was surprisingly produced by Das EFX themselves. This is the first of many songs in their catalogue where they would sample the voice of one of their generous benefactors. Solid Scheme would remix this as well, with the result being very hard to find these days. Those who witnessed this tidal wave of a song will remember it vividly though.

LOOSEYS
This track surprised the fuck out of me the first time I heard it. Drayz and Skoob Effects weave one the funniest stories I have ever heard in hip hop. The fact that these two choose to tell a story describing how they literally shit in their pants, never mind writing a full song about it, is a fucking ballsy move: it takes fucking guts from a rapper to even attempt tackling such an embarrassing subject. And it pays off ingeniously: each rapper tells a story from his own perspective that ends up with them (spoiler alert!) shitting themselves by accident. The vivid detail that they use throughout the story only adds to the hilarity. The Special Ed sample was cut brilliantly over the Booker T/MGs loop by Solid Scheme in a way that sounds comical, as well. One of my favourite tracks on the album, and the absolute funniest.

DUM DUMS
Another storytelling rap, although this one is a misogynistic embarrassment. The Solid Scheme beat was the only good aspect of this ear-grating experience, looping a legendary Otis Redding performance while freaking a well-known Run-DMC sample.

EAST COAST
Usually I tend to favour Skoob in the punchline department, but on “East Coast”, Drayz rips his contribution to fucking shreds. Both his delivery and his punchlines are top class, leaving no room for Willie Hines to even attempt thinking about catching up. I friggin' loved the Peggy Bundy reference, since she really never did shit! The ESG UFO heavy beat is further proof that Solid Scheme were to Das EFX what the Beatminerz are to the Boot Camp Clik. Here, they continue the run of sampling Erick Sermon's lines, along with those of fellow Golden Era icons KRS-One and Rakim. This shit is funny to me since even after EPMD broke up and Das EFX sided with PMD, they still kept sampling Sermon's voice. Interesting. Overall, a fucking awesome track. Even better, Solid Scheme's remix of this track kicks its motherfucking ass!

IF ONLY
Solid Scheme step up their game by producing what is arguably the best beat of the entire album, basing an epic loop over a timeless Stanley Turrentine record. Their love for sampling "La Di Da Di" continues, as if Doug E. Fresh had never made another song. Drayz pronounce the duo's affiliation with the Hit Squad loud and clear. You know, just before the Squad broke the fuck up later that same year. Lyrics-wise, a pop culture nerd would have a field day: Drayz slightly edges out his partner once again with his Benjamin Franklin reference. Another highlight: "I figgety-funked up Sanford and his fucking Son".  Nice!

BROOKLYN TO T-NECK
Solid Scheme produce an odd-sounding mesh of a beat sampling James Brown, Instant Funk, The Bar-Kays & that UFO record once again, with the result not sounding as accessible as their previous work, yet is still serviceable. The production duo sample fellow Hit Squad cohort Redman's vocals from the awesome EPMD cut "Hardcore", along with some from the very underrated Chubb Rock, who would collaborate with Das EFX in the future. However, “Brooklyn To T-Neck” is where the duo show the first signs of lyrical fatigue, producing barely passable rhymes that don't compare to the rest of the album.

KLAP YA HANDZ
The very first completed Das EFX recording. With a simple Emotions loop, the beat, produced by some unknown named Dexx, is a much needed wind-down in comparison to Solid Scheme's work, mostly perfect for workout music. You get the feeling that Andre and Willie were lyrically testing the waters with an early precursor to their current style, throwing some random catchphrases together to see what stuck. Skoob sounds a bit more experienced than his partner here. Weirdly, this particular track is the song that the duo performed in front of EPMD, which prompted Parish to issue the funniest ultimatum ever: "Look, you want one hundred dollars or a record deal?" EPMD must have been serious contenders for best A&Rs of all time.

STRAIGHT OUT THE SEWER
Dead Serious ends with the final single, a booming Solid Scheme production that brilliantly samples Biz Markie over an addictive mesh of Carl Carlton and Parliament. The duo flop their first stanza with mediocre rhymes, but then they both come back with better contributions in their respective second verses. This was not bad at all. Still a better introduction to the duo than "They Want EFX".

FINAL THOUGHTS: OK, let's cut the bullshit. Most people, who feel confused by Das EFX's gimmick and feel it to be entirely unnecessary, will do well to steer clear from Dead Serious, as it's very much a love-it-or-hate-it album. However, those who love the style will find a truckload to enjoy here. The pop culture references overload the entire album, many times producing a hearty laughing session. Trust me on this. The only thing I would've liked to see more of is songs like "Looseys": there aren't many rappers that are willing to paint themselves in embarrassing situations, and these two did a fucking fantastic job with it.

WORTH IT? By all means. It can be found very easily, and it is a fucking certified classic. Then you, like the rest of the mainstream back in 1992, can annoy your parents by bouncing around their basement bellowing at the top of your lungs: "BUM STIGGEDY BUM STIGGEDY BUM!!!" No? That was just me then?

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:
HARD LIKE A CRIMINAL
So “Looseys” wasn't their only foray into storytelling. As I've since discovered, Das EFX released a b-side that didn't make the cut of Dead Serious. The absence of this song mystifies me, as this was the best Das EFX song in 1992, hands fucking down. This awesome Solid Scheme production, built over a weld of James Brown, Isley Brothers, Sly & the Family Stone and drums from Digital Underground, depicts the two as opposing sides of the young ghetto born-&-raised black male stereotype in the 1990s, with Drayz as the one who isn't "'bout dat life" while Skoob plays the role of the stereotype. “Hard Like A Criminal” is proof to me that Drayz is the primary storyteller of the duo, while Books is usually the one with the clever punchlines. The narrative depicted here is excellence executed, and there's even a surprise ending. Hell, the last verse by both MCs even received a quotable from then-relevant hip hop publication The Source, despite Drayz’ first verse being much more deserving. This was a joy for me to discover, and I am demanding you check it out for yourself.

For more on these Squadians, here. Otherwise, here for the overall family.

EPMD - Business As Usual (December 18, 1990)

Let's set the scene.

