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Customer Reviews of Business as Usual

3rd classic in a row.
Business as Usual is EPMD's junior album. At this point in careers, most MCs can't live up to thier earlier efforts. However, I'm going to have to disagree with some of the other reviewers. This album outdoes both Strictly Business and Business as Usual. Their skills are even more polished then before, the chemistry between Parrish and Erick is more entertaining then ever, and the signiture production (mostly done by pMd) is as addictive as ever. It took me a second to get into the album, probably due to the sound differing a bit from the first two. However, once I spinned it twice, I knew EPMD has to be one of the finest crews ever to rock the mic. All the tracks are great, but some examples include: "I'm Mad!" the tradition opening club banger, "Mr. Bozak" in which pMd has a conversation with his man-hood, and "Give the People" a more political song about thier black pride over an extra funky beat. Redman and LL Cool J both make memorable guest spots. Don't sleep, this is a timeless album in classic EPMD fassion.

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JUST BUSINESS AS USUAL
EPMD strikes again - the funk sounds and the scratching (most especially "Funky Piano" by the legendary DJ Scratch) were much sharper than in their previous recordings. Other standouts are "Jane 3" (one can never ever forget the "Jane" episodes) and "I'm Mad", the explosive opener. While not as memorable as the first two albums--perhaps evidenced by the title of the album itself and their continued premier reliance on battle rhymes (save for tracks like "Gold Digger" and "Give the People")--BUSINESS AS USUAL is a hip-hop classic in its own right. Spoiler--check out a reenergized LL Cool J in "Rampage".

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CONGRATS! You've just found the best rap album of all time!
In 1990, I copped this album because I knew EPMD had some hits. Little did I know that it would turn out to be the greatest rap album EVER! No, the hits on this album didn't get burn like their first 2 albums, but it is easily their tightest package. E-Double and P spit napalm on this with more charisma than ever before. "I'm Mad" is total kaos, with loco horn & piano loops and Beastie Boys voice sample. E & P's vocals slice and dice the track and their chemistry is perfected with P seemingly snatching the mic from E on the last verse. "Hardcore" features an alphabetically-inclined Redman "ready to rock rough rhymes", proving his value off top to the Hit Squad. Gutter funk guitars, heavy bass, and EPMD's grittier slow flows make this a winner. "Rampage" (2nd single) is straight lyrical assault with the illustrious LL Cool J rolling up his sleeves. LL was huge at the time, but EPMD actually did HIS career a favor with this one. All spit cutting edge rhymes over an Otis Redding "Tramp" sample. "Manslaughter" is EPMD bread and butter. Erick & Parrish get type gully, laying criminal mindstate metaphors down on a slick Barry White sample. Coincidentally, sampling on this song (among others) started a whirlwind of legal problems with sample clearing for EPMD. "Jane 3" is the best of the infinite saga, with Jane resurfacing as "Jay", a transvestite with a grudge. This joint is a perfect example of how each cut on this album was thought out to the point that a movie could be made off each one. "Jane 3" also birthed "Audi 5000", one of the many trendsetting terms that this legendary group gave the world. "For My People" is raw, high-powered energy bobbing and weaving through a fuzz guitar track and P's trademark voice sampling. E & P scream every ounce of themselves into this jam and this is one of my favorites. "Mr. Bozack" is an ingenious masterpiece with P carrying a conversation with his genitalia (played by Erick). At the end, "Mr. Bozack" sneezes, which represents the discharge that occurs with gonorrhea. Parrish, in denial, continues his deadly habits, which come to an abrupt end. This is just the first half, y'all...

"Gold Digger" (1st single) knocks for the club or the ride, while E & P crisply reminisce on their experiences with money-hungry shorties, then have the listener po' broke and lonely by the end. "Give The People" (3rd single) samples the O'Jays "Give The People What They Want" and EPMD take the time to speak on the politics of the rap game and rappers' rights to speak what they feel and not what they're told. "Rap Is Outta Control" had me checking the jacket to see who was rhyming. The novocaine-like flows that E & P let off are so different and unorthodox, even for this album. This is an ignorant dumb-out session that became a well-deserved classic gem. "Brothers On My Jock" is my favorite. Erick, Parrish and a returning Redman run circles around a Bob James' "Nautilis" sample. The three can do no wrong here, switching from textbook braggadocio ("Straight-up B-boy/Real McCoy like Bruce Leroy/Strap the bozack when I'm stampin' a skeezoid") to impromptu imagery ("Boy, you're puff, puff, puff soft like a smokestack") instantaneously. "Underground" is a laid-back street-level jam to get low to. Erick & Parrish take somewhat of a breather on this one, but are not stingy with the quadraverbs at all. It only adds dimension to this album. "Hit Squad Heist" is more street cinema, where Erick, Parrish, K-Solo and Redman manage to pull off a bank robbery and blow the cops to kingdom come. More creative interactive hiphop for your buttocks. The album closes with "Funky Piano". Here, the also legendary DJ Scratch is front and center. EPMD never settled for less than best when choosing a DJ. DJ Scratch shows and proves and breaks fool on the 1s and 2s, and it sounds like there might be 3s and 4s here too! EPMD sets him up with introductory rhymes, but Scratch is the star of this show and arguably the greatest DJ of all time.

What else could you possibly want in a rap album? Erick and Parrish outdid themselves here, setting trends in hiphop, taking metaphors/similes to another level, rocking the clubs and the streets, movie making on wax, and spittin' fire and coming off intelligent while doing it. And to think these cats were just hitting their 20s when this dropped! This album is classic because EPMD didn't OD on any one topic (women, money, cars, etc.). If you need an escape from today's overly materialistic hiphop music, check these cats who make dollars, but mean business.