EPMD

Once described as "the rap equivalent of a rock & roll garage band," EPMD (stands for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars") got into the hip-hop business not to spout its political agenda, but to have fun and get paid.

Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith grew up together on Long Island, home to rappers Eric B. and Rakim, De La Soul, and Public Enemy's Flavor Flav.  EPMD were among the best in hip-hop's underground during the late '80s and early '90s. They begin their career with a string of  classic albums. By 1992, they presided over an extended family dubbed the Hit Squad, including Redman, K-Solo, and Das EFX.  The duo split later that year, however, prompting solo careers for each member.

The duo then re-formed in 1997, recording a strong comeback LP named Back in Business  in 1999, but the rappers continued pursuing their own projects through the late '90s and early 2000s. Both released solo albums, and Sermon partnered with Redman and Keith Murray to form the Def Squad supergroup. Nevertheless, they also found time to continue performing together as EPMD, and 2008 saw them returning to the studio for We Mean Business .