Customer Reviews

Business Never Personal

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When cats speak about the dopest EPMD albums, for whatever reason, Business Never Personal is always left out. And it pains me, since this may be my FAVOURITE album of theirs (though their BEST is probably Unfinished Business...)

This is pure, un-cut rap music. Rugged and raw. Though Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith were far from lyrically gifted, the lyrics were always on-point, no matter what they rapped about. Even though there may have been just a bit too much gun-talk from EPMD on this album, the music has an almost unparalleled hardcore sound; quite honestly, E and P could've rapped about bunny rabbits over THIS production, and they would've sounded rough and rugged doing so. It also helps that this album features a few extremely tight guest appearances; Das EFX gets busy on Cummin' At Cha, and Redman & K-Solo catch wreck on what is in my opinion the greatest posse cut ever: The Headbanger. This track, along with Crossover, alone are worth the price of admission. They're that dope.

Also, the music on this album doesn't sound even the slightest bit dated - and this thing came out in '92. EPMD always had a knack for a good groove or a dope loop, but they just took it to another level here. Just peep Can't Hear Nothin' But The Music and the way they sampled the same break that Eric B & Rakim used on Microphone Fiend. It almost makes the latter look childish, but E and P were no Rakims and they knew it - that's why they kept making their beats as tight as possible. No track on this album suffers from a less-than-dope beat.

Also worth noting: Parrish was even able to steal the show from DJ Scratch (not easy to do) on HIS OWN DJ showcase track - Scratch Bring It Back, Pt. 2 - by dropping one of the most hype, energetic verses I've ever heard. And this verse came from the self-proclaimed "Slow-Flower".

Perhaps one flaw this album has is the short length. 39 minutes is very little room for error. But I suppose I need a real reason to give it less that 5 stars. Oh yeah, what's with all the Michael Jackson references? There's TWO of them on "It's Going Down" alone, and plenty more throughout the rest of the album. That's all, I'm done.

Yeah, call me crazy, but almost everything about this album just hits home with me. I can't guarantee you'll feel it as much as I do, but it definitely warrants a listen the same way Strictly Business, Unfinished Business, or Business As Usual do. I didn't know whether to give this album 4.5 or 5 stars, but I guess the extra .5 star is apparently just me feelin' the album more than everybody else (since only 4 other people have done it any justice by reviewing it). Too underrated, and an album as good as this should definitely NOT be out-of-print, Def Jam.

Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith has released many albums from 1988 to 1992. Their fourth album "Business Never Personal" would be their fourth's album as a group before they split up into solo careers. Like many listeners have realized, this is probably the duo's darkest produced LP of their career. All of the production and rhymes are dark and grimy as compared to the other albums that came before this album here.

There are many banging tracks that are scattered throughout this album. One obvious would be the hit single "Headbanger" featuring K-Solo and Redman. Recently All Hip Hop ranked Redman's verse as one of the top 20 verses in Hip Hop, and I have to agree because he basically steals the show there. Another great song is another of the album's lead singles "Crossover" as Erick and Parrish rhyme about Hip Hop artists that turn pop in a matter of time. To be honest, the production on this album took time to grow on me, probably because I wasn't used to them doing dark sounding beats, but songs like "Can't Hear Nothing But The Music" and "Chill" are some of the well produced tracks.

The album is not without flaws though. As I stated before, the production had to grow on me, and it took a while, as well as the dark sounding rhymes, as if both members were angry at something. Another flaw is that both E and P are outshined by Das EFX on "Commin' At Cha". Also, I'm not the only one who noticed the Michael Jackson refrences on this album. This album clocks in at 39 minutes (39:03 to be exact), and it really goes both ways. The good being that it is short and right to the point. Also, it keeps the vibe going for the listener. The bad being that it the shortest EPMD album. It seems like you're getting into the album, it's almost over, leaving a listener for more. Also one can't help but wonder what Erick and Parrish were going through between each other before their split up, and think that this album was put together just to keep their fans happy, and not their full backs into it (possibly another reason justifing it for it's length).