You're EPMD, right? You just released two back-to-back albums that have both achieved commercial successes and became highly influential setpieces that have revolutionized the very sound of the art form known as hip hop, right? You also just so happened to have acquired a deal with Atlantic Records, then-headed by creativity shovel Sylvia Rhone of all people, for an album by the debut member of your own legendary hip hop roster, thereby laying the foundation for a full-blown takeover of the hip hop industry, right? And you're doing all this from a small, hole-in-the-wall label called Sleeping Bag Records in the time space of three goddamn years, right? How do you make sure you turn this rapid progression into one for the long haul?

Fuck if I know.

Seriously, a mere two years after they debuted, Erick "Microphone Wrecka" Sermon and Parish "Microphone Doctor" Smith were blowing up, fast. And they did so without compromising one damn bit of their artistry. (Well, aside from You Had Too Much To Drink. Didn't think I'd remember that crap, did you?) Only one problem: They were ascending so fast that Sleeping Bag was no longer able to afford them. So being that they were managed by that steaming pile of living excrement Russell Simmons*, our duo were advised to jump ship to the house that the fuckwads built aka Def Jam. Now this leaves the protagonists in a conundrum: Do they take the plunge and risk looking like a couple of sellouts? Or do they wait for another opportunity that better suits their then-reputation?

The answer was that you're asking the wrong question, silly. Their name stands for Erick and Parish Making Dollars. Their mission statement from the jump was that they're going to milk this game for all it's worth. Difference between these two and the plethora of sellouts ever since is simply the fact that the core foundation of what hip hop stood for meant everything to them. Hell, even Rusty Sheriff Badge Russ couldn't pry creative control from them. There was simply too much money to be made with their formula yet.

And so began the crafting of EPMD's third opus and from the jump, you knew the pair was getting pretty ambitious with this one. First off, Business As Usual reflects a variety of subject matter new for the two rapper/producers, ranging from social commentary to the ever-present girl troubles. Second, the cover, by acclaimed comic book artist Bill Sienkiewicz himself, reflected an upscale of the highest order for our duo. Third, the album houses the very first guest appearance by a rapper outside their Hit Squad camp in the form of Chilly Jimmy himself, LL Cool J, in his debut guest feature, itself a subject of excitement, as well.

Oh, you thought I was done talking about the Hit Squad here? Never, baby. See, this very album houses the debut of the second Hit Squad member and future punchline immortal, Newark, NJ's own Reggie Noble aka DJ Kut Killa bka the mighty Redman. On two songs, nonetheless! If by some freak circumstance you haven't heard of this guy, he goes on to be a problem in hip hop history. Interesting thing is, son was just kicked out of his parents' home for dabbling in selling drugs and was primarily a DJ! Talk about adaptability! You'll see if his performances here warrant another look into his career. Oh, who am I kidding? These two songs here are the humble beginnings of pop sensation Eminem's favorite rapper. You read correctly.

Business As Usual ended up bafflingly repeating its two legendary predecessors’ critical and commercial feats. Read on, as examples of consistency rarely come this obvious.

I'M MAD

A short Funkadelic proclamation leads you straight into a track that will cave your chest open. Over a whirlwind mesh of Ohio Players and Boobie Knight & The Universal Lady supplemented by DJ Scratch’s, um, scratching of that Ad-Rock sample, Erick Sermon comes out chopping heads off. Seriously, dude stepped his flow game the fuck up! His lyrics were always fire so no worries there, but damn son! P comes in and continues right where his buddy left off. This shit was a statement of war if I ever saw one! Nice!

HARDCORE (FEATURING REDMAN)

Best believe the energy isn't letting up for a second! For you jump onwards straight into the best song on the friggin' album! And no, your eyes are not deceiving you, because I'm fully aware of what I wrote. EPMD continue their winning formula of saving their best punches for when they weren't sharing mic time with their understudies, even though Erick bested Parish with some fine quotables on this shit. Speaking of understudies, this is the verse that got the debuting Redman his deal. Well-deserving too, as his alliteration-littered verse, influenced by K-Solo’s spelling gimmick according to Reggie himself, is bluntly bananas over this minimalist masterpiece sampling the Ohio Players. Like I said, Erick and Parish still sneak fly lines in, but I call a hungry Redman the king of the blackout for a goddamn reason. I’ll also add that EPMD have always been masters of highlighting quotables from their own repertoire. By all means, this being the album’s best song should not stop you from listening to the rest of it.

RAMPAGE (FEATURING LL COOL J)

From one guest feature to another as the onslaught continues. I can’t remember if this or Give The People came out first. Oh well. That famous Lowell Fulson loop DJ Muggs used to craft How I Could Just Kill A Man, the b-side that made Cypress Hill household names? Yep, from here so thank EPMD. Also notable here is that, despite Chilly Jimmy's best efforts, and they can be pretty devastating, Parish was not to be denied as he steals the entire song with a verse selected by The Source for a Hip Hop Quotable, back when that publication did no wrong in the eyes of heads everywhere. Proof that when push came to shove, EPMD could fucking go. One thing though, P: Why are you calling yourself the ‘King Of The Bozack’?! As in ‘King Of The Ballsack’??!! Lesson learned: Never delve too much into a rapper’s mind, no matter how iconic said rapper is. Anyway, poor Erick had no chance to fight, as he was forced to record his short-but-still-dope verse while nursing an illness. Shame, that. We could've had both our protagonists trash Chilly Jimmy. Oh well, still a classic song.

MANSLAUGHTER

You might remember me talking about the Love Unlimited Orchestra loop forming this instrumental here. If so, you’ll remember me mentioning that our duo were the act that introduced it to the heads of that time. Well, here’s why they can lay claim to such an achievement: This song remains one of the finest album cuts in hip hop history, if only for the absurd amount of quotables from our hosts. Just when you thought one of them claimed the song with a dope-as-fuck line, the other answers accordingly. Props to DJ Scratch complimented the melodic beat with the perfect PMD excerpt. You need to hear this while driving back home from work. It’ll offer you an outlet for your anger at all the shithead drivers pissing you off on your way back while simultaneously calming you the fuck down and offering you a reprieve from the madness.

