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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Raw, Tims n' hoodies, Jeep-bumpin', hardcore rap...the best EPMD solo,
By
This review is from: Business Is Business (Audio CD)
Parrish Smith's second solo album, 1996's "Business Is Business," is one of the most focused and consistent hardcore rap albums I have heard, and one of the best projects PMD was ever involved with. This album is really awesome in all areas. Lyrically PMD never sounded as energized or angry as he does on this album, and his low monotone spits his signature warnings and threats, using metaphors and telling simple stories of his urban encounters, but it works better over these beats than it ever did on his other solo works. The production here is phenomenal. Each track has a simple, slow, banging beat and excellent instrumentals and sampling. Using keyboards and vocal sampling, the production creates a soundscape of music that evokes imagery of a dark urban setting, complete with Tims and hoodies, Jeeps, and dumpsters. There are no tracks for the ladies and no we-are-the-world records on "Business Is Business"; this is strictly hardcore rap at its finest. PMD doesn't need to go overboard with explicit language or threats to make this effective, though. This is the perfect album to play in the car or while chilling. The unique sound and consistency of "Business Is Business" make this the best EPMD solo, edging out Erick Sermon's "Double or Nothing" album. Another piece that makes this so enjoyable is the guest appearances. After EPMD split in 1993, both Erick and Parrish compiled crews of East Coast underground battle rappers, the Def Squad and the Hit Squad respectively. And while these groups are often confused and their titles used interchangeably, they were both distinctively talented in their own rights. While the Def Squad was famous for the crazy stylings of Redman and Keith Murray along with Sermon's signature cosmic funk sound, the Hit Squad was a grimier collective of "no-diggity" battle rappers, including Das EFX, Nocturnal, and K-Solo. A matured Das EFX appears on three tracks here, and each appearance is excellent. "Business is Business" is extremely underrated, and very hard to find today, but it's an awesome album that I highly recommend for fans of the 90s underground sound.
After the intro, the album begins with the title track, a threatening and angry sounding track with great lyrics and awesome production, laced with a hard beat and a chaotic sax sample. "Leave Your Style Cramped" is under two minutes and very enjoyable. The classic "Rugged-N-Raw" follows, with an amazing beat somewhere between Wu-Tang's "Wu Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin' to F' Wit" and Run-DMC's "Down With the King." The vocal samples in the chorus sound like some sort of horrorcore, and this is one of the best examples of hardcore New York rap. The first Das EFX collabo, "Whatcha Gonna Do," is a dense and more thoughtful sounding track that asks questions concerning philosophy while still maintaining a harder-than-thou stance. Das sounds reenergized and more intelligent with their mature, post-"shiggity" sound. Nocturnal guests on "Never Watered Down," a Hit Squad anthem with an exceptional beat. One of my favorite songs is "It's the Pee," which has production that would not sound out of place in a horror movie and a great hook. Lyrically the best song is "Kool Kat," a song where Parrish recounts an experience "around my Mom's way" on a lazy day, exploring his character. The beat is laidback and relaxing yet hard sounding at the same time. This wouldn't really sound out of place on a later EPMD album. Hardcore kings M.O.P. show up for the outstanding collabo "It's the Ones," which uses a classic sample for the hook from the Notorious B.I.G.'s song "Warning." Another good Das EFX collabo follows, "Nuttin' Move," and "I'm a B-Boy" is next, a deep and bass-heavy groove where PMD delivers among the record's best verses. The album ends with a remix at least as good as the original "Ruff Rugged-N-Raw," featuring Das EFX. "Business Is Business" is entertaining, complete, and distinctive. I really love this album, it's one I've listened to endlessly over and over and never get tired of. Fans of EPMD will love this for the way it advances on classic sounds to make a totally new one. I recommend this one to fans of 90s hardcore rap, like Boot Camp Clik, M.O.P., and Das EFX. Overall this is a phenomenal album, a lost gem among the best hip hop albums of the mid-90s.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
RETURN OF MIC DOC,
By
This review is from: Business Is Business (Audio CD)
THIS ALBUM IS A WORK OF ART. IT WAS SLEPT ON IN 1996. THE BEATS ARE SWIFT , AND FUNKY. PMD HOLDS HIS OWN ON THE MIC! MU FAVORITE JAMS ARE KOOL KAT , RUGGED AND RAW , AND LEAVE YOUR STYLE CRAMPED! DAS EFX AND M.O.P ALSO MAKE GUEST APPERANCES. PMD DOES HIS THING ON THIS RECORD!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
So who needs E-Double?,
By
This review is from: Business Is Business (Audio CD)
I loved this album, straight up and down. PMD brought bloody fire with this one here. "I'm a B-Boy" summed up PMD's whole state of mind to keep it gutter gully hip-hop. Bring in Das Efx, M.O.P. and his other kats from his crew, and it this was sweet. I just wish he would stop with the references to E-Double. It was like a crutch that made him hobble a few times. He had the skills just like Erick Sermon
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