Five years is a lifetime in the world of hip hop, but for EPMD, it proved to be just enough time to make their mark in an era when each week brought a genre-defining release and the rules were being rewritten constantly. I’m still waiting for the pre-reunion work (’88-’92) of Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith to get its proper due, if only in the area of production, as the duo were arguably the first to successfully popularize the thick funk loops of Parliament/Funkadelic and Zapp at a time when sampling James Brown was considered cutting-edge. While neither of the two emcees possessed a gifted flow, there was something about these two brothers from Brentwood, Long Island that was irresistible, whether it was the dirty, laid-back grooves, the endless stream of half-baked metaphors and similies, or the mush-mouthed musings of Sermon (never before had a speech impediment been so effective).

I’ve always felt that EPMD’s fourth release, the shamefully long out-of-print Business Never Personal (1992) was their finest in terms of consistency and overall vibe, potently illustrating the “rough, rugged, and raw” mentality the duo had always adhered to. Along with noteworthy releases from Das Efx, K-Solo, and Redman, 1992 was undoubtedly the year of the Hit Squad, and two strong singles were culled from the record: the rowdy posse cut “Headbanger” with Redman and K-Solo, and their manifesto on crass hip hop commercialism “Crossover.” What’s remarkable about the album is the lack of filler or skits present, chiefly attributable to its brevity at 11 tracks and 39 minutes, but also in regard to the lyrical content, which elevated street braggadocio to an art form. There’s plenty to be found here: ferocious trash-talking (”Chill”), props to their DJ (”Scratch Bring It Back”), calling out gold diggers (”Play the Next Man”), and a further installment in their amusing transvestite saga (”Who Killed Jane?”).

“Can’t Hear Nothing But the Music,” with the Average White Band’s “School Boy Crush” loop buried underneath the drums and handclaps, had the potential to be a third single had the group not parted ways in early ‘93. Smith begins by casually rattling off 14 bars that sound like standard fare, but what other rapper could compare himself to serial killer Dave Berkowitz, Shaft, and a mentally challenged individual and get away with it? Sermon’s verses have him singing the theme song to Rocky, dropping kung fu references, and mumbling lines like, “Bust a move, I’m worth about a million cash bucks / Say what? Damn right, shut the hell up.” All in a day’s work for the Green-Eyed Bandit.

“Can’t Hear Nothing But the Music” – EPMD 3:37 (Business Never Personal, Def Jam 1992)

“It’s Going Down,” previously appearing on the Juice soundtrack earlier that year, is mandatory listening, and about as quintessential a track as fan favorites “You Gots to Chill” and “So What ‘Cha Sayin’.” Snagging the horn line from Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You” and layering it over a crushing, bleacher-rattling drum loop, the duo spit memorable line after line, climaxing in Smith’s summarization of the group’s ethos at 2:45:

While the E-Double takes a nap, no time to slack
It’s my turn to guard the fort, ready for combat
Guns and violence - that we don’t promote
Just taking what’s ours, kid, chill or smell the gunsmoke.

“It’s Going Down” – EPMD 4:12 (Business Never Personal, Def Jam 1992)

Considering the success of this album, it shouldn’t be too difficult to stumble upon it in the used section to avoid the exorbitant prices I’ve seen for it on eBay and Amazon. In the meantime, “Keep your hoodies on and your boots laced.“