In hip-hop, few names have announced a mission as clearly as EPMD. The initials stand for “Erick and Parrish Making Dollars,” identifying members Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith, better known as PMD. Emerging from Brentwood, New York, the duo developed a durable identity through controlled rhymes, funk-centered production and an unmistakable business theme. Between 1988 and the end of the 1990s, EPMD released six albums, survived a highly visible split and returned to help define what reunion-era rap could look like.
Early Life & Background
EPMD arrived during a major transition in New York hip-hop. The culture had emerged in the Bronx, primarily within the city’s Black community, and expanded dramatically during the 1980s. By the middle of that decade, a new-school movement led by performers including Run-DMC, LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys had pushed rap toward harder drums, concise records and album-oriented careers.
From Brentwood, Sermon and Smith formed a partnership based on complementary voices and a shared production sense. Their group name established the language that would run through their catalog: business, contracts, customers and financial ambition. Rather than treating that idea as a one-record novelty, EPMD made it the organizing principle of their public image and album titles.
Breakthrough
The duo’s early single “It’s My Thing” introduced the unhurried confidence that became central to its sound. EPMD then released its debut album, Strictly Business, on June 7, 1988, through Fresh/Sleeping Bag Records. The album placed Sermon and PMD’s low-key delivery over forceful, sample-based tracks, creating music that sounded relaxed without losing impact.
The title track and “You Gots to Chill” became signature recordings, while “You’re a Customer” further developed the duo’s transactional vocabulary. Stezo, then a dancer for EPMD, appeared in the video for “You Gots to Chill” before pursuing his own recording career. The album established a formula EPMD could expand: conversational boasting, recognizable samples, heavy rhythm and two MCs who sounded coordinated without becoming interchangeable.
Key Music
EPMD followed its debut with Unfinished Business in 1989 and Business as Usual in 1990. Songs such as “So Wat Cha Sayin’” and “Gold Digger” extended the duo’s reputation for direct hooks and economical production. DJ Scratch also became an important part of EPMD’s presentation, bringing turntable technique and a strong live-DJ presence to the group.
The fourth album, Business Never Personal, was released by Def Jam Recordings on July 28, 1992. Its best-known selections include “Crossover” and “Head Banger,” the latter featuring K-Solo and Redman. Those collaborations reflected EPMD’s widening creative circle, commonly known as the Hit Squad. During the 1990s, that network was associated with EPMD, Redman, K-Solo, Das EFX and Keith Murray.
EPMD split in 1993, interrupting a remarkably consistent album run. Sermon began recording solo albums for Def Jam that year, while PMD also established a solo catalog. The separation lasted until 1997, when the pair reunited and released the appropriately titled Back in Business. “Da Joint” demonstrated that the familiar contrast between Sermon and PMD remained intact. Out of Business followed in 1999, closing the duo’s 20th-century album output.
Style & Influence
EPMD’s production was grounded in sampling, especially the elastic bass lines and spacious grooves associated with funk. Rock and soul sources also entered the mix, but the duo’s records rarely sounded cluttered. Repeated riffs, hard drums and carefully placed vocal fragments left room for both rappers’ measured cadences.
The contrast between their voices was essential. Sermon brought a loose, instantly recognizable delivery, while PMD answered with a firm and methodical tone. Neither relied on constant speed or shouting. Their authority came from timing, repetition and the sense that every bar sat securely inside the beat.
The duo’s influence also came through artist development and affiliation. Redman, K-Solo and Das EFX gained important exposure around the EPMD and Hit Squad orbit, helping connect the group’s late-1980s breakthrough to the next decade’s East Coast rap. Their records also reinforced the central role of the DJ: DJ Scratch was not merely background decoration, but a visible technician within the group’s performances and recordings.
Legacy
By 2000, EPMD had completed a rare narrative arc: breakthrough, sustained productivity, breakup and successful reunion. The repeated “business” titles gave the catalog continuity, but the concept endured because the music remained recognizable across changing rap eras. The duo could stand beside late-1980s new-school artists and still sound at home during the sample-heavy East Coast revival of the 1990s.
EPMD’s history is also a history of connections. Sermon and PMD pursued solo work, their associates built independent careers, and DJ Scratch became a widely credited producer. For listeners encountering classic hip-hop through record collections, reissues or programming such as FullblastRadio, EPMD offers a direct route into the sound and collaborative structure of New York rap between the late 1980s and the end of the 1990s.
Did You Know?
- EPMD’s name is an initialism for “Erick and Parrish Making Dollars.”
- The first four EPMD album titles all contain the word “Business.”
- Erick Sermon began recording solo albums for Def Jam in 1993 and rejoined EPMD in 1997.
- Beyond his EPMD work, PMD released solo projects, an extended play and a collaborative album with Japanese hip-hop producer DJ Honda.
- Stezo first entered the recording scene as an EPMD dancer and appeared in the “You Gots to Chill” video.
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