Overall "Business Never Personal" is a great album although it doesn't match their previous albums (my favorite from the group is Business as Usual). Classic material? No. Their best? No. Underrated? Yes. Although they would reunite in 1997, their last two albums wouldn't come close to this right here. This is an album I still would recommend if you want to hear some dark production from Erick and Parrish. I also don't understand why Def Jam let this go out of print. Peace and Happy Thanksgiving!!

Lyrics: B+
Production: B+
Guest Appearances: A-
Musical Vibes: B-

Top 5 Tracks:
1. Headbanger (featuring K Solo and Redman)
2. Crossover
3. Can't Hear Nothing But The Music
4. Who Killed Jane (Jane 4)
5. Play The Next Man

Honorable Mention:
1. Commin At Cha (featuring Das EFX)

First of all, can somebody please explain to me why this is the only EPMD album that's out of print? I mean, not only was it their best-selling album, including their most successful and recognizable single, but it's easily among their finest work and is a great piece of hip hop from an awesome year, 1992. Somebody at Def Jam needs to wake up.

Anyway, "Business Never Personal" is pure dope. This was EPMD's fourth album in five years, following three certified classics, Strictly Business, Unfinished Business, and Business as Usual. This one's one of their most interesting, it's a departure from their familiar sound on their first albums. Where they were once very sample-reliant on funk and disco records, "Business Never Personal" favors a more stripped down approach, resulting in a very hard, grimy sound, a type of vibe that Boot Camp Clik and others would emulate in the years that followed. The bass hits heavy and the percussion is rough, these beats are really effective. This sound would continue into both Erick and PMD's solo careers, from Erick's early work with the Def Squad to PMD's albums with the Hit Squad. The rhymes are built to match, though. At this point in EPMD's career, Erick and Parrish were as rough as their beats. Their hostile, intimidating approach bashed sucker MCs left and right, heavy on the threats and gun-talk. There's no way a track like "The Steve Martin" of their earlier days would have found their way onto "Business Never Personal." Their rough style is only amplified here. With Parrish's determined, rumbling delivery and Erick's more laidback, conversational rap, it's engineered to near perfection and their chemistry is remarkable. Guests are limited to two songs and only include the rappers from their immediate circle. The album is remarkably consistent.

Some would complain that it's too short, at only 39 minutes, but I find that to be a strength. There's little room for error on a short album of this quality, and it's a very manageable quantity. My only complaints would come in the last few songs, where it's a little redundant and forgettable. Granted, these songs are fine cuts showing EPMD in their prime, but on an album with a few certified classics they don't quite stack up.

The first song is "Boon Dox," a rugged opener that's pretty indicative of what's to come. The beat is grimy and rough, and the chorus contains a distant-sounding vocal sample. Erick and Parrish drop their standard boom-bap, sucker MC-bashing type lyrics, it's a nice start. It hits hard, you can see from the beginning how they're a little rougher this time around. "Nobody's Safe Chump" barely clocks in at two minutes, with more posturing and great chemistry over a looping, tough track. "Can't Hear Nothin' But the Music" is a highlight, showcasing great, original production and two particularly potent verses from each rapper. This song's got so much style, I really like the hook. "Chill" is built around some lethargic horn samples, but somehow still manages to keep a very hard flavor. "Headbanger" is just short of incredible, largely thanks to guest spots from Redman and K-Solo, making it a fist-pumping track with some awesome verses and another great beat. Over a simple beat, DJ Scratch is given a chance to get busy on the turntables in "Scratch Bring It Back, Pt. 2 (Mic Doc)," and PMD's verse is excellent. My favorite track, without a doubt, is the classic "Crossover," arguably the single finest song of their catalog. This showcases EPMD at their most affective: determined, focused, and aggressive. Here, they shut down the sellout rap artists who sacrifice artistry for mainstream success. The production uses a great Zapp sample for an awesome hook, and the winding, rolling beat is perfect. Each verse is great, and their chemistry is at their finest. It's almost ironic that this song became their most successful single, given the subject matter. "Cummin' at Cha" is musically very average, and Erick and Parrish's verses are surprisingly ordinary, until Dre and Skoob of Das EFX take over, entertaining as always. "Play the Next Man" is a little more upbeat and the raps are more directed. The head-nodding "It's Going Down" is solid but not the album's most memorable song, and the disc closes with "Who Killed Jane," probably my favorite installment of their infamous "Jane" saga.

