EPMD

"Erick and Parrish Making Dollars" is what EPMD stands for. The New York hip-hop duo, active since the mid-80s, were known as one of the most important acts in East Coast hip-hop. Their 1988 debut album, Strictly Business, is seen as a classic debut, and is known for the title track which sampled Eric Clapton's "I Shot The Sheriff". In 1989 their follow-up Unfinished Business was also greeted with rave reviews. Both their first two albums sold over half-a-million copies each.

After signing to Def Jam, EPMD returned with Business As Usual (1990) and Business Never Personal (1992), which were both critically acclaimed.

Unfortunately, the band soon split in acrimonious circumstances. Parrish Smith's house was robbed, and suspicions arose that Erick Sermon might have been involved in the crime. Both made allegations against each other, before pursuing solo careers.

They reformed in 1997 to release Back In Business. Their final album so far, Out Of Business, was released in 1999. In 2006 the pair reformed on stage, and plan to release a new album in 2008, creatively titled We Mean Business.