JANE 3

We arrive at the flashiest entry in the Jane saga beat-wise, purely because of the James Brown loop these two freak to perfection. Oh, and DJ Scratch forever immortalized the saga via scratching PMD’s spelling display of the fictional female's name. Lyrically, this diversion from the album's awesome BNB assault so far is most definitely the goofiest chapter yet, as the whole narrative here will have you laughing your ass right off at just how absurd it keeps getting with every passing bar. Trust that whenever these two are having fun, you’ll be roped into it as well.

FOR MY PEOPLE

And we’re back to more braggadocio, which I’m honestly not mad about. These two brag well together. I’m honestly surprised that our duo doesn’t include this song more into their live shows, as their Lyn Collins and UFO mashup is tailored for a live audience. That and you can clearly hear the cheers inserted into the resulting instrumental. Not Manslaughter, but a pretty good album cut nonetheless.

MR. BOZACK

Scratch that. The beat to the previous song is horseshit compared to this James Brown-heavy masterpiece. And it’s those Synthetic Substitution drums again, which only add to its energy levels. No bullshit, this may very well be the greatest beat on the album. And what does this iconic duo choose to do with such a priceless instrumental? Quite literally, Parish Smith raps a duet with his PENIS, in what is the absolute weirdest PSA about STDs in hip hop history. What’s stranger is that Erick plays the PENIS. I should’ve known something was off once I heard PMD’s ‘King Of The Bozack’ line on Rampage. What is WRONG with you two??!! Seriously, can you imagine how awesome it would’ve been had the pair used this beat with the previous song’s lyrics? We can’t have everything.

GOLD DIGGER

Another PSA. But this time it’s the lead single, alerting men everywhere to the dangers of superficial women. I feel like I'm flogging a dead horse referencing the misogynistic train of thought but then again, it’s shit like this that caused so many good women to be, at best, completely neglected by men during that decade. Oh and fellow men. I'll let you in on a lil' secret, so don't tell because it's so secret, alright? Read this very clearly: Maybe the reason you keep getting in these shitty situations is the fact that you’re constantly looking for love in clubs populated by materialistic human garbage. Top it all off, The mashup of Funkadelic, Denroy Morgan & Lyn Collins, while not an utter earsore, still underwhelmed. I don’t care if people think it’s a classic, I call it like I see it. Last but definitely most important: It should say a whole lot about Kanye West, whom shall henceforth be known on this blog as Headcase, that out of all the timeless hits EPMD have released throughout their tenure, this sewage is what he chose to replicate. Very stable human being, him.

GIVE THE PEOPLE

Again, I’m not really sure whether this was the second or third single off the album. Never mind. This is the very first time EPMD critique the industry in their music. And I must say, that’s where these two have always been at their very best. Here, the dueling MCs describe mainstream airplay and the forever-uphill battle hopeful artists from impoverished backgrounds have always gone through. PMD drops a pretty timeless line in his first 16 bars, damn near foreseeing the future of hip hop. Not many people listened, P. Anyway, while the beat on this album version was an underwhelming OJays loop, the video version (called the Jeep Mix) brilliantly rectified that mistake by looping a more bombastic excerpt of the same OJays record, while inserting a famed ESG UFO loop during our duo’s verses. Speaking of which, both redid their vocals and their delivery is infinitely better. DJ Scratch was flawless with his work on the original so his masterpieces were kept, which was an obviously smart move. The Average White Band sleighs were the icing on the cake. Now you know which version you should search for.

RAP IS OUTTA CONTROL

This b-side to Gold Digger is by far the meanest EPMD record you'll ever hear. Period. With a shoutout to Tom J the Savage from forgotten Hit Squad originals the Knucklehedz, the onslaught, barely over three minutes, begins with a menacing drum break penetrating the ominous Funkadelic loop. To make matters more interesting, EPMD loop a utterance from Reagan’s February ‘81 State Of The Union Address that gives the track half its title and weave it all the way through the rest of the song in an epic manner. The real clincher, though, is our duo’s delivery. What’s different here is that both E & P deliver each threat in a somewhat-tipsy whine without any sign of the usual bass rappers use when they attempt to intimidate the listener, which makes these two sound as if they’re actually beating you down. If you’ve been reading all these Hit Squad-centric posts of mine so far, then by now you’ve figured out that even though Erick is a quotable machine, Parish is definitely the better MC. And as such, he flourishes under the song’s intense atmosphere. To be fair though, both seriously stepped up their flow game here. This should’ve been the lead single, as it encapsulates the overall harder direction of Business As Usual. My favorite song on the album, apart from the posse cuts of course.

BROTHERS ON MY JOCK (FEATURING REDMAN)

Nautilus! Always a pleasure welcoming you back on BBR! Seriously, one should research Whosampled for just how many bangers this lone classic was sampled into. Anyway, people seem to think the abovementioned Hardcore was Reggie Noble’s first recorded performance. Correction: Hardcore was Reggie Noble’s first recorded performance that people heard. Simply because of the tracklisting. This song is, in fact, the true debut of the Funkadelic Devil inside a studio alongside EPMD. As such, Reggie sounds mad green here, with K-Solo’s influence slipping outta him in that “help” line. As still planned though, he scorched both Erick & Parish, although this time it was P who gave the better effort of the duo. Still preferred over Rampage. The comments section is there for a reason, so come at me motherfucker.

UNDERGROUND

DJ Evil D of the Beatminerz was inspired to craft the classic Black Moon cut How Many MCs by this very track, so thank EPMD. They loop that addictive Grover Washington Jr. sample, resulting in one thumping instrumental which the pair utilize to deliver a vintage verbal can of whupass, not unlike what they’ve been doing all album long. One of those album-deep gems that you could never find without listening to the album throughout.

HIT SQUAD HEIST

That’s 4 songs in a row until you hear something not worth your ears! Nice! Since Business As Usual is all about pushing our duo’s edginess, the Def Jam fuckfaces had to throw in a putrid contractual obligation following the then-recent upsurge in criminal references in hip hop. Which is why you can hear EPMD’s obvious apathy in their James Brown-centric beat. That, and the pair’s end performance is piss-poor at best. Pretty sure they invested zilch in this song, so if these two cared nothing for it, why the hell should you?!