I'm not going to say that "Business Never Personal" is the best EPMD album, but it's hard for me to compare them to each other, they're all so consistent and great for their own reasons. In any event, this album showcases the EPMD product in its prime, and this is the last one to do so. Even though their two "post-retirement" albums (Back in Business and Out of Business) are great, this is the sound they tried to recreate on those albums. EPMD was one of the dopest hip hop products ever, and this album is just one of the reasons why.

This is EPMD's best album, because they didn't rigidly follow what every one else was doing at the time. They took some chances with different beats on "Boon Dox," "Cummin' at cha," and "Chill," which, if you like EPMD's previous recordings, you should like these. The production on the album was much more clear and the bass heavier than the previous albums. Other tracks that must get a listen are "Can't hear nothing...," and "Scratch bring it back..." (DJ scratch is nice). If those songs don't work for you, then you can still fall back to the hits off the album like "Crossover," "Headbanger" and "It's goin down."

The "Jane" song was much better than the previous janes, because the whole skit was hilarious, it was a great way for EPMD (whose noted for their dead-pan humor) to end their work. "Easy partner, chill, put the gun down..." "oh now you're tryn to play me out like homie the clown...and you know homie don't play that," "play what?" BANG "See, See"

Rough enough to take new york from long island

This album is underrated. It has unbelievable songs, like "Crossover", "It's going down", "Can't hear nothing but the music", "Headbanger" and "Scratch bring it back, Pt. 2". I bought the album this year although I had listened to some songs through Internet, but the entire album it's for me in the kingdom of the 10 best hardcore rap albums of all time. Just listen to "Headbanger", or "Cummin' At Cha" with Das EFX. I want this real hip hop from New York that I adore comes back now in 2003. Erick Sermon, Primo, Pete Rock, Marley Marl do something!!!

After releasing their 3rd CD, Business as Usual, in 1990, EPMD returned with their 4th disc, "Business Never Personal" in 1992. "Business Never Personal" was EPMD's 2nd release on Def Jam.
Their debut CD, Strictly Business, was released in 1988 and Unfinished Business was released a year later in 1989. "Business Never Personal" was given a nice buzz by the 1st single "Crossover", which definitely had me anticipating this release.
I previously heard the track "It's Going Down", which was originally featured on the Juice: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. "It's Going Down" was one of my favorites from the soundtrack and is also featured on "Business Never Personal". "Boon Dox" sets the tone for what was to be expected on this CD. As reviewer "Chandler" stated, there was definitely a "dark" production feel to the whole project and it sounds most of the time that EPMD wanted to show us that they weren't "soft" and they wanted to drive that point into the ground. "Nobody's Safe Chump" follows right where "Boon Dox" left off at and while the track is clearly nice, I was surprised that both tracks were only a total of 5 minutes put together. As soon as I heard "Can't Hear Nothing But The Music", I instantly forgave Erick and Parrish for the short length of the 1st 2 tracks. While the production may be "dark", it was clearly a top notch EPMD track. "Chill" does the same thing as any lack of lyrical creativity is instantly forgiven as soon as you hear the beat. The best track on "Business Never Personal" and one of my favorite rap collaborations of all time is "Headbanger". EPMD and K Solo deliver nice verses but Reggie "Redman" Noble clearly steals the show as he closes the track with one of his best verses of all time. "Scratch Bring It Back" is basically Part 2 of "Funky Piano" as EPMD gives props to their DJ. "Cummin' At Cha" is a nice track as the chorus comes from Cypress Hill's "How I Could Just Kill A Man" and D Nice's "25 To Life". The track really should be Das EFX featuring EPMD as Diggedy Das Efx clearly steal the show. "Who Killed Jane" ends the CD on a nice note as Part 4 of the Jane saga is trying to figure out who killed Jane at the time. The only track that I particularly didn't care for was "Play The Next Man". It was a nice change of pace to the darkness of the rest of the CD, but it just didn't work for me. One other problem that I had with the CD was that it was only 11 tracks and had a running time of only 39 minutes. Don't get me wrong I would rather have 11 decent tracks than 16 tracks and 5 of them being filler, but as a fan of the group I would've liked to hear additional tracks on this CD.

