On this date in 1999, one of Hip Hop’s greatest duos of all time, Erick and Parrish Making Dollars, released their fifth full-length studio album, Back In Business, on Def Jam. EPMD has been making stellar albums together since Hip Hop’s “Golden Era” and were actually the artists who appeared on the very first copy of The Source Magazine. So this album was a bittersweet one, being that Erick, who had now launched Def Squad while PMD maintained the Hit Squad banner, the two put out this album after feuding for the previous three years.
Getting back to their regularly scheduled program, EPMD did most of their own production and, of course, had Grandmaster DJ Scratch contribute behind the boards along with newcomers Agallah and Rockwilder. Guest appearances included Def Squad members Keith Murray and Redman, while Hit Squad member Das EFX made an appearance on one track.
The album’s only standout track was the radio-friendly “Da Joint,” which is partially why it didn’t receive the critical acclaim that was given to its previous four projects. For the first time in their career, the “Brothers from Brentwood” underdelivered to their fans, and most believed that their deliberate hiatus created a disconnect that couldn’t go unnoticed.
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Salute to Erick, Parrish, Redman, Keith Murray, DJ Scratch, Rockwilder, Agallah and everyone else involved in this important piece of Hip Hop history!