FUNKY PIANO

After a long and confusing intro of various audio bits relevant to our duo, DJ Scratch unveils his production debut comprised of various Albert King samples welded together beautifully, one of which gives the song its title. Scratch lives up to his name while freaking the ever-living shit outta various iconic hip hop samples, primarily Chuck D for the hook. EPMD sweeten the deal with an art lost on this generation: A lyrical dedication to the DJ. This would be the first of many classic tributes the pair would craft. And we’re done.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Progression done at its best. EPMD have already proved they were special with Strictly Business & Unfinished Business, but this album blew away expectations. The magnitude of their sound's growth was so significant it surprised even their diehards. Not to mention these two made sure their diversions in subject matter, aside from a few stinkers, weren't brushed aside as self-absorbed crap. Bringing in Chilly Jimmy on Rampage was a masterstroke, as they forced his massive fanbase to sample their product, thereby adding to their brand that much more. Last but surely not least, the pair repped fellow Hit Squadian Redman heavy, as he remains the only guest to appear on more than one track on an EPMD album. In ensuring that people check for his next showing, they set hip hop up for one hell of a career of scene-stealing punchlines. Bottom line, Business As Usual was, is & will remain one of the greatest pieces of art hip hop has ever produced. I still say I hate Gold Digger, though.

WORTH IT? You'd better start pretending you didn't ask yourself that stupid-ass question in the first place. If you've already burned this into your brain more than two decades ago, go do so again! I know I will.

For more on the overarching Hit Squad story, check. As for their primary architects, knock yourself out.

*(Consensual or not, she was 17, you predatory waste of human space. I hope every single one of you out there suffer in the worst ways possible.)

K-Solo - Tell The World My Name (May 31, 1990)

(This post of mine was originally published more than three years ago on the Hip Hop Isn't Dead, blog of one Max, whom I consider to be my mentor in writing. Even if he doesn't know what the fuck I'm raving about. Just kidding! Love the recent return, Max!)

Once upon at time in the 1980's, there were two besties who met on a bus ride to school. They wanted to be cool like the other kids, so they decided to rap. Unlike those other fucking rejects, though, these two had what it takes from the beginning. These two became EPMD.

However, this is not their story.

Back in 1989, EPMD released a sophomore album that was a healthy smack in the face to naysayers who didn't think they could pull off a successful follow-up. Unfinished Business was the second great album in EPMD's catalogue, and one of the reasons for that consistency was Erick Sermon and Parish Smith's ability to build new acts and set up the proper platform for them.

Their first experiment was the inclusion of our headliner today, Kevin “K-Solo” Madison, on the song “Knick Knack Patty Wack”. Kevin, who was working as a toilet cleaner at the time (he really wasn't but the internet understands humor, right? Right?!), was the very first guest artist to ever appear on an EPMD album. And he was the only guest on Unfinished Business to boot. So it was vital that he make a strong impression.

Which was a huge flop if I ever saw one. K-Solo fucked up on his very first showing to the public by famously misspelling the word “bird” while using a godawful spelling gimmick during his verse. Erick & Parish’s mixing fiasco resulted in most hip hop heads mostly ignoring K-Solo whenever he popped up again.

Let’s correct that, shall we?

His verse on “Knick Knack Patty Wack” was actually very, very good up until the whole “bird” incident, so good that Black Thought from The Roots (a huge favourite of anyone who has a brain) bit a line from it on his own crew's classic track “What They Do”. And obviously it impressed EPMD so much that they took a chance on the guy, who entered the 1990s recording the first solo debut album from the extended Hit Squad family, Tell The World My Name. However, they decided to challenge their progeny by not making any vocal appearances anywhere on the project. Which would make K-Solo true to his rap name, at least.

They didn't leave him hanging behind the boards, though: other than one sole Erick Sermon production, the album's production duties were handled entirely by Parish Smith, which should have resulted in something interesting (back then, anyway).

Now, I’m not claiming that K-Solo is the next Rakim or anything, but shouldn’t we cut this guy more of a break?

That’s what you’re here to find out.

SPELLBOUND
The lone Erick Sermon production and the lead single, dominated by a myriad of Kool & The Gang excerpts. Kevin continues his insipid spelling gimmick here, but at least he doesn’t fuck it up this time. “Spellbound” kicked off a long beef between K-Solo and Yonkers-based cameo king DMX, who claimed that Solo bit his style after battling him in prison. In typical rap fashion, Solo claims the exact opposite. X actually released a “Spellbound” dis track of his own that rips this one to shreds (rapping over “Seven Minutes Of Funk”, no less!). Oh, you wanted info about this song? Well, there isn't anything that we hadn't already seen on Solo’s guest verse on EPMD’s album. That, and the generic Sermon beat that sounds as if he still didn’t have any confidence yet behind the boards (this was his solo production debut, after all). I know, I could have shortened this explanation to “Skip this shit”, right? Well, I’m an asshole.

ROCKIN’ FOR MY HOMETOWN
The first thing that Mr. Madison spits on this admittedly funky Parish Smith concoction is a correction of his famous fuck-up. Too late, motherfucker! He then completes the cutoff verse with some above-average boasts, shouting out the original “Biggie Smalls”, who apparently was his deejay at the time. Only later do I find out that this DJ is actually the legendary DJ Scratch. The more you know. Again, the beat utilizes a Johnny Hammond loop well. You know, for as much as DMX says he hates Solo, he sure paid attention to this album enough to jack this PMD beat wholesale for his Fuckin Wit D track. Says a lot, don’t it? Overall, this was fairly good.

EVERYBODY KNOWS ME
This song marks the point of a major transition on the album for me: PMD's beat is reminiscent of The Bomb Squad in its disjointed genius, beautifully meshing Steely Dan, Bob James & Joe Quarterman/Free Soul. However, the true revelation is Kevin’s rhyming, as he actually starts sounding pretty good. The main reason is that this is Solo’s first foray into storytelling, as he brings his interpretation of EPMD's own It Wasn't Me It Was The Fame. Solo makes tis track his own, though, no question. It’s as though a bolt of lightning struck our host and told him that maybe he should start rhyming about his own experiences instead of randomly prattling braggadocio in a coma-inducing manner. His image depiction picks up very noticeably, and the song is all the better for it. Very nice. There's a very funny bit at the end of the song, too, where Mr. Madison starts skipping his own voice, as if he was haplessly trying to imitate the cutting of Biggie Smalls the First. Still can't get past the fact that Scratch called himself that.