Overall, "Business Never Personal" might not have been as nice as the first 3 EPMD CDs, but in my opinion, it should still be considered a classic. I have no idea why this CD is out of print. This CD should be available anywhere where CDs are sold , just like the majority of the old school hip hop classic CDs are. Def Jam needs to get to work on that and fast. After their "hiatus", EPMD went on to release Back in Business in 1997 and Out of Business in 1999. Those CDs had their moments but they definitely couldn't compare to their 1st 4 classics.

James' Top 5

1) Headbanger w/Redman & K Solo
2) Crossover
3) Can't Hear Nothing But The Music
4) Cummin' At Cha w/Das EFX
5) It's Going Down

Honorable Mention:

Chill
Boon Dox
Nobody's Safe Chump
Who Killed Jane

Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith has released many albums from 1988 to 1992. Their fourth album "Business Never Personal" would be their fourth's album as a group before they split up into solo careers. Like many listeners have realized, this is probably the duo's darkest produced LP of their career. All of the production and rhymes are dark and grimy as compared to the other albums that came before this album here.

There are many banging tracks that are scattered throughout this album. One obvious would be the hit single "Headbanger" featuring K-Solo and Redman. Recently All Hip Hop ranked Redman's verse as one of the top 20 verses in Hip Hop, and I have to agree because he basically steals the show there. Another great song is another of the album's lead singles "Crossover" as Erick and Parrish rhyme about Hip Hop artists that turn pop in a matter of time. To be honest, the production on this album took time to grow on me, probably because I wasn't used to them doing dark sounding beats, but songs like "Can't Hear Nothing But The Music" and "Chill" are some of the well produced tracks.

The album is not without flaws though. As I stated before, the production had to grow on me, and it took a while, as well as the dark sounding rhymes, as if both members were angry at something. Another flaw is that both E and P are outshined by Das EFX on "Commin' At Cha". Also, I'm not the only one who noticed the Michael Jackson refrences on this album. This album clocks in at 39 minutes (39:03 to be exact), and it really goes both ways. The good being that it is short and right to the point. Also, it keeps the vibe going for the listener. The bad being that it the shortest EPMD album. It seems like you're getting into the album, it's almost over, leaving a listener for more. Also one can't help but wonder what Erick and Parrish were going through between each other before their split up, and think that this album was put together just to keep their fans happy, and not their full backs into it (possibly another reason justifing it for it's length).

Overall "Business Never Personal" is a great album although it doesn't match their previous albums (my favorite from the group is Business as Usual). Classic material? No. Their best? No. Underrated? Yes. Although they would reunite in 1997, their last two albums wouldn't come close to this right here. This is an album I still would recommend if you want to hear some dark production from Erick and Parrish. I also don't understand why Def Jam let this go out of print. Peace and Happy Thanksgiving!!

Lyrics: B+
Production: B+
Guest Appearances: A-
Musical Vibes: B-

Top 5 Tracks:
1. Headbanger (featuring K Solo and Redman)
2. Crossover
3. Can't Hear Nothing But The Music
4. Who Killed Jane (Jane 4)
5. Play The Next Man

Honorable Mention:
1. Commin At Cha (featuring Das EFX)

short, powerful, cool, dope, and all of the above. The production is nice raw early ninetees, but still funkdafied and definately a nice listen. The songs are a good mix and the emcees are as raw and on-point as ever (and there not nervous about telling you it)....

peace,

This album is underrated. It has unbelievable songs, like "Crossover", "It's going down", "Can't hear nothing but the music", "Headbanger" and "Scratch bring it back, Pt. 2". I bought the album this year although I had listened to some songs through Internet, but the entire album it's for me in the kingdom of the 10 best hardcore rap albums of all time. Just listen to "Headbanger", or "Cummin' At Cha" with Das EFX. I want this real hip hop from New York that I adore comes back now in 2003. Erick Sermon, Primo, Pete Rock, Marley Marl do something!!!

EPMD's last classic album is definitely the illest records I've ever bought. All the tracks are hot!!! Standouts are "Boon Dox"
, "Chill", "Crossover", "Can't Hear Nothing but the Music", "It's Going Down" and "Headbanger" featuring K-Solo and Redman. What else can i say, this is the ill CD, so buy it!!!!