EPMD’s ‘Strictly Business’ and ‘Unfinished Business’ Get Double Vinyl Reissues

EPMD's first two classic albums, back-to-back albums, 1988's Strictly Business and 1989's Unfinished Business, are getting a vinyl reissue, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the former.

Despite both records' significance in hip-hop, spawning rap staples such as "You Gots to Chill" (which notably sampled Zapp's 1980 funk dance hit, "More Bounce to the Ounce") and "Strictly Business" (which cleverly samples Eric Clapton's "I Shot The Sheriff"), the albums have been unavailable on vinyl for decades.

Obviously, that's a tragedy seeing as how Strictly Business is considered one of rap's greatest debut records, defined by Sermon's funky-heavy samples, which helped usher in a fresh sound in hip-hop, and in may ways, became a template for New York rap.

Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith enacted the 10-12 song album code on their first two albums, and the records were defining for Sermon in particular, who would go on to become one of the most respected producers in 90s rap and R&B, crafting music for Redman (Whut? Thee Album and Dare Iz a Darkside), Jodeci ("Feenin"),  Keith Murray (The Most Beautifulest Thing In This World), SWV and more.

Strictly Business and Unfinished Business are now also available in colored-vinyl editions, exclusively available at Urban Legends.

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