SPEED BLOCKS
Solo gets his Big Daddy Kane on, sounding pretty confident in his “Set It Off”-style spitting. The beat isn’t as massive of a jump forward as the previous one, but it does the job. Kevin depicts the image of a race, with him winning, of course. What is it with most rappers fearing a display of vulnerability? Take a page out of Ghostface Killah’s book, you insecure fucks!

FUGITIVE
K-Solo delivers a master class in storytelling, painting an image that won’t be forgotten anytime soon. Here, he depicts a run-in with the legal system that, while a tad corny in execution, is told through a very engaging narrative. Parish’s production certainly had a lot to do with this, as he delivers an instrumental still rich in quality decades after it was originally cheffed up and one of his best on the entire album, dominating the track with a mesmerizing Grover Washington Jr mesh. This shit was great!

TALES FROM THE CRACK SIDE
The eleventy-one billion rappers that were throwing public service announcements around like Frisbees (remember when people actually played with Frisbees?) at the time should have studied this song as if they were cramming for a fucking final. Parish cooks up an instrumental that crawls up your skin as the song progresses with a creepy-as-all-fuck blend of Grover Washington Jr, Eddie Kendricks and James Brown. Upon which Mr. Madison unveils his best performance on the album thus far. Solo presents another story rap, rhyming about the effects of crack with some pretty disturbing twists. This shit was an excellent surprise: I didn’t know Kevin was capable of this. A damn fine one-two combo if I ever saw one.

YOUR MOM’S IN MY BUSINESS
Damn! Solo’s on fire with these stories! Now he spits a hilariously vivid depiction of his girlfriend’s mother and her disapproval of her daughter’s relationship with our protagonist, “'cause of my haircut and people call me Solo”. I’m not sure if he intended for this to be funny, but the image of my wife’s mother scolding her because my friends call me an unforgivable nickname such as Solo is hilarity in its purest form. Elsewhere, Mr. Madison shouts out an important member of his future team, producer-slash-rapper Sam Sneed, who was such a big prospect in the 1990s. that Dr. Dre himself fought for his services...and then proceeded to kick him the fuck out of his inner circle. Anyway, the beat, once again, is a home run by Parish. This was entertaining as fuck! “How could you go out with a man nicknamed Solo, for God’s sake? I raised you better than that!”

REAL SOLO PLEASE STAND UP
Solo reuses the non-spelling part of his debut verse on “Knick Knack Patty Wack”. That alone is a severe letdown from the high bar set by the previous tracks. Then he continues to spit about how he should own the Solo name. Damn, that name is sure inflating our host’s head. The PMD instrumental is a fairly goofy Rhythm Heritage loop that actually does its job. On a side note, I don’t exactly know how popular the To Tell The Truth quiz show was, but it sure is prevalent in hip hop. (Slim Shady comes to mind.)

RENEE-RENEE
One of the absolute worst sex raps I’ve ever heard. Period. Shame that a funky Idris Muhammad loop is wasted on this garbage.

SOLO ROCKS THE HOUSE
More bragging. Ugh. Parish's beat, a James Brown excerpt sampled in the most annoying way possible, also does nothing to serve our host. To top it off, the chorus is a fucking earsore.

THE MESSENGER
Kevin’s audition for the African Empowerment rap movement of that period, with a Malcolm X sample to boot. In retrospect, this track’s purpose is as clear as crystal: this is nothing but a fucking cash grab. The audio sample was completely wasted here. Even Solo’s tone when he shouts out Nelson Mandela (R.I.P.) is unconvincing. And the beat, trashing yet another James Brown loop, is the "will clog up your toilet for months"-type of poo. This time I’ll be nice and say: skip this shit.

DRUMS OF DEATH
The beat on this final song picks up the pace tremendously, as do K-Solo's rhymes and delivery to match. This is one hell of a way to end proceedings, leaving things on a high note.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Tell The World My Name is kind of a head-scratcher. On more than one occassion, you have K-Solo attempting (and failing, spectacularly so) to cross over to the mainstream, sounding very disjointed over numerous PMD beats (and the lone Erick Sermon track) in the process. However, he also demonstrates a then-unknown incredible knack for storytelling, and does so repeatedly throughout the album. And it's not like the man can't spit. In fact, maybe that's part of my gripe with him: He hasn't channeled that talent throughout the entire album. Of course, none of this translated into any form of commercial success whatsoever, but it did give his label, Atlantic, a reason to issue a sophomore album, so I guess that counts for something.

WORTH IT? If you can find this fairly easily, then I recommend investing your time, as a considerable portion of this album fucking bangs. The other portion, however, is absolute pig shit, so I’ll leave it up to you.

For more on Kevin Self Organization Left Others, here. And for more from the Hit Squad, indulge.

EPMD - Unfinished Business (August 1, 1989)

Something to note about the importance of this run before I start:

There was a Raekwon interview on the Combat Jack Show (RIP Reggie "Combat Jack" Osse) a while back, where Cheffy highlighted why the Wu-Tang Clan dominated the hip hop industry so. It was crucially because they emulated the business model of a certain Hit Squad, which solidifies the fact that the Hit Squad was the very first commercially dominant collective of highly affiliated hip hop solo acts in history. Keyword: dominant. Let's face it, boy/girl (pick one), as critically influential as the Juice Crew were (which is never to be disputed), only Biz Markie RIP & Big Daddy Kane were  steady with their commercial impact. Closest thing in that collective was Roxanne's Revenge, and that, while massive at the time, was a one-off. Hell, Cheffy even compared himself and his RAGU partner Ghostface Killah to our subjects here. But as much as RAGU are my shit, I've always felt that the two Clansmen who bore the most resemblance in skill and stature to EPMD were Cousins RZA & GZA. Both were the driving creative force and the savvy business minds behind the massive movements under their umbrellas. With EPMD, the lines are even more blurred, as both Erick Sermon and Parish Smith had quite the acute business moves during their respective careers, whether together or apart. And it all started here, on this very album you're tackling right now.

