Business As Usual
EPMD's 14-cut third album,Business As Usual, is their bumpingest and most influential. By 1990 the Long Island duo ofErick Sermonand Parrish Smith had perfected their beatmaking formula. They didn't have to raid vocoder guruRoger Troutman'svaults for the funk. On "Gold Digger," an austere commentary on materialistic female groupies, and the battle-rhyme cut "Manslaughter," the duo flex their unusual ability to meld danceable rhythm tracks with hardcore rhymes, a strength which helped EPMD appeal to rap fans of all persuasions. "Rampage" resurrected a burnt-outLL Cool J. "Hardcore" and "Brothers on My Jock" marked the introduction ofRedmanto the MC game, further proving that the boondocks can produce something other than strip malls.--Dalton Higgins