Out of Business explained

Out of Business
Type:	studio
Artist:	EPMD
Cover:	Outofbusiness.jpg
Recorded:	1998 - 1999
Genre:	Hip hop
Label:	Def Jam
Prev Title:	Back in Business
Prev Year:	1997
Next Title:	We Mean Business
Next Year:	2008

Out of Business is the sixth studio album by American hip hop duo EPMD.^{[1] [2]} The album was originally scheduled for a December 1998 release under Def Jam Recordings, but had been delayed numerous times as a result of a merger between Seagram's PolyGram (Def Jam's parent company) and Universal Music Group's MCA Records,^{[3] [4]} combining Def Jam and Island Records' operations together under the Island Def Jam Music Group. Ultimately, the album was released on July 20, 1999.^[5] It is the first official Def Jam album released under the newly-formed Island Def Jam Music Group and the group's last album released under the label as they left the imprint a year later before going inactive for the second time.

Recording sessions took place at Mirror Image Studio East in Dix Hills, Mirror Image Recorders and Northshore Soundworks in New York and Ian London Studios in Long Island. Production was handled by members Erick Sermon and PMD, as well as DJ Scratch, with 8-Off Agallah serving as co-producer. It features guest appearances from 215, 8-Off Agallah, Busta Rhymes, Lady Luck, Method Man, M.O.P. and Redman. The album peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200 and number 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the United States, with 73,000 units sold in its first week.^[6] Its only single, "Symphony 2000", reached only No. 62 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, No. 28 on the Hot Rap Songs and No. 58 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay in the US.

The duo changed its initialism for the release from 'Erick & Parrish Making Dollars' to 'Erick & Parrish Millennium Ducats'.^[7] A limited-edition issue of the album was released with a bonus greatest hits album.

Track listing

Sample credits

• Track 1 contains a sample from "Fanfare For Rocky" written and performed by Bill Conti.
• Track 9 contains a sample from "Hang 'Em High" written and performed by Dominic Frontiere.
• Track 10 contains a sample from "Brooklyn Zoo" written by Russell Jones, Dennis Coles, Robert Diggs and Derrick Harris as performed by Ol' Dirty Bastard.
• Track 12 contains a sample from "Do Your Dance" written by Norman Whitfield and Dwight Turner as performed by Rose Royce.
• Track 14 contains a sample from "Mary Jane" written and performed by Rick James.

Personnel

• Erick Sermon — vocals, producer (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 6, 8-10, 13), co-producer (track 7), mixing (tracks: 2, 5-14), executive producer, sleeve notes
• Parrish "PMD" Smith — vocals, producer (tracks: 4, 7, 11, 12, 14), mixing (tracks: 2, 5-8, 10), executive producer, sleeve notes
• Eric "Billy Danze" Murray — vocals (track 5)
• Jamal "Lil' Fame" Grinnage — vocals (track 5)
• Trevor "Busta Rhymes" Smith — vocals (track 7)
• Alec "215" Nathaniel — vocals (track 10)
• Angel "8-Off Agallah" Aguilar — vocals (track 10)
• Reginald "Redman" Noble — vocals (track 13)
• Clifford "Method Man" Smith — vocals (track 13)
• Chanelle "Lady Luck" Jones — vocals (track 13)
• George "DJ Scratch" Spivey — producer (track 1)
• Marc Berto — recording (tracks: 2, 4, 6, 8, 12), mix engineer assistant (track 5), recording engineer assistant (tracks: 7, 9-11, 13, 14)
• Charlie Marotta — recording & mixing (track 3)
• John Decatur — recording (tracks: 5, 7)
• Tommy Uzzo — recording (tracks: 9-11, 13, 14), mixing (tracks: 2, 4-14)
• Richard A. LaSalvia — recording engineer assistant
• Camilio Rodriguez — recording engineer assistant
• Dave O'Donnell — recording engineer assistant
• Tony Dawsey — mastering
• Kevin Liles — executive producer
• The Drawing Board — art direction, design
• Wayne Van Acker — design
• Danny Clinch — photography
• Gerard Gaskin — photography
• Richard Iohr — photography
• Alvin Toney — sleeve notes
• Jasmine "Jazz" Young — marketing

Greatest Hits bonus disc

Notes

• Track 1 is a re-recording of "It's My Thing" from 1988 Strictly Business.
• Track 2 is a re-recording of "You Gots to Chill" from 1988 Strictly Business, which previously appeared in 1997 Back in Business as "You Gots 2 Chill '97".
• Track 3 is a re-recording of the song of the same from 1988 Strictly Business.
• Track 4 is a re-recording of "So Wat Cha Sayin'" from 1989 Unfinished Business.
• Track 5 is a re-recording of "The Big Payback" from 1989 Unfinished Business.
• Tracks 6 and 7 are re-recordings of the songs of the same names from 1989 Unfinished Business.
• Tracks 8 and 9 are taken from 1990 Business as Usual.
• Tracks 10 and 11 are taken from 1992 Business Never Personal.
• Tracks 12 and 13 are taken from 1997 Back in Business.

Personnel

• Erick Sermon — vocals, producer
• Parrish "PMD" Smith — vocals, producer (tracks: 1-11)
• Mr. Bozack — co-producer (tracks: 8, 9, 11)
• Charlie Marotta — mixing (tracks: 1, 3-7)
• Tommy Uzzo — mixing (tracks: 2, 10, 12, 13)
• Ivan 'Doc' Rodriguez — mixing (tracks: 8, 9, 11, 13)
• Dave Greenberg — mixing (track 11)

Notes and References

1. Web site: McIntosh . Daryl . July 17, 2019 . Revisiting EPMD’s ‘Out Of Business’ (1999) Retrospective Tribute . October 28, 2023 . Albumism . en-US.
2. Web site: Rabin . Nathan . Nathan Rabin . March 29, 2002 . EPMD: Out Of Business . October 28, 2023 . . en.
3. Web site: Seagrams completes PolyGram acquisition - Dec. 10, 1998 . 2023-10-30 . money.cnn.com.
4. Web site: Special Report: PolyGram-Universal Merger Bad News For Artists? . https://web.archive.org/web/20220818200905/https://www.mtv.com/news/8zt5hd/special-report-polygram-universal-merger-bad-news-for-artists . dead . August 18, 2022 . 2023-10-30 . MTV . en.
5. Oumano . Elena . July 24, 1999 . EPMD's Latest Gets Down To 'Business' . . . 111 . 30 . 35, 38 . 0006-2510 . October 28, 2023 . Google Books.
6. Web site: Skanse . Richard . July 28, 1999 . EPMD Scores Week's Highest Debut . October 28, 2023 . . en-US.
7. Web site: Cowie . Del F. . September 1, 1999 . EPMD Out of Business Exclaim! . October 28, 2023 . Exclaim!.