According to our duo though, Unfinished Business almost never came to light. Why? The exposure EPMD experienced after the then-roaring success of their debut Strictly Business brought with it the always-fun element of haters, and apparently the EPMD hater camp was a pretty vocal one. Writing these two off as flashes in the pan, this group of very social creatures started infiltrating every venue, every publication, every radio show our duo were featured in and proceeded to shame the pair on the assumption that they can't replicate their success again. To this day, I still fail to grasp what would drive any group of hip hop heads to, absolutely out of the blue, hate on an act that experienced success with their debut without leaning on any form of wide-spread controversy.

Apparently, so did EPMD themselves. The very first song they wrote after all that craziness ended up being the album's timeless lead single So Wat Cha Sayin'. The record was the key that opened the lyrical floodgates upon which the rest of the album was written. Unfinished Business was an attempt by EPMD to diversify their subject matter, delving into pre-success struggles and PSAs, along with their BNB forte. And again, the album marks the first step the pair took as executives through debuting the very first guest on an EPMD album and member of the aforementioned Hit Squad, Central Islip, LI native Kevin Madison bka K-Solo aka Wolfgang Murdermouth (Yep) on Knick Knack Patty Wack. You'll figure out if this particular debut was memorable or not in the review. Production-wise, EPMD again handled everything, though to me, the jury is still out on whether Parish did the whole album or him and Erick simply bounced ideas around together.

Unfinished Business replicated the critical and commercial success of its predecessor by selling more than five hundred thousand units Stateside alone, and successfully continuing their grimy funk aesthetic, which still hasn't been utilized so well since. With that in mind, EPMD's status within this game as a problem was solidified. You're here to see just how big of a problem this album really made them.

SO WAT CHA SAYIN'
The moment you hear the BT Express guitar lick, you'll know this album is an entirely different beast from Strictly Business. Point further proven when E steps up to the mic, because son goes the fuck in, in a way unseen before this record. And if you thought Erick progressed lyrically, Parish steps in and blows him the hell away with his contribution. The simplicity of slowing down a Funkadelic vocal sample and placing that as the hook remains one of hip hop's shining moments of genius to this very day, and I don't care if many people mastered the technique afterwards. This is shit you've never heard until then. P also addresses the hate the group received from overzealous fans of Eric B & Rakim in the timeless parting line of his second verse. No, I'm not telling you what it is, go listen to the song! You will thank me!

TOTAL KAOS
Another smacker of a beat, another Funkadelic sample! This time, it's paired with short horn stabs from James Brown combined with a Parish Smith line scratched in. The end result will just feel warm and embracing after the chaos of the first track. Pun very much intended. Erick establishes himself as the starter of most EPMD songs on this album, with Parish playing cleanup conversely, and here the differences between the two's styles begin to show: Erick focuses more on obscure references, while Parish is more confrontational and flow-savvy. Still, the two mesh together quite masterfully, and this track is no exception

GET THE BOZACK
OK, I don’t know how a phrase such as “Get The Bozack” infiltrated the hip hop lexicon for so long but here we are. So, it's weird that DMX has such an affinity for EPMD songs when he's had a never-ending beef with their homie K-Solo. How else would you explain Dame Grease and PK straight up jacking the BT Express loop that EPMD came up with for his official debut single? Anyways, the lyrics to this are actually some of the first rhymes that EPMD ever wrote for themselves, so I still can't make sense of why it was delayed until the sophomore. Because you bet your doughy, smelly & warty ass these two bring the ruckus something lovely. Awesome song!

JANE II

The title explains it all. Once again, Rick James is all over this beat, as EPMD present the next chapter in a slightly more humorous tone, with their delivery sounding baked as fuck. I’m telling you, the bit where P answers E’s inquiry about his own whereabouts never fails to crack me up. Great progression, you two.

PLEASE LISTEN TO MY DEMO

This song may be the most heartfelt in EPMD’s entire catalog, as the pair proceed into tales from their comeup ending with the duo being signed, over a very influential Faze-O loop. Don’t believe me? Go ask OC, WC & Evil D just to name a few. No, I’m not mentioning Kriss Kross’ Tonite’s Tha Night. What do you mean, I just did?! Back to these two though, as both display an arresting degree of attention to detail. Exactly what was needed to make this one hell of a memorable hip hop song. You’ll be coming back to this more and more.

IT'S TIME 2 PARTY

OK, this is where EPMD officially entered uncharted waters: Contractual obligations. And as such, EPMD have created a harmless clubbing song set to a fairly popular MFSB loop. Really, ask Cappadonna, it's pretty goddamn popular. Your slight gripe with the track will be that you could’ve had grandchildren with the time you spent listening to the same loop on repeat between our duo’s verses. Moving on.

WHO'S BOOTY

I’m done with misogynistic displays. Foreal. The difference between this and the Jane series is that they spend just as much time dissing themselves as they do Jane and that the whole Jane saga is tongue in cheek. I say that even though I liked the Fred Wesley/JBs loop along with the sped up Funkadelic hook here. Shame.

THE BIG PAYBACK
This second single is a fucking masterpiece. With a myriad of James Brown samples forming a damn confrontational instrumental, EPMD bring you the motherfucking business. The music video also showed a little rag-tag group calling themselves NWA heavily featuring in our duo's said video. You might've heard of them. Bottom line: This battle track is one of the finest ever made and if you incredulously haven't heard it yet, you need to go rectify that shit now. Seriously, stop reading this post and go listen to it.

STRICTLY SNAPPIN' NECKS
Songs like this and its predecessor display how EPMD added new production techniques to their arsenal, such as making beats that stay the hell outta their way as they rip shit down. Because although this track isn't nearly as thrilling as The Big Payback, it really doesn't need to be. Erick's oneliners are always refreshing but Parish surprises by one-upping his partner in his own department, assuring you that these two were not resting on their laurels. This progression really shows in P's second verse as he flies off the rails for nearly 30 bars! This is one hell of an album cut!

