Epmd

EPMD came out of Brentwood, Long Island in the late 1980s, a duo made up of Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith. Their first album, 'Strictly Business,' arrived in 1988. Sermon handled most of the rapping with a direct, conversational style, while Smith built the tracks from samples and drum loops that gave them a lean, functional sound. They called themselves Erick and Parrish Making Dollars, which pretty much said what they were about.

They kept putting out records every couple of years, titling most of them around the business theme, 'Unfinished Business,' 'Business as Usual,' 'Business Never Personal.' Songs like 'The Joint' and 'Let the Funk Flow' worked with simple, repeating grooves. The production wasn't flashy; it was more about finding a workable loop and riding it. 'The Fan' and 'U Got Shot' had that same economical feel.

In 1992 they released 'Payback II,' which became one of their best-known tracks. It wasn't a radical departure, just a particularly solid example of their approach, a steady beat, a recognizable sample, and two guys trading verses without much fuss. They broke up for a while in the 1990s, got back together, and have put out occasional records since, but those early albums are what people still play.