KNICK KNACK PATTY WACK (FEATURING K-SOLO)
This is probably the most important song on the record. Why? Because this is where EPMD set up the foundations of an empire that would've surely been that era's biggest hip hop conglomerate (hell, it might've continued to this day. This is Bloggerland after all so why not hypothesize, right?) had these two stayed together. Of course with such lofty expectations, it was important that this step leave its mark, and by God does it ever as K-Solo outright annihilates a fairly on-point EPMD and their instrumental, which popularised that Joe Cocker sample after the very underrated Ultramagnetic MCs discovered it. 2Pac's California Love? Yep, thank EPMD. I'll note something here: EPMD never outshone their progeny's appearances throughout their discography, which is a masterclass move. Why? Because that way, they can generate interest in said progeny's upcoming works. Which almost worked brilliantly for Solo here had he not infuriatingly misspelled "bird" during that insipid spelling gimmick at the end of his otherwise-timeless verse. Instead, he now only has a niche following, which may be what he wanted all along, I don't know. Despite all that, this still is the best song on the album.

YOU HAD TOO MUCH TO DRINK
From the album’s best song to a strong candidate for the absolute worst track in EPMD's entire fucking catalog. How I wish I was exaggerating. The two, probably drunk off their balls while making this song, decided to let the drum machine play and bring in longtime production associate Charlie Marotta to play one of the most annoying guitar riffs you'll ever hear while the duo give you a DUI PSA. And they present it as the third single. See how contractual obligations can lead to horrible music?! Fuck this song.

IT WASN'T ME, IT WAS THE FAME
Ah, back to normal! In fact, this also is one of the most influential EPMD songs ever, as our duo catch wreck over their mystic mesh of David Bowie and the Stylistics. Here, they both launch into descriptive performances about the various ways in which fame changed the way people treat them and how they dealt with such changes. Key in these songs is the attention to details aforementioned in Please Listen To My Demo, which differs from being descriptive for the fuck of it, and these two pull it off brilliantly, turning this into one hell of an inspiring record. And we're done.

FINAL THOUGHTS: Many people recognised these two for their commercial achievements with this album back in the day, but very few currently touch upon how much Erick Sermon and Parish Smith grew in one friggin' year. Aside from a few very ill-advised attempts, Unfinished Business is one big lesson in progression and the evolution of one's brand. Beat-wise, the sampling got that much more creative, leading to some of hip hop's most iconic tunes later to be revisited by rap acts across the spectrum of the industry. Lyrically, though, is where critical ignorance piled up in spades: The album proves even more so than Strictly Business that these two can damn well hold your attention. The range of subjects EPMD touched upon continue to be relevant in hip hop to this very day, especially the personal tales of Please Listen To My Demo and It Wasn't Me, It Was The Fame. Also accomplished is the establishment of EPMD's Hit Squad with K-Solo's blistering cameo. Until he spelled shit, of course. Regardless, Unfinished Business is the album that will forever hook fans of the duo's debut to their later material, for better or worse. It did so for me, I'll tell ya that much.

WORTH IT? Every motherfucking step of the way! Unless you'd rather go check out whatever the fuck Lil Pump or Big Shaq are doing. Hey, do you. I'm not one to judge! Keep in mind that this shit here lasted more than 30 years, so you might wanna see what the fuss is about.

For more on the pair Making Dollars, check. And for more of the Hit Squad exploits, peep game.

EPMD - Strictly Business (June 7, 1988)

Finally. I get to start with a run I've been craving to do ever since I started two years ago. That of the extended Hit Squad family, infamously headed by one Erick Sermon aka the Green Eyed Bandit aka Grand Royal aka the Funk Lord and one Parish Smith (not Parrish. The man himself spells it with ONE 'R', thank you very much.) aka the Microphone Doctor aka Slow Flow aka MC Cold Killa, cka Erick & Parish Making Dollars aka Erick & Parish Millenium Ducats. EPMD.

Where do I even start with this entry? Should I begin by highlighting the climate it was released in? 1988? The most influential year in hip hop history? Or should I mention the fact that it singlehandedly jumpstarted an entire school of sampling? One that would make these two one of the most sampled rap acts in history?

I'm thinking, no. I'm starting with the very interesting tidbit that this group was my introduction to 80s hip hop. Yep. I never heard a single 80s rap record until these two entered my life. Their work made me notice just how much the scene valued your lines. Every bar HAD to be a timeless quotable, or else you were not getting recognized. At all. If one would notice, that is precisely the reason why 90s hip hop was chock full of audio samples from 80s hip hop. Now you know the cloth you're dealing with when talking about these two.

Also of importance, the 80s was an era where you were required to excel at not one, but as many elements of hip hop as you could. Being that this genre has transcended every barrier placed in front of it, its nature of being hip hop music has overshadowed the fact that rhyming and DJing are only two elements. The rest are breaking, graffiti and beatboxing. Some would even add the five percenter inspired knowledge of self, which I now consider to be the most vital of all, as that very notion means so much more today than what Clarence Edward Smith intended for it back in the mid-60s. Anyways, back to EPMD. Both members had an integral connection with music during their childhoods, which was reflected by the fact that Parish became a DJ in his teens while Erick was notorious within his family for his impressions of Soul legends as a kid.

Little did they know that by the time these two became a legitimate rap act signed to Fresh/Sleeping Bag Records, their beatmaking choices would forever more change the landscape of hip hop music, as they were the first rap act to introduce funk music onto a hip hop record. Starting with their debut single It's My Thing/You're A Customer (on which the group's name was embarrassingly spelled EPEEMD). I distinctly remember the EPMD episode of Unsung where you can see DMC of Run-DMC, EPMD's idols, talk about his initial reaction to hearing It's My Thing while driving. It was an open mouth and intimidation of these two's revolutionary production choices.

Or rather one's production choices. Although I can't really find the exact details, apparently the first three EPMD albums were produced by Parish Smith alone. Excluding the two tracks featuring one Reggie Noble bka the mighty Redman off the third, which were E-Dub's work. I even heard that P and veteran sound engineer Charlie Marotta were E's production mentors. Now I'm not sure if their work was that divided, but I'd like to believe that they were more collaborative than all this individualist talk being shoveled around (That, and the production on all four pre-breakup albums was credited to both them cats). Plus, I've heard both of their solo work behind the boards, and while I'm still a big fan of both, something was different during their initial 87-92 run.

Full disclosure: When I first wanted to listen to EPMD's material, I had no idea where to start as I was too damn sensitive to the late 80s style of basic rhyming. So I decided to listen to their pre-breakup material (more on the breakup in later reviews) in reverse chronological order. The first song I heard by these two was Headbanger, and I was blown away. Just how long were these two this good? That question convinced me to abandon my trajectory into their discography and start properly from the beginning with this. Strictly Business.

The making-of story of this album is a fucking doozy, so you'll want to watch that Unsung episode right the fuck now. I'll wait.

I know, right?! So the commercial result of said efforts were immortalized by Parish on So Wat Cha Sayin', lead single of EPMD's sophomore album: 'Dropped the album Strictly Business and you thought we would fold/Thirty days later, the LP went gold!'

Seeing as Strictly Business dropped in a time where debut singles were a pretty big deal, I'm starting this review with the singles, then I'll go down from there to the rest of the tracklisting. Also, to show you just how much people were influenced by these two's production choices, I'll be mentioning songs by various hip hop artists that borrowed from our duo alongside the EPMD song that inspired them in every EPMD review I write from now on.

IT'S MY THING
Yep, the beat to, ugh, Jay-Z's horrid Ain't No N**** came from here. Guess which song I prefer? I also prefer Deathtrap by the Gravediggaz, as it’s an infinitely more respectable take than him and then-underage whore Foxy Brown’s sex rants. Anyways, this is where everything started. It is also future Def Squad member Keith Murray's favorite hip hop song. Ever. Can't say I blame him, really. After a very famous helicopter sample, our duo lay out their modus operandi chauffeured by Seven Minutes of Funk sprinkled with a myriad of vocal samples. From the jump, you see how natural the chemistry between them really is, which shouldn't be surprising as they are best friends from middle school. Of note also is the fact that you'll find it hard to choose who bested who in lyrical combat here, as their skill level is again very similar. This is the debut single of a legendary career for a fucking reason.

YOU'RE A CUSTOMER
This beat was just used for the BET Cypher everyone's raving about. Whatever.  This also happens to be, far and wide, the most sampled EPMD song ever. The reason why every legend you know adores this song, despite the beat being the most minimalist on the entire album, is because both members black the fuck out here. Seriously, this song alone had enough quotables to fuel a sizeable chunk of the 90s hip hop scene, especially that East Coast boom bap shit you came here to read about. Props to the beat, too, as it's an adoringly simple mashup of ZZ Top, Steve Miller & Kool & The Gang. More importantly, it was tooled to get the hell outta the way as the two MCs went in. Also, a minor tidbit is that one of Parish’s lines here was misunderstood by fellow Long Islander and hip hop grandmaster Rakim to be a potshot, which started a brief but nasty lyrical feud between the two legendary acts. I love this song.

STRICTLY BUSINESS
The first single to actually chart for our duo. Built around Eric Clapton's famous interpolation of Bob Marley's classic and essentially the very first of many songs to sample Erick Sermon, this is a perfect encapsulation of what an 80s hip hop banger sounds like. Of course, our duo utilize their beat effectively and bombard the fuck outta you with quotables. This song is my shit!

I'M HOUSIN'
Now we come to not the best, but the most underrated song of the whole heap. Good to know that Souls Of Mischief and Rage Against The Machine really like this song, right? E and P wreck shop over a deft as fuck Aretha Franklin loop. Another smash off the bat. I especially dug their introductory verses where they display a taste of storytelling finesse. Oh, don't worry. You'll get to that soon enough.

LET THE FUNK FLOW
The reviled title track to Nastradamus, one of Nas' worst albums jacked this beat wholesale. Yep, attempted to tarnish the legacy of this infinitely-better song. You hear a classic opening Otis Redding riff, following which you are submerged against your will in the funkiest of JBs loops sprinkled with some Beastie Boys schratches here n there, as our duo swarm around your ears and take turns devouring the ever-living shit outta them with three blistering verses apiece. Very nice!

YOU GOTS TO CHILL
So, I guess Vanilla Ice covered this song in '08. Yep. All bullshit aside: To this day, whenever EPMD perform this live, the crowd enters a blood-crazed frenzy. The reason? That beat. That Zapp loop marinated in that Kool & the Gang flavor. Although it certainly helps that both Erick and Parish deliver the BNB business, as well. This track is essential listening.

GET OFF THE BANDWAGON
Here we arrive at my least favorite instrumental, as it's sample-less. Which translates today to dated as fuck. However, I still love this song because EPMD get busy on this shit. Erick and Parish kick the quotables up a crazy notch and you'll believe in 80s rap for damn certain after this.

THE STEVE MARTIN
From the most dated sounding song to the goofiest: EPMD rap about coming up with a dance that will forever retire the Pee Wee Herman dance with one named after one of my favorite comedians. Fuck you, I loved his Pink Panther movies. You can see where the popularity attempt went, but the amount of fun these two are having with this song is infectious as all hell. And that Otis Redding loop backed by that Patty Duke bass interpolation only sweetens the audio recipe that much more. This was bafflingly awesome.

DJ K LA BOSS
If you know anything about 80s hip hop, you'd know how common it was to have a track comprised entirely of the act's DJ flexing his skills. Now, I've always been kinda ambivalent to this practice but I appreciate its magnitude for what it was and given such, this was pretty good.

JANE
Told you we'd come back to their storytelling! And thus begins a tale of the morally conspicuous female who follows these two their whole career. Yep. that's 30 years and counting. If nothing, the commitment alone has to be appreciated, right? As if you need me to convince you of this song's worth, as the Rick James- heavy beat will do that for me. The detailed verses are masterfully written by both our hosts, who've really performed neck and neck throughout the entire record, which is yet another achievement that escapes most group-based rap acts. Trust me, people anticipate every chapter in this Jane series for a damn reason.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
Once again, this is the album that made me acquire a taste for 80s hip hop. The reason why I adapted to this then-foreign sound so easily is because these two blazed a new path in production and added sampling sources unheard of back then. Also of note is the fact that both members of the duo were sharp as fuck behind the mic, dropping quotables and telling stories about the music itself. Something that's never done anymore. Never. Besides, this album established an entire school of production based on funk into the industry, and believe me, that's a BIG ASS school.

WORTH IT? This album had better be in your collection. You'll see hip hop in an entirely new light when you finally appreciate where it comes from. Trust me, that is an essential hip hop experience.

If you're looking for more from EPMD, here. For more on this Hit Squad thing, you better click